Impromptu Plans are the best!

Ever since our bike ride was cancelled, we did not make any plans for the vacation other than booking onward ticket from Chennai to Kannur and return ticket from Rameswaram to Chennai, a week later. We decided to decide on the next place of visit on-the-go.

So after a relaxed evening at Kannur, we planned on going to Bekal Fort today. Google be our sole and very trusted trip guider! Hit the Google Map search for Kannur to Bekal, it throws up not just the distance and time but also the various other commute options available. 

We planned to hop on to a passenger train which was at 7:15 A.M. Craving for just another extra hour of sleep, as the alarm went off at 6 o’clock in the morning, I started lamely citing to V that the trains might be crowded today as it was Christmas and begged him that we take a bus later in the day. (Frankly, after that disastrous journey yesterday, I was a little skeptical to take buses again) But V wasn’t budging, so reluctantly, I got up and refreshed and set out to the Railway Station. 

We reached the Station at 6 25 A.M. and to our luck the Malabar Express was running late and reached Kannur at 6.30 A.M. Boarded on to the Unreserved Coach in the Malabar Express which wasn’t too crowded and settled in comfortably for the 2-hour long journey. 

Reached Bekal at 9. But for name board and people around telling it was the Bekal Fort railway station, I sure wouldn’t have believed it to be an operating railway station. Such was the state of it, with untamed plants and grass all around and non-existent platforms. 

We took an auto to the Fort which was about 2 km from the Railway Station. Breakfast was had at Hotel Sangam, opposite the Fort. Akka served the best Pattani Curry with Aapams and Idiyappams. All this was thulped down at jet speed and finished off with some tea at the Thinnai !

One look at the Fort and I was awestruck. It was humungous, majestic and painstakingly maintained in very good shape. History has it that this fort was built in the 17th Century and was widely used by the Vijayanagara Empire. It has a steep ramp leading on to a watch tower which offers a stunning sea of the Arabian Sea!

Side walls of the Bekal Fort. pc: @keepcalmandjusttravel

Yeppaahhh!! Epdidane ipdi beach orama sema sema fort lam katrangalo.. and Director Maniratnam never fails to utilise such architecturally brilliant and scenic views in his movies. (For those who don’t understand what am I talking about, please watch Uyire Uyire song from Bombay movie. That song was shot at this location) Enna oru view man! Its like water, water and water in all the 180 degree eye view! Absolutely stunning. The Sea looked unusually calm. After spending more than an hour and a half walking around the Fort we decided to wrap up the Fort Walk and start back to Kannur. 

A view of the Arabian Sea from the Bekal Fort

Since, there weren’t any trains available immediately, we choose to take a bus. Apparently, there are no direct buses from Bekal to Kannur. You have take a bus from Bekal to Kanhangad and another bus from Kanhangad to Kannur. 

Back in Kannur, we proceeded to have lunch at the same place where we had dinner last night. We randomly bumped into that hotel last night, but looks like it is one famous hotel in that area, as we could see people from all walks of life walking in and out of it all the time. Surprisingly, the place was always full to the brim, but never had anybody waiting for a seat. 

The place always filled with the aroma of Biriyani and guys, I must say, Malabar Biriyani is THE BIRIYANI. Even though I don’t eat Biriyani, I simply loved its aroma. Divine and mystical. We saw people coming in and ordering a plate of Biriyani, and heartily enjoy it. 

While at lunch, the discussion of where to head next began. Initial idea was to checkout of the hotel and leave to Kochi in an overnight bus. But since we had quite a lot of time to kill till night and that Kozhikode was just 90 km from Kannur, and also because I was constantly nagging V to take me to Kozhikode beach, we thought, why not check out trains to Kozhikode. Opening the tour guide a.k.a Google Maps, I hit on the source and destination and tada, pops the list of available trains. One at 2 30 P.M., another at 3.30 P.M. and one more at 3.50 P.M. It was a 2 hour travel, and since it was already 2 P.M. and that we wanted to be there for sunset, we planned to take the 3.30 Mangalore Chennai Express. 

But when we reached the station at 2 30 P.M., the 2 30 train itself had not departed and we rushed through to try boarding it. But guess what, Unreserved Coaches being free is once a lifetime luck and we already had our share of luck in the morning. This one was jam packed. Packed to the fullest that you cannot even keep one foot inside the train. With no choice left, we had to give it miss. 

While navigating through the platforms, we bumped into the Kannur-Ernakulam Intercity Express which was running 2 hours late. The train took off at 3 10 P.M and has been halted in no man’s land since 3.45 P.M. I write this post, as I sit huddled between a lady and 35+ man, desperately hoping to reach Kozhikode in time to witness the sunset. 

Continued...

After about 30 minutes, the train finally jolted into motion. It was already 4.15P.M. The man next to me told that it’d would take only an one hour from now to Kozhikode. As my mind tried to calculate if I would reach the beach in time to witness the sunset, I was relieved to know that there was a buffer time of 20 minutes. With the train chugging on, I impatiently kept glancing at Google Maps every 5 minutes to see how much longer would it take. If we don’t make it on time, this whole journey would be a waste of time! 

Yayyyy!! We reached the Kozhikode Station at 5:40 P.M. The sunset was expected to be at 6:11 P.M. There was still ample time. Quickly boarded on to an Auto and headed towards the Kozhikode Beach. As the auto navigated through the city, I could sense a feeling of familiarity with the surroundings. Kozhikode, to my eyes, felt like a quaint old city at first glimpse. 

Reaching the Beach Road, we could see the Sun ready to say a perfect bye for the day. The Beach road, the rocks, and the walkway remind us so much of Pondy Promenade Beach. We settle comfortable on the rocks close by the shore and get into a trance as the Sun sets into the Sea. 

Sunset at Kozhikode Beach

Another day, another marvellous sunset. I never take some things off my bucket list ever. One of which is a Sunset by the Beach. I would see it a hundred times over and still not get done with it. 

End of Day 2 with Dakshin Special Rava Dosa :-) Exactly the kind of Rava Dosa I would love to have with a fee carrot shavings and coriander leaves. 

Keep watching for where I am headed to next !