I decided to spend the weekend at my in-laws place in Palakkad - actually the outskirts of Palakkad. The drive up to their place is brilliant. You'll get to see a fifty shades of green at one go. In fact, after you visit this place, going back to the city will hurt your eyes.

The white that you see far in the mountains are actually waterfalls !

Palakkad is famous for being the heat bowl of Kerala, but here, nearer to the hills, the weather also cooperates ! This is one of the many regions in India that exports huge tonnes of mangoes - I had no idea. I always thought majority of the mangoes come from the north. At the end of the mango season, you can see truck loads of mangoes being sold for Rs 3 a kilo ( I did not miss any zero ). These may not be sweet or in the best shape, but these are then used for pickle and for making preservative.


And currently, I am enjoying all of this :)

Eating organically grown fruits and vegetables ( I am still learning the names of some vegetables that I have never before even heard of )
Drinking more tender coconut water than H2O ( Trust me, it's an awesome feeling )
Laughing and having a random conversation with a neighbor

Simple and fun loving people here.

Going on a a 5 minute drive and winding up at the foothills of the western ghats - and on the way - coming across dilapidated houses built by the British for the British when a dam was being constructed here before independence !

Foothills of Western Ghats - Very close to Valparai and Nelliampathy

Abandoned homes built before 1947 when the Chulliyar dam was being constructed

Sleeping to the sounds of nature for a change - no honking here.
Walking gingerly in a mango & coconut farm and catching glimpses of peacocks, all with a 'oh-I-refuse-to-show-you-my-feathers' look
Seeing a gang of old folk playing cards - they only stop when the sun sets


And if you're here in  August, it's harvesting time, and you'll get to see the farmers in full action

Say hello to the awesome farmers, without whom we wouldn't get our rice :)

My husband's home is a little away from Kollengode town, and I honestly think it has great scope for rural tourism. There's so much to do and learn and take in here. The flora and fauna, the myriad varieties of vegetables that grow, the simplicity of people's lives and warm smiles, tiny chickens that run across the road, where time moves slowly, nobody is rushing - except that tiny chicken of course, where every house has a couple of cows and fresh milk is a way of life - I could go on. ( Another huge plus is going through old photos of the husband :D )

Some links on Rural tourism I liked. This one. and this ! Let me know if any of you have experienced this. Happy weekend guys !

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