Day 11: The lonely waterways with helpful people.

Day 11; - Veliancode to Rairamangalam (Tanur) via Ponnani, Mangalam Koottayi regulator.

NOTE : Pictures courtesy Jibin Thomas,  Mathew Varughese & Murugan Krishnan 

Beeyam Kayal, South Ponnani.

We had a peaceful sleep under the mango tree and Balan chettan was early to help us. The morning coffee was ready and the camp closed as we took turns moving the kayaks using the trolleys to the edge of the Canolly canal, 150meters away. After all kayaks were assembled and ready to launch, we noticed that the low tide was at its peak and the kayaks had to be slid down the embankment to avoid the fine mud. The previous day, we had struggled to climb up through the slippery compound. The plan was to get the kayaks rigged, the kayaker taking position in the cockpit and then launching with a slide. For many of us, this was the first time of slide launching. Mathew hit upon the idea of using the stalk of the coconut palm to make the slide, to avoid damage to the hull.

Reaching the embankment, Ponnani

Crossing the embankment, Ponnani

After the launch that was uneventful, we set off towards Ponnani. By dawn we had entered Beeyam Kayaal and now tracked westward to enter the canal that cut across Ponnani town. This was the stretch that we had inspected the day before. As we searched the narrow entrance and turned north, we hit upon the first check dam, erected to help with broadening of the canal. Locals at the nearby tea shop joined to help us. We relaunched on the other side of the embankment and continued across Ponnani town. The place is overcrowded with people and fishing vessels of all kind. The canal in this stretch was dirty & stinky; one could see discharge from homes directly emptying into it. Appalled to see folks also rod fishing in the same waters.We raced to overcome the suffocation and were so careful in paddling, to avoid any water from the canal falling on us. What does one tell poor people about environment when they are running to feed their families.

Reaching the Bharathapuzha estuary.

It was such a relief to see the Bharatapuzha river, as she meets the sea. We waited for all the ten kayakers to come together before making the crossing North. The estuary was being churned by wind from the sea and waves looked intimidating. Taking up the point to hit on the other shore we paddled frantically. The experience was the toughest of the entire trip for some of us. You take your eyes off to look for a fellow or the horizon, the next wave would push you off balance. It took a good ten minutes for us to cross over and having done so, we looked out to make sure the roost was intact. Crossing northward we saw fishing boats getting readied for the sea sojourn. 

Shallow waters, North of Ponnani.

The water was shallow and full of sand, looked beautiful, for it was low tide. Women were wading to pick on clams and crayfish; while men worked relentlessly to push the boats to deeper water. Fishing boats coming in were renewing the crew, the old ones being hauled in boats to the shore. We pushed on with the information about a tea shop near Purathur Juma-Masjid, where all the fishermen coming back from sea were heading. As we came landing, a large crowd started congregating, with talk on what the display was. 

The breakfast break, near Purathur Juma-Masjid.

Local kids, near Purathur Juma-Masjid

Being in camouflage helps in these situations as there is an air of respect for uniformed folks. The scene was now set for leaving the kayaks securely as Rakshit shouted captains command in Hindi, as he marched for his breakfast with his juniors following suit. We got directions from the locals and after the breakfast set off to find the narrow Canolly canal.

Observers on the walkway.

We pushed on and passed a huge cable suspended walkway and came to a halt at Mangalam Koottayi regulator bridge. The regulator controls flow and keeps the upstream saline free during the post-monsoon months. 

Mangalam Koottayi regulator bridge

The kayaks were hauled overland and we got them relaunched on the other side from a house courtyard, that was the first convenient place we found. The place was littered with boulders and the whole relaunch looked precarious.  

Relaunching kayaks on the other side of Mangalam Koottayi regulator bridge

We paddled on to reconnect with Canolly canal. This canal built by more than 150 years ago, is an engineering marvel and stands in disuse today. All along the canal bank we saw huge coconut plantations and not a soul  or a boat; using the canal. We tried our luck with plucker atop the tree for tender coconuts and our luck finally caught up. In the tropical heat, nothing can beat the tender coconut water. We paddled on and the sun was at the zenith, it was hot and humid. 

Canolly Canal, built in 1848, splendid; yet, unused.

Taking rest in coconut grove.

All along the canal at periodic intervals we saw small sheds and later realized that these were racing pigeon huts, that saw the hobbyist come in the morning and evening to take care of the birds. It was now close to 2PM, when we got stuck due to water hyacinth in the water.

Hauling ashore near the pigeon shed.

We pulled over and waited for the school to send us a bus for the function. The intermittent time was spent looking up the bird keepers and understanding their hobby. It took another 45minutes for the bus to appear, with kids carrying placards on conservation, with teachers and Gopu(our overland co-ordinator). 

We took a brief for the kids and then took the bus to attend the school function. Half of our colleagues stayed back, parking the kayaks in a grove. None of us had lunch and the school function was already late. The school was located in Rairamangalam, right next to the Ratheeb Palli(mosque) and it was past 3:30PM, when we reached the school. 

The school function was a success as lot of kids stayed back to hear our pitch and stories, even after the school gets over at 4PM. After the function we bought lunch and headed back to the grove. It was past 530PM, when we had lunch. The next challenge was to move the kayaks to a suitable camp site and it was suggested that we move them to the school. The ideas was scrapped as the distance from school to the canal was more than 300meters and the landscape was not suitable for trolley. The locals were extremely helpful, with the family staying in the grove sending a steady supply of hot tea.

Helpful locals loading kayaks for transfer to Tanur.

The decision was made to move the kayaks to a home next to the canal and we being late, agreed the departure could happen past 5:30AM the next day. It was 10PM, when we got a small truck to get all the kayaks to the storage location. We trouped to school and Deepu had got dinner, that was much less for 10 hungry stomachs. The toll of waiting in a grove without food had beaten some of us hard. After the bath and quick dinner, we went to sleep, using school benches arranged sideways as bed. The day was long and tiring, we had covered 32Kilometer.

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Day 9 & 10 - The locks, regulators and tempers!

Day 9: Edaithiruthy to Chavakkadu, via Thriprayar, Kandashankadavu & Chetuva.

NOTE: Pictures courtesy Mathew Vurghese, Jibin Thomas & Murugan Krishnan

The streets were completely empty and the night was peaceful, either we were too tired to hear the dogs bark or they did no bark at all! We got up with constant walking near the tent and  realized that the local hotel owner was walking to the tap in the church compound, back and forth. Few of us went to see what the guy was preparing and were surprised to see "Kattipathri"; a rice cake delicacy, not commonly available. We had one, then two and finally ended up having twenty of them getting packed for the trip.

Kattipathiri - Local delicacy  at Edaithiruthy.

Paddling along, south of Thriparayar.

The coffee that day was a damp squib; all of us had Kattipathiri and Tea at the same place. It was close to 5:00AM, when we moved the Kayaks through the Edathiruthy market to the canal. The Canal here is neat, as the locals care for them. We met the local shop owner who was getting ready for the days chores. He shared how they avoid duping anything into the canal and try to incinerate garbage. With headlights we launched the kayaks into the narrow dark canal. The advanced party had seven and they had gone a little ahead and the second group had three. Kaushiq suddenly called from the back as he hit a submerged pylon of an overhead bridge that was in disuse. The impact literally got his kayak to go over and he had managed to stabilize the situation. It was a scary start to the day as we pushed further. The canal was narrow with large trees and overgrowth on both banks; it was not long that we entered the main river; wide and beautiful. We pushed on appreciating the arriving day accompanied with cacophony of sounds from wetland birds.

Murugan chatting with local racing boat owners, south of Thriparayar.

On to our left we saw two boats moored on the banks and their shape indicated they were special. We pulled close to have a better look and the small house situated on the bank came alive. The two boats were used for racing and had won many accolades; we exchanged our thought on hull design and said our goodbyes to the family.

Thriprayar Temple, one of the few Ramayana stream temples in Kerala.

We moved on and to our left came the famous Thriparayar Temple; one of the few in Kerala that represent the epic Ramayana. Kerala temples are more aligned to the epic Mahabharata with Lord Krishna as the main deity in most temples. The morning temple puja procession was going around with percussion and Rakshit could not resist pulling over. He scaled the temple wall to reach the main compound  as the others pushed on for the Kappikada (local tea shop).

Backwaters south of Chettuva

Here the river is palm fringed and inhabited on both the sides, yet much cleaner than in south Kerala. We kept checking with locals and it was near the Thalikulam Muttichur Bridge that we stopped for breakfast. It was a tiny place right next to the Madrasa that could barely accommodate three or four people inside. We trickled in as other reached the Thalikulam Muttichur Bridge.

Beautiful house near Kandashankadavu, Trichur.

We later heard that Rakshit after offering his prayers at the Temple tried jumping over the fence to get back to his Kayak and was stopped by the security guards. They took him for a psychologically disturbed person, trying to kill himself by jumping into the river. Murugan and others persuaded the security folks and Rakshit was back in the Kayak. After the breakfast we pushed on crossing Kandashankadavu Bridge, our destination was Chetuva Backwaters. The breakfast was not that great and Kandashanakadavu offered a better alternative, which we had missed.

Backwaters, south of Chettuva.

We pushed on and slowly as we made our way to Chettuva backwaters. All along the bank, huge coconut palms swayed in the breeze and stretched as far as the eyes could see. Occasionally you would see a house, jetty or a place of worship. Fishermen were in plenty and would be amazed to see the group on boats they had never seen. Some of them wanted the Paddle, some wanted the Kayaks as they imagined innovative ways they could be put to use.

Kajaman resorts, Chettuva.

National Highway over the backwaters, Chettuva.

It was close to noon as we saw the Kajaman Resort and the bridge further down, which was our destination for the day. The mangrove forest and the backwaters here make for an amazing view. Gopu and Anoop were helping us land and Dani had pulled past all of us to make the first landing. The day was taking its toll, it was hot and the sun was already baking! We pulled into the tourism complex and restaurant next to the bridge. The place was littered with clam shells, making it very risky to walk bare foot. One by one the kayaks and the paddlers were hauled up the jetty as and when they arrived. The boats were plucked and placed neatly as we settled in for the day.

Meeting with local representatives, KTDC, Chettuva.

The post lunch program was lined up with the local MLA and nature conservation folks. We did not feel comfortable at the KTDC property as it lacked basic facilities. Few of us took time to wash clothes and have a shower. After lunch the need for a better place grew louder and two of our folks went with the Mathrubhumi team to scout for a place near Chavakaddu. The team came back having identified an Ayurvedic Resort after Chavakaddu town, the time was past 5:00PM and another six kilometers to go.

The mangroves the group planted at Chettuva.

After a little bit of confusion we decided to move and after planting mangrove saplings at the boat jetty, we pushed on for Chavakaddu. As soon as we entered the Conolly canal, there was a lock and no operator to help us pass thorough. Kaushiq had taken contact details of the local MLA from our last event; he called him seeking help to open the locks. The locks at Chettuva are electrically operated and need one person to manage it.

The locks at Chettuva, heading north.

The lock operator had gone home for some personal work and small kids took the initiative to get him. It was festival as a lot of folks congregated to know what the fuss was; all of them ready to help. They were astonished to know that we were kayaking from so far away and that; the waterways could be used to travel! Few of us got help and moved on to the other side. Kaushiq had a point that if the waterways have to be navigable, the locks should be operational. The lock operator appeared and with cheer from the crowd, let the second group in. We thanked all of them for their help and moved on. We had hardly paddled for half a kilometer when the weeds cut us off. What surprised us most was that a section of people who had helped us at the lock were also there.

Local kids, who helped us to carry our kayaks over Hyacinth filled waters, north of Chettuva.

They knew about the weeds and had come on two wheelers to help us. We pulled the kayak ashore and launched them about hundred meters ahead. We said our goodbyes, paddled on as it was getting dark. Headlights were on and the red blinkers of the group going in swamp like situation looked true from some Hollywood movie. Dogs barked as we paddled on and locals came out with their torchlight to find out what the commotion was. Weeds covered at many places and we cut though as a snake making its way through water, one following the other in close quarters. It was pitch dark, when we crossed the bridge near Chavakkadu Town.  We pushed on and one could not avoid polluted water full of animal offal. It was Gopu who helped us home into the resort which we had identified. Few of us looked forward to having a hot shower for the kind of water we had paddled through.

Murugan handing over the book at the Ayurveda resort.

The Ayurvedic resort was kind enough to accommodate us as our initial requirement for one room grew to three. After the hot shower and dinner we hunkered down; Three per room, with Raj deciding to camp in a tent. It was a long day, the good thing was we covered one third of the next day’s target. The decision was to sleep till 5:00AM and leave leisurely!

Day 10: Chavakkadu to Viliancode via Punnayur & Mannalamkunnu. 

The beautiful landscape, north of Chavakkadu.

Good habits die hard and it was 4:30AM, when we all woke up. Things were slow and it was 5:45AM, when we had got all the kayaks into the Conolly canal. The landscape was amazing, it looked as though a thousand bonsai trees were floating in water, lush green and no sight of humanity. We moved on soaking in the amazing views nature had orchestrated for us. The silence was broken by Pappu who called out as he had sighted some animal. We all trouped in and were amazed to see fresh water otters on the shore. They popped their head to have a look at us and disappeared. Fresh water otters were spread across Kerala and have disappeared except for few places. Urbanization and the Malayalees desire for bigger homes are adding to habitat loss.

Rich mans filth for the poorest of people, north of Chavakkadu.

We moved on and the canal now took a sharp right turn. The call for breakfast amplified as we saw settlements, but there was no luck. What we got instead was a long stretch of canal full of decaying hyacinth and animal offal of all kind. The water here was stagnant, fowl smelling and the poorest of the society were the sufferers. These people for no action of theirs were dealing with an issue that stood at the altar of rich man’s hypocrisy. The rich have a lifestyle that indirectly pollutes and decimates nature; we were staring into that mess! This one stretch created so much soul searching that Pappu decided never to eat chicken. In a literate state as Kerala, individuals and governments are failing the society. There is no ownership for all the animal waste that’s created and there is no oversight from the Government.

Canolly Canal, en route to Veliancode.

We scuttled fast to cross this stretch of the Conolly Canal, which is straight, devoid of any human activity and flanked by coconut plantations on both the banks. We were lucky to find four peacocks as we paddled, the only knowledge about free reigning Peacocks we had was in the district of Palghat; you never know the surprises nature throws at you! We moved on and reaching Punnayur got excited to hike to a hotel, and get disappointed. Disappointed as the local hotels were tiny and served bleached wheat oily patties called "Parrota"; that is now unfortunately the state food of Kerala - having a rubber like texture without any nutritional value whatsoever! As we decided to move on, an old man was so enthralled by the Kayaks that he wanted a ride. Kaushiq obliged before the team reversed the plan. We generally do not get strangers on to the Kayak, lest something happens and we get stranded. We pushed for a short distance to stop near a bridge near Mannalamkunnu. A bunch of kids were playing and we took help from the eldest, Muhammad to watch over the kayak.

Locals at Mannalamkunnu, Mohamed, first from left.

We trouped to a hotel near the Mannalumkunnu bus stand for a great breakfast. Local youths were intrigued as always; wanted to come along to see what Kayaks were and  help us launch.The local youth we had met at Mannalamkunnu shared how they get threatened by meat sellers, when they object to offal being dumped in the water bodies. It was an hour after we had met Muhammad that we came back to the bridge and after answering the queries of the local folks, pushed for our destination Veliancode.

The canal is so lonely in this stretch; overhead bridges are pain points and advertise their arrival with foul smell. We had difficulty in crossing one particular bridge as offal dumped in gunny bags had chocked the water flow! We moved on and appreciated stretches that were absolutely clean. One dreads paddling on these waterways close to festivals as a lot of animals get culled and offal dumped in the canal. Animal offal is good manure if safely discarded; it can be buried under tree as manure. Looks like on one has duties in Kerala, yet, all of them have rights. The sun was coming to its peak; we started to inquire for our destination and chance of getting tender coconut.

Beautiful Canolly at Veliancode.

We moved on, and found Rakshit, in conversation with a lady on the canal bank. He did not know Malayalam (the local language) and she for sure had no clue of Hindi! Rakshit confidently flagged the others down for tender coconut was promised! The lady appeared with no coconuts and confirmed that this is Veliancode; Manoj's house is here, please stop! Manoj was Jibin's friend who had offered us his empty home for camping.

Campsite at Veliancode

Rahul(second from left) with his friends.

We were at our destination and the slippery slope is all that stood in our way of calling it a day. One by one, we helped each other come up and plucked the kayaks. We moved all kayaks using trolley to set up camp under a large Mango tree. The place was next to a temple, thanks to the help from local lad Rahul.

Helpful Balanchetan.

We settled down and were met by Balaksrishnan Chetan, the caretaker for Manoj's property. Balanchetan (the way he is called in short) came with tender coconuts and showed us the place. We took turns to get fresh, many of us improvising to beat the lack of power by using the well and open place to have a shower; Kerala style!               

Papu washing clothes for the first time by hand, in his life!

Lunch came with Gopu and being a Sunday, a special program was arranged in Ponnani Town, were kids from an orphanage had come to meet us. We were delighted to see a cross section of local leaders, Kaushiq’s friend Brijesh Saijal, at the school and the kids, who enjoyed our pitch. 

Kids at the local program, Ponnani.

We were informed about temporary check dams built on the canal, that we plan to paddle the next day. After the school program, we went to see first-hand, how the check dams were and did not find them concerning.  On the way back to the camp, we stopped for tea and munch some local delicacies, few packed for the folks who were at the camp. Two of our friends got into an altercation and egos got hurt! Tempers flared in the camp and things really got nearly fistful. Increasing participation was always a desire; yet different personalities that come and the friction it can create were factors we had anticipated. The challenge here was it was coming from the most unexpected quarters! We had things under control by the time the dinner was served.

Kaushiq helping the camp fire.

Raj had a family emergency, his Daughter was sick and he had to rush home. A cab was arranged for Raj to travel home in Cochin. The kayak had to be moved to the next location and Kaushiq asked Fijas, his instructor at Jellyfish club to join us. It was past dinner when Fijas joined us, he was known to all of us for he was of support for the prep sessions we did. . There was no electricity and hence we had candlelight, until Balanchetans Brother got us a LED emergency lamp, which we strung on the mango tree. Avoiding the coconut trees we pitched the tents and went to siesta! It was a long action filled day, from the Otter to the stretch filled with waste, reaching Veliancode to see tempers flare. The day was pretty easy and we covered 18KM.

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Day 7 & 8 - Majestic waterways

Day 7: Fort Vypeen to Kottapuram, via Edavanakadu, Our Lady of Snow church (Manju Matha Palli) & Munambam

NOTE: Pictures courtesy Mathew Vurghese, Jibin Thomas & Murugan Krishnan

The day break

The trawlers were buzzing as early at 2:00AM, around 3:00AM we got up. It was blustery, lighting the fire for the morning coffee became a challenge. We had to take the Solo Stove near a wall to get the flame going. Half of us had pitched tents in front of the Cruz Melagres Church (Kurishingal Palli) and the other half stayed in the office building (full of mosquitos). The call for the coffee mug is the first alarm call and the last one is to announce "coffee is getting over"! We rigged the kayas and cleaned up the place to leave no trace. One by one the kayaks were lowered, the way we got in. It was the beginning of the low tide and boats were racing for the morning catch. The first group of six pushed off with their red blinkers and headlights, exactly as we had done at Valiazheekal, going to the other side of the backwaters and then turning left; all this to avoid the trawler traffic. The second batch said their goodbyes to Cruz Milagres Church a little later. We tracked north as the low tide made paddling tough.

Surise on the kayal

The stretch north of Vypeen is the loneliest of places in Kerala, there is not a light to be seen or a soul, for kilometres. Here, the backwaters are wide and the huge prawn pens on either side are thinly populated. The previous year we had run out of water, creating a panic situation. We paddled on and we could barely make the blinkers from the first group that had departed earlier. The backwaters we were paddling had two openings, one at Kochi and the other at Munambam, to the north. The tide was against us and we were paddling with the hope that it will become favourable at some point. This stretch of the back waters is verdant and scenic. Many places the water is hardly few inches at low tide and you could get stuck. The primary activity around Nairambalam and Edavanakadu is prawn farming. They put on bright lights of Red and Green next to the enclosure to attracts prawn seedlings, which are trapped and reared. This approach is traditional and still holds well in this part of Kerala. It was getting past 7:00AM, no tea and the endless backwaters played games. We need to push, even when our body gives up, like trekking and mountaineering, kayaking is also a mind game.

Fishermen's shack, on Chinese fishing nets.

We were now one group, having caught up with the others who had piled on to the banks. Little did we know that they had hit a jackpot; a toddy tapper was trapped by their honey words to part with his fresh toddy! For 500Rs they had filled their bellies and all available bottles to the brim. There was so much that they were going around and offering it to others who had missed the Chagara (Malayalam word for sardines run that happens on the Kerala coast, giving bounty to the local fishermen). We moved on and finally the backwaters were getting narrower, signally the arrival off Pattanam and Chendamangalam lake. We were now desperate for a Kappikada, hunger was taking its toll and we asked anyone whom we could call on.

Our Lady of Snow (Manju Matha Palli), Munambam.

The surprising thing we saw in this stretch was that the Chinese fishing nets that were ubiquitous here, during our last trip were all gone. We got to know later that the National Waterway Authority of India, had got them removed by compensating the fishermen, to make the channel wide enough for boats. We paddled on and reached the first bridge past which, a lady ran a Kappikada were we had halted last time. The shop was closed for good and locals asked us to paddle further down. Our stop was at the "Our Lady of Snow Church (Manju Matha Palli)" and we pushed on with the hope that it would arrive soon. It was past 9:00AM, when we reached Manju Matha Palli and were glad to see the local panchayat representative, a very passionate lady called Prasitha. Legend has it that Tipu Sulthan, the Lion of Mysore over ran the area and locals fearing for their lives took shelter at the Church. As Tipu's soldiers came calling, the place was covered in snow, helping protect the refugees and hence the name.

Ms. Praseetha and our buddies at the Kappikada.

Praseetha chechi (elder Sister) helped us land the kayaks in Church compound and took us to a local Kappikada that was well stocked. Munambam harbour is close by and a lot of boat yards line the waters here, one of the reasons, the Kappikada was buzzing. After the good breakfast we went back to the landing point and slowly our other colleagues trickled in. The Mathrubhumi reporter and photographers had come to cover the Suchitwa Mission event; we were to attend past 11:00AM. There were other media representatives who had come to cover too. We had communication from the organizers about kids waiting for us at a nearby jetty, and to proceed there. The Mathrubhumi folks were holding us back for the right shot, delaying our departure. This caused a minor friction with the reporter and photographers; we decided to go to the jetty, not wanting to tax the school kids who had come to receive us on a hot day.

Lalu Alex, cine actor from Kerala, recieving the book from Ms. Vasuki, Director of Suchitwa Mission, Govt. of Kerala.

Nature club members at the function.

On arrival at the Jetty we were surprised that more than hundred students from the local school, Nature club had come with banners to receive us. We pulled the kayak ashore and started briefing the kids in groups. After the briefing, we headed to the public function in a procession. The public function was graced by the Government Officers and one Cine artist. A waste processor was being inaugrated by the panchayath and there were lot of speakers who called for waste seggregation at source. After the public function , accompanied by the Panchayat representative Ms. Praseetha, we headed back to the Kayaks. Though she asked us to have lunch, the late breakfast made us think otherwise. Before we left Praseetha handed over a bottle of homemade wine to Dani, as her parting gift. She was one of the unique public representatives we meet in our day to day life, an action figure, who is very committed and shies away from publicity. We said our goodbyes to Praseetha Chechi and pushed towards Munambam, the time was close to 2:00PM.

Danni paddling past trawlers, Munambam.

Munambam is a major fisheries port and a lot of trawlers call home. The place is full of mechanized fishing boats and boat yards. We were shocked to see paint cans and paint being dumped from a boat into the waterways, as we paddled towards Munamabam. We confronted the guys and the got scared with Rakshti shouting in Hindi, thinking we were from the law enforcement. We told them how they were digging their own plates and foced them to retrive the ones that had not sunk. This is one of the biggest issues in India, we dont care! Callous behaviour towards the environment is matched by lax implementation of toughtest rules in the world. One could only imagine how much heavy metal gets dumped into these waters from all the boat yards for want of awareness and lack of recycling support.

Mr. Lenin with family.

The next destination was close to Munambam Mosque, were we had ran into a fisherman specializing in Chinese nets, who had invited us home for tea. This was during last expeditinon and we later foundout Mr. Lenin, was also an artist of amazing talent. This time around, we were carrying all art materials for him, some 10 meters of Canvas, Painting brushes, Paint and Palette.

Murugan handing over the painting kit to Mr. Lenin.

We had not informed Mr. Lenin; he was tracking us in the newspaper and was sure we would call upon him. He and his wife were so happy for the art material, something that would help him retrace his skills. Mr. Lenin showed one of the ornamental fish he had kept in a pen and decided to set it free, as a mark of his joy on our visit. After tea and taking pictures, we said our goodbyes to Mr. Lenin and his family.

Group picture with the fisherman artist, Mr. Lenin.

We turned right and took the eastward arm heading to Kottapuram; were NW3 (National Waterway 3), ends. Going past the CMFRI demonstration clams farm we paddled on to Kottapuram, the low tide was at its peak and paddling was looking very strenuous; compounded by the missed lunch!

Murugan showing what CMFRI was culturing near Munambam.

Our destination for the day was the Raj's farmhouse that was a kilometre or more from the Kottapuram market. The currents were getting stronger; paddling was one paddle at a time, hugging as close to the banks, to avoid the full force of the receding tides.

St. Thomas Church, Munambam.

We crossed the Kottapuram bridge and could see on the other side the Kottapuram Jetty, were we had finished the last expedition in 2014. We pushed on past the fort that was being restored and took a right after passing the Kottapuram-Thuruthipuram Bridge, as Raj frantically enquired for his farmhouse through the approach he was trying for the first time. 

The bridge at Kottapuram.

Paddling was becoming very tough and we took multiple breaks, searching for the farmhouse. Some of us recalled why we need to push our minds than our bodies, during a Himalayan trek, the guide kept saying, one step at a time; think only about that step, not how far your destination is! Finally, past 5:00PM, we located it on the other side of a large open water body and one by one we pulled ashore. Every one of us was exhausted, the days 30KM leg was too tiring for all of us; the tides had shown us how powerful they are.

Mathew relaxing after the hard day @ Raj's farm.

Gopu and Anoop were there with the lunch and so were few of Raj's friends. We digged into the lunch as vultures that had not had a meal for days. Raj's farm was just the right kind for camping; it had a good toilet and lot of open space to pitch tents. This team had been put together and performing, without going through the forming, sotrming & norming stages. Tension was brewing at the camping ground due to some exchanges that happend at the public function. All electronic gadgets were sent to the Farm caretaker’s house for recharging. We settled in, got fresh, few of us took a nap on the hammock and finally there was a lavish dinner and Raj's friends for company. All homemade stuff, appam, stew, chicken curry, Fish curry, cutlet, fried rice and to top it all...yes...pudding! 

Camping at Raj's farm.

We had completed NW3 and tomorrow we were to enter uncharted waters. The fire wood for the Solo stove had exhausted and before we pitched tents, all of us joined to collect fire wood from Raj's property. It’s been a tiring day and you can see folks already asleep on hammocks, not bothered by mosquitos or the dew that was coming down. For all others, there are tents for siesta.

Day 8: Kottapuram to Edaithiruthy

It was 530AM by the time the camp was closed and we were all ready to paddle. With Chinese fishing nets brightly lit, we tracked our way to the main channel that would take us north to our destination for the day was Edathiruthy. 25Kilomters of paddling lay ahead, and these waters are perhaps seeing a boat or kayak for the first time, due to disuse and competition from the roads.

Lowered Chinese fishing nets, near Raj's farm.

Except for the google maps, we really had no clue as to how these waters would support us; are they encroached or are the blocked by hyacinth; these were the fears we had. For time immemorial these waterways were used for transportation. Many of them existed and were used even before the arrival of Vascdagama in the 15th century. Kottapuram was a port of prominence on the western coast and has recorded trade with ancient Rome and China.

Day break, north of Kottapuram.

The waters we were paddling today fed Kottapuram and were primarily used to carry goods before the roads took over. It did not take for the day break and we met folks seeking livelihood on the waterways. The waterways here are thinly populated and hence very less garbage is seen. We moved on and the enquiry about a place to have breakfast grew bigger. It was 8:30AM when we met a bunch of Toddy shop workers on the bank of the river, who asked us to come ashore for there was a hotel close by.

Taking in calories, Shalimar Hotel.

With the owner of Shalimar Hotel.

The place was Sreenarayanapuram, a retired person ran Hotel Shalimar, few hundred meters from the Toddy shop. The husband wife combo ran Shalimar as a family concern; cooking local delicacies and serving customer’s travelling on the National Highway 17, linking Cochin to Mumbai. We took turns in two groups to service our appetite. It was close to 10:00AM when we got back and started paddling north.

Enroute to Edathiruthy.

Enroute to Edathiruthy

Close to Kaipamangalam, the canal branches to the left and is pictures, narrow, verdant green and without a soul around. The place is eerie for the silence it had and the clear water that followed, revealing the vegetation in water and that growing on the banks.

Prasad, posing before the fall!

A coconut tree was almost at five degrees to the water. Prasad could not resist but get on to the coconut tree and as he posed for few pictures, Rakshit went ahead and shook the tree that Prasad lost his balance. South-East of Moonupedika the sun was at its peak and we looked around for any soul who could help us with tender coconut.

Ugran Chetan, with his endless supply of tender coconut.

We finally met Mr. Ugran, who was so happy to get us more than twenty tender coconuts. We had a good break and gave Mr. Ugran and his son's handsome amount for gesture of helping travellers like us. There was a time when travellers banked on people like Mr. Ugran, who would be happy to give one time food and a place to rest. Today's world is far removed from those times; people are cautious, why bother to paint them negative, such is the coverage in the news media.

Water hyacinth, near Katoor.

Prasad, cant resist the water.

The canals got narrower and the vines on the banks were now falling into water forming a narrow passage for the kayaks to follow, the water was cold and trees blocked the sun for shining down. The place looked magical and your heart sank, when you imagined the government tearing all this apart to extend the national waterways to cover the entire state of Kerala. Prasad took a swim as we took a break, the time was now nearing 12:30PM and we had to reach the destination for the School program was lined up at 2:00PM.

The challenge begins, south of Edathiruthy.

We moved on and after a short time, came across one stretch that was blocked with hyacinth. Kaushiq and Mathew lead the way, and we followed so close as to prevent the hyacinth from taking over the path we had fought for. After going hundred meters or so, the situation looked bleak, all of us except the tow in the front, decided to turn back. Kaushiq and Mathew fought hard and slowly disappeared from view.

The house were eight of us pulled ashore.

The eight of us turned back and headed back to call it a day, and landed the kayak at a house situation next to the canal. We informed the Mathrubhumi guys to come and fetch us for the school program. Gopu and Anoop came with lunch and we had a quick lunch before heading for the school program. Others took time to have lunch and rested. The plan was to get a truck that would take all the kayaks by road to the Edathiruthy Church, were we planned to camp for the day. The school function was as in all other places, public officials, school officials, Mathrubhumi officials and us. We finished the school function and came to the house were we had parked the kayaks, our friends were fast asleep, there was news that Kaushiq and  Mathew, had done likewise and the house owner was kind enough to provide the lunch.

Kaushiq, at a home he and Mathew pulled ashore.

We waited for a truck that came to move the kayaks to the Church. The two groups had rested at homes that were few hundred meters apart and treatment they got were much apart. While Mathew and Kaushiq felt welcomed, the othe group was met with closed windows/doors and complete silence. Later Mathew shared how on getting stuck they called out to a gentleman next to the house were they had pulled over and he refused to help. As they felt hungry and enquired about any hotel, they were invited by the home owner for lunch. We can never paint the world black, there are so many good people still around. The facilities at the Church were rudimentary; few of the locals came with advice to keep a close watch on the equipment. We tried in vain to see if a hotel/lodge could be found, but had no luck. The Priest came down to see what the hubla was about, we explained to him what we were doing and the details about the Kayak. The priest was kind enough to give us a hall that was a stone throw away from where the kayaks were parked. We decided that some of us would tent next to the Kayak that night. The area we camped was right next to a busy road, across the road was the Edathiruthy market and hundred meters or so was the canal we were to launch the next day. As night fell, the buzz in the street started melting off, by 9:00PM, the streets were deserted but for the occasional vehicle. The church premises had good number of bathrooms for us to get fresh as some of us pitched tents for the night, while others decided to sleep in the hall that was provided.  We went to the local shop, had Dosha for dinner, We had some information of hyacinth blockages, the first day of the uncharted course was mixed with adventure; the distance of 25KM we covered was not tiring, but the act of stopping midway and then truck the kayaks, all added up to the confusion of the day. Let’s sleep for who knows what waiting tomorrow...with streets dogs barking in the night, we retired!

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