speakingroads

  Reading is a beautiful journey, although you scale distances inside your head. Books have the power to transport you to a distant land without moving an inch. Above all, they inspire you to embark on new journeys. I have been fortunate enough to come across a few such books, and trust me they have influenced me a lot. I am sharing some of my favorite travel books here: Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara I'm happy that one of the first travel books I ever read was the Motorcycle Diaries. It is a series of diary entries by none other than the South American revolutionary Che Guevara. He undertakes a cross-continental journey on a motorcycle with his friend. The crazy adventures of this young man of 23 will make you want to leave your past behind and hit the roads without plans. I am so in love with this book that I have read it 2 times. Strongly recommended. Into the wild, by Jon Krakauer Into the Wild is an account of the life of Alexander McCandless, the boy who w...

The beginning of the road to Kolukkumalai Peak in Munnar The home of the world's highest organic tea plantation. I don't think we need a better introduction to the place. It is a group of mountains in the Western Ghats, with tea leaves sprawled out across thousands of acres of these gorgeous hills. The young tea leaves spread out like a soft blanket over the landscape gives it a mesmerizing and soothing effect.  A jeep coming down the winding roads of Kolukkumalai Peak, Munnar The road that takes you to Kolukkumalai from Munnar is scenic in all senses; it is flanked by endless waves of tea leaves and colossal mountains. That morning we set out at dawn to conquer this hill in our Maruti Suzuki Zen. The vegetation was fresh from the morning dew where we halted for a refreshing Kolukkumalai Tea. We surpassed the majestic Chokramudi Peak-a place that in the future would give me an unmatched experience of nature’s fury- en route to Suryanelli. By the time we reac...

Pullu Padam in full bloom; paddy is young and tender green at the beginning of the season Where? Situated at a distance of 12.5 kilometers from Thrissur town,  Pullu Padam  is a beautiful set of paddy fields. It is a part of the Pullu village which is divided into Thekkan Pullu and Vadakkan Pullu. The place has a unique rural personality that makes visiting the place a memorable experience. It shakes you awake to the simple beauties of rural Kerala such as vast green expanses of paddy and several lives who depend on the harvests for a living. A farm worker returns home after his daily toils in the fields of Pullu Padam What? Come here to witness the slow peaceful life of the villagers. Summers will give you a visual treat of vast green oceans. in the monsoon, the place turns into a paradise with water filling up most of the fields making them look like lakes.  The islands and roads will welcome you to the waterlogged landscape. You will stop and appreciate...