June 30, 2009

Marottichaal Trip





Marottichal is only 15 Kms from Thrissur Town, Kerala.
A beautiful place which is still unexplored by eco tourism.
A place for trecking through forest and two waterfalls are the
main attractions, Olakkayam and Ilanjippara.




Only thrissur inmates could know this place, as of my knowledge.

How to reach:
Those who come from Ernakulam side, have to enter
Marathakkara-Mannuthy bye pass(About 70 Kms, 2 Hours).
Take a right turn from Kuttanellur Junction. Take the following
route
Kuttanellur -> Puthur -> MandaMangalam ->
Marottichaal -> Cheerankund Kuthu (Around 6 Kms from Kuttanellur)
Private buses available from Thrissur Town to Mandamangalam.

There is not even a sign board other than a small board fixed by
forest department. So identifying the entrance of Marottichal Kuthu
is bit hard. Two wheelers and other vehicles have to park on road side.
No parking Fee and entrance Fee :)

Then take left through the sides of canal, it is a narrow path.
After 10 mnts walk, you will reach the first water fall, Olakkayam.
There you could have space for swim and have an open bath.
Fishing is also possible, if you have the equipment
called "Choonda" :)

After a "Kaakka Kuli", you can start your "Odyssey" to the fall at top(Ilanjippara).
It gives a nice trekking experience and about 3 kms you have to walk to
reach the destiny. Leeches are rare in this area, compared to other
forest ranges. After an hour walk, you will reach the main
water fall, Sure that you'll get refreshed by the first sight itself
like I do.

Shops and good hotels are not there in near premises, better carry
food and refreshments with you. And another thing is, since it is so
remote and no regulatory authority to control the place, better avoid
family trips.

Even though this place is near to my house(17 Kms) I got the chance
to explore it last week only :(

Friendz, hurry up to Thrissur, lets have a great bash.

Kuttanad Trip


It was raining at mid night and we were anchored
in a house boat in Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha.
We were enjoying the glimpses of monsoon at Lake.

Alappuzha, the backwater hub of Kerala:
I had a trip to Alleppey-Kuttanad last month.
There were 12 friends in our team, from Ernakulam.
A trip in "KettuVallam"; it was my first experience
spending a full day and night in House Boat at Lake.

Normally the trip starts from noon to next morning.
We had booked a house boat online @ around 900 per head.
http://www.riverandcountry.com/
It includes food and accommodation charges.
Two and three bed room boats(with/ without A/C) are available.
Some boats have upper deck.
Rate varies depends on the team memeber count,
other facilities and season.
We will get boats at cheapest rate in monsoon season
(From June onwards)

Around 600 house boats are there in Alleppey Boat Jetty,
it was an amazing sight all boats anchored at Jetty.
Boats are well maintained and having Three Star facilities
(Kitchen, dining tables and attached bathrooms, bed rooms with A/c
blankets and mosquito nets)

Tour package also includes lunch, dinner, breakfast,
tea and refreshments.
Bachelors as well as family tourists equally could enjoy
the KettuVallam ride.

The ride will cover Kuttanad, Nedumudy, Chambakkulam etc...
Chambakkulam church is an interesting site.
House boat kitchen is always ready to serve us.
Boat staffs are ready to prepare additional dishes if we
provide them stuffs like
Karimeen, prawn, crab, duck etc...
We could buy them from markets situated at chambakkulam shore.
No additional payment for preparing the food.

Boat ride is prohibited in lake after 6 PM, most of the boats
will get anchored by this time and the rest of the night we have
to spend inside the boat itself, with other interesting "activities".
[It'll be much expensive buying beverages from boat itself]

Spend a full night at lake, enjoying the stars, "Nilaavu" and moon...
If you are lucky enough[like us] you could hear the heavenly music
created when the raindrops graze at lake surface.



How to reach:
From kochi you could reach Alappuzha by bus, 65 Kms.
Kochi-Aroor-Cherthala-Alappuzha.(Around 1.75 Hrs)
From Alleppey KSRTC bus stand, take an auto rikshaw(3 Kms)
to Boat Jetty.
Enjoy the "Kettuvallam" ride !!!


More snaps @ My Orkut : Click Here

June 03, 2009

Monk Sold Ferrari

Here I'm sharing some thoughts which came into my mind after
reading Robin S Sharma's book titled;
THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI:
A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny.

Review :
I can’t give this book my highest rating for several reasons.
The author is a leadership guru and he only crowded the pages
with all his ideas of improving life, with repeated views.
I couldn't find any classic craft of writing in his book.
But as a book for nourishing our self values,
I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion of several concepts.

About the Fable:
As the subtitle indicates, it's a fable about a well esteemed lawyer,
Julian Mantle with a crazy schedule and a set of priorities that
centered around money and power.
One day he met with a stroke and following his heart attack
Julian Mantle sells all his property (Yes, his Ferrari too)
and left for India. The author tells us about Julian’s Indian odyssey,
how he met the sages of Sivana who had a life changing effect
on him. Julian Mantle shares his story of transformation,
his secrets of a happy and fulfilling life with his friend John.
Julian describes Sivana- a small place located in the Himalayas,
the land of rose covered huts, placid blue waters with white
lotuses floating, youth and vitality, beautiful glowing faces,
fresh and exotic fruits.
He tells John about the sages of Sivana who knew all secrets of
how to live life happily and how to fulfill one’s dreams and
reach one’s destiny. Julian relates his experiences with
yogi Raman the leader of the sages of Sivana and the person
who taught Julian his secrets of a happy and fulfilling life.

Here are some thoughts which I found impressive in this book.
=======================================================
I decided to listen my heart. My life become so much simpler and
meaningful when I left the baggage of my past behind.
The moment I stopped spending so much time chasing the
big pleasures of life, I began to enjoy the little ones,
like watching the starts dancing in the moonlit sky
or soaking in the sunbeams of a glorious summer morning.
=======================================================
Those who look outside; DREAMS.
Who looks inside; AWAKENS.
=======================================================
Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make.
It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those
around you.
=======================================================
Philosphy of Opposition Thinking.
=======================================================

RUN YOUR OWN RACE.

It doesnt matter what other people say about you.
What is important is what you say to yourself.
Dont be concerned with the judgement of others, as long as you know
what are doing is is right.
You can do whatever you want to do as long as it is correct
according to your conscience and your heart.
=======================================================
Never get into the petty habbit of measuring yourself-worth
against other people's net-worth.
Every second you spend thinking about someone else's dreams,
you take time away from your own.
=======================================================
DHARMA: Life's purpose.
=======================================================
Master Yourself.
How could a person possibly lead a corporation if he cannot even
lead himself? How could you nurture a family if you havent nurture
and care for yourself?
How could you possibly do good if you dont even feel good?

So Master yourself, take care of yourself first.
=======================================================
When the student is ready to learn the teacher will appear.
=======================================================
Read, keep on reading.
Books doesnt actually teach anything new.
It simply help you to see what is already within yourself.
=======================================================
Wake up early morning.
=======================================================
MANTRA
MAN= Mind
TRA=Freeing
=======================================================
Live as if today is your last day in this planet.
=======================================================
When you improve yourself, you are improving the lives of
all those around you.
=======================================================
Having the courage to say "NO" to the little things in life
will give you the power to say "YES" to to the big things.
=======================================================
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
=======================================================
The quality of your life will come down to the quality of your
contribution.
=======================================================
A person with three solid friends is very wealthy indeed.
=======================================================
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
LIVE FOR THE DAY.
Accept the situation as it is. Enjoy every moment.
=======================================================
BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE
=======================================================
Share the knowledge you acquired with your friends and family.
=======================================================

And here with I've started practicing the last point Robin have mentioned :)

I would like to relate this post with my older posts
(State Of Mind and The 'Self'), for additional reading.