top of page

Lady Doak College girls go on a tour to Kerala - The Land of Coconuts

I knew when I met you, an adventure was going to happen - A.A. Milne, "Winnie the Pooh"


All of us in B.A grew very close to each other over the years, we became one BIG family. Be it ICM, IDM or sports day, we rocked together. A day came when we were given an opportunity to have an adventurous trip together. It was a mandatory tour which was usually given to girls in the UG final year. We have seen our seniors taking trips to places and now it's our turn. Hurray! we have decided the tourist place. It is none other than the land of spices, the jewel of south India, Kerala. Kera simply means "coconut tree" and "Alam" means Land, therefore it's the Land of Coconuts.

We were more than fifty in numbers, our class representative was Hussain Bi. She was known for her patience and tolerance. She used to travel to college in her violet TVS Scooty. She sat in the first bench near Tamil Ilakkiya, (a very smart learner who had long beautiful hair). There was this unforgettable incident which happened with our dear Hussain. One day our professor asked us to read paragraphs. Hussain started the reading, and in the middle of the sentence there came the word "all" and Hussain mispronounced it as "Ali". The whole class laughed including the professor. Everybody then started to enquire who was that Ali?, which left her blushed, (it was just a joke made out of wordplay) .



Professors usually gave the photo copies of the poetry and other materials to her and it was her responsibility to make photocopies for all of us so that we will have the essential material at hand when the professor takes classes. Hussain often used the words "Please girls" to collect money or any other registration forms from us. She was a very polite person. All of us paid for the tour and were waiting for the instructions from our Felcia mam who decided to accompany us. All things said and done, travel plans were made. Here is the original copy of the tour plan, the itinerary which was treasured by our Hussain as a keepsake.



We packed our bags and suitcases with bright outfits, coolers, some brought their cameras with them. We reached the railway station. Inside the station, all of us were waiting with our packed luggages. Maragadham (a friend of all in the class), the assistant representative was standing with Hema. Hema loves to read Tamil novels and magazines from the International Study Center at LDC, which had a very cute library. One can easily find story books by Agatha Christie (a writer of mystery stories), Sherlock Holmes (a crime detective novel series), Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Enid Blyton( The Famous Five, The Secret Seven), Carolyn Keen (Nancy Drew Mysteries) and Herge (Tintin series).


Maragadham and Hema asked for help from an old man to look after their luggages as they wanted to move a bit further. However, little did they know they had disturbed a sleeping volcano. The old man started to argue with them for calling him grandpa. He asked, "How can you call ME a GRANDPA?". The girls were taken aback. Later they managed to settle the argument. Meanwhile, some health conscious ones among our friends were fishing out coins from their pockets to use the weighing machine in the railway station which was lit up with colourful lights. Other book worms were browsing the comics and magazines at the railway station book store. I am particularly a fan of Tinkle Digest, no train journey is complete without an episode of Suppandi and Shikari Shambu.

All of us had arrived except Janu. We climbed the passenger walking bridge and reached our platform. The platform was very busy with tea vendors, hawkers selling hot vada and samosas. The passengers were running here and there to find their compartment whether it was S6, S7 or S12 etc. There was this constant announcement of the arrival of the trains from the speakers. It went like this,

"Your kind attention please, train number AXY123 is arriving on platform number 3".

"Your kind attention please, train number QYZ197 is departing on platform number 4 on time".


Our waiting came to an end with the arrival of the great Guruvayur express. All of us settled in our seats. Felcia mam was so concerned that Janu might miss the train and so were we. Though we were excited, we were anxious that we might move on without our Janu. Just then, we saw Janu running towards the train, her mom accompanied her. We were very happy as she now finally joined us safely. Our journey began to unravel to the land of evergreen forests. However, as soon the journey began, I was not feeling well, and my friends let me to lie down and take rest.



Everybody started to chat in excitement. It was very loud out there for a while and little later, the noise died down as everybody went to sleep in their respective berths. Those in the lower berths switched off the lights. It was midnight and the train had stopped in Nagercoil and there was Reshma’s dad who was waiting for us. He was so excited to meet his daughter and us, her friends. He had a huge loving heart, he gave a large amount of snacks to be shared by all of us, ( hot chicken pakkoda, jackfruit chips etc), he showed so much love that we all felt as if our dad had come. Everybody started enjoying the snacks together after the dear uncle visited us.

It was next day morning. Our dear Jane was going towards the train's steel wash basin to get ready for the day, and everybody started to sing "Happy birthday song" for her. Yes, it was Jane's birthday. The day started with a joyful note. Once we alighted the train in Kerala, we got into a tourist bus which was waiting for us and we reached Ernakulam, Kochi, in the morning. Loud music was played in the bus and some energetic ones started dancing a few steps to the music Beats. All seven of us got a room where we stayed together, the name of the place was "Shalimar Residency". Our room was quite clean. It had a cable T.V and huge beds which was near the window. We were about to get ready for the trip. Everybody was searching for an outfit in their bags and suitcases. I was totally impressed at the orderly arrangement of Reshma's suitcase . Our breakfast was served in the terrace of the residency. Then started the fun trip.




We visited a place where there was Jewish synagogue but it was closed on that day. Nearby the backwaters, we had the motor boat ride. We got into the top floor of the boat, the boat created a trail of froth in the water when it moved fast. Some of our friends stood near the steps and watched it. Some danced for the music which was played in the boat. Mirnalini, (who was very well known for her elegant folk dance) and Iswarya (a lovely friend of Rebi), Suganya, Prahi, Nivetha and Janu grouped together and danced in the boat while some others were chatting with their friends, some gave beautiful poses for photos. It was altogether a beautiful moment. I was there captivated with the beauty of the place. No wonder they call Kerala as “God’s own country”. The coconut trees in the shore, the beautiful and majestic container ships. The island like structure in the middle of the ride was thoroughly a treat to the eyes.


Next, we travelled towards Cochin’s matchless “Veegaland”. This was my second visit there. My friends made me to enjoy the day like anything. We left our belongings in a locker room. We started with the dry games. We were in Columbus ride, where our dear friend Anita Mary was so scared and was asking the operator to stop the ride with tears. However finally she finished that adventurous ride. There was this excellent cup and saucer ride which was full of fun. Later, I was there enjoying the water rides again and again with my friends in the colourful rubber air floats.

We drove through tunnels and slides which were red, blue, yellow and green in colours. While we were travelling through it we were screaming, shouting and reached the pool on the end with a huge splash of water. We slid on long tubes.


It was not only us who were enjoying, but our dear teachers (Mrs. Felcia and Ms. Lalitha) were also equally having fun with the rides in the pool, if not more. They saw our dear friends Patricia, Jeya Sathya, Sheeba Priyadharshini and asked them to take a pic of them while they exactly slid from the water slide that was in the little pool and our dear Patricia took the digital camera and started to take quick focussed shots when everybody were curiously watching and waiting to see the results. Everybody saw the outcome and there was everything except our teachers. All of them started to roast her photography skill.


There was this highly challenging steep slide which should be done by laying down on a mat. I was wearing my spectacles and was waiting behind Reshma and Janu.



The most adventurous Janu went down first without any hesitation and reached the other end safely. I looked at her from the top. After reaching down she was jumping and from a long distance I could sense her joy. She did it with style!!! She looked so tiny from the top. Next went Resh and she too reached safely, NOW, they were both waiting for me to reach down. My heart started to beat very fastly and the man who pushed everybody after they lay down in a mat gave a very important instruction that we should keep our legs together throughout the ride till we reach down. My hands and legs became chill more than the chillness of the water. I laid down quietly. When the man pushed me and the mat. I felt like falling straight from a hill and in fear I opened my legs a bit wider, which gave me a hilarious ending. I lost control and was moving and sliding like a "Spinning wheel cracker"(Thara chakram in Tamil) and reached the end with the huge splash. My specs flew and there were standing my concerned friends Janu and Resh to ascertain whether I am alright. I collected the specs and was in total amazement at my achievement. We all laughed heartily and moved towards the other challenging rides. That adventurous incident and the feeling of achievement can be compared to a scene in the movie "Matilda" (Roald Dahl's work) where the principal Trunchbell throws a little girl Amanda so high, that she flew and ended up sliding in the garden and stands up in the end with a handful of flowers and a big smile.



Elsie rode this another fun ride with me, it was like a train ride. The train moved up and down, slowed down and moved faster. It was supposed to be a thrilling ride, but with my companion Elsie it was a ride full of laughter. When the train started to run down fast from a height, she started to scream “God protect us, God save us”. More than the ride her dialogues made it so much more funny,


Last but not the least all of us enjoyed in the HUGE wave pool. All of us waded deep into the pool and stood by joining hands with each other in a circle. Whenever the wave came, we gave a collective jump in a bid to offset the wave, it was pure joy. We spent a long time there. Many school children were also enjoying in the pool along with us.


Veegaland has since seen a change of ownership, it is now called as Wonderla. During these pandemic times, when we cherish our best memories, I think of how the businesses have been affected, hope times will get better soon and many others can come and make fantastic memories like us at the place that gave us so much. Currently in July 2021, the Kochi Amusement Park remains closed, the people who had worked there as ride operators, ticket vendors, cleaners, those dwarf jokers who unfailingly put a smile on our faces, so many hard working people might have suffered job losses in the past year and a half. The least we can do is to think and wish well for them, and say a word of prayer on their behalf.

Next day was our trip to a Kovalam sea, all of us took beautiful pics there, some of us bought the cowboy caps from the vendors, the way through which we reached the sea looked like a cobbled Italian street with huge white stones, and on the sides were expensive shops with trendy Indian outfits, shawls, handmade jute bags, to attract tourists. But these could be the regular "tourist traps". We walked through the beautiful way and reached the clean beach of Kovalam. It was pristine clean and loaded with the beauty of nature. The blue sky smiled at us with its bright light, which reflected beautifully on the blue sea. There were little rocks here and there. Also there stood this tall lighthouse which was the symbol of hope and a point of reference for the wandering fishermen. More than everything the seashore with its broken sea shells, conches and the waves of the sea which gently touches your feet, and the feeling of the sand releasing under your sole of the foot were totally mesmerising. There was a horse riding game to attract the visitors too.



We also travelled a short trip on an electric train on which we met a foreigner woman from Israel. We took pictures with her, she was so surprised when I talked with her about Jewish festivals. I presented her a beautiful ear ornament. In remembrance of her she gave me an Israeli coin on which I saw the Menorah. It is a Jewish symbol. It was referred in many places in the Old Testament of the Holy bible. It was set in the Tabernacle (a temporary temple) as instructed by God Almighty.


And there ended our adventurous, unforgettable, awesome trip as B.A friends to Kerala, thanks to the Evergreen English department, LDC. A huge thanks to God Almighty for letting me live life with these wonderful people.


References:

How to make Chicken Pakoda, (picture),

Chakka Varuththadhu-jackfruit chips,(picture),

water repellent lenses for glasses,(picture),

Seven scariest water slides in the world,(picture),

THREE TIPS FOR BREATHING IN FREEFALL,(PICTURE)


Comments


bottom of page