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To get there

Where the sea meets the backwaters

SERENITY Symphony of light and shade Photo: Manu Remakanth

Ever travelled to Kollam by train? Then you may recall seeing this paradise at a distance as you reach Paravur; a big blue lake under an equally blue sky.

Often wondering where that heavenly spot was, I recently found the way. Called Kappil, it is 10 kilometres from Thirumukku, a junction near Chathannoor.

The 10 kilometres is no breeze, as it is a bumpy ride throughout. A shack made of coconut leaves and bamboo poles shows we have arrived at our destination. Boards outside the shack announce the availability of `Kappa and fish curry' and the other for tea and coffee. The heat is oppressive as the waves hit the shore lethargically. There is no sign of shade save this inhospitable shack.

It is back on the road. We soon reach Lake Sagara, a down-to-earth guest house functioning as part of a District Tourism Promotion Council package. Boating facilities are available and visitors are treated to excellent seafood here. At a distance, one can see trains moving like caterpillars across the bridge.

An experience

However, this is not all that there is to see. Following the battered road near the DTPC centre, you reach a bridge that leads you to a solitary strip of land. Coconut trees provide ample shade as I leave my vehicle and walk towards the `pozhi' where the lake meets sea. A sleepy fishing village can be spied at a distance. Read a book, watch the scenery or just gaze into the distance and be...

It is evening now and I head back to the bridge. The scenery is breathtaking with the sun setting on the lake, which merges into the sea. A night at Kappil is an exhilarating experience; the moonlit lake under a host of twinkling stars. It is bound to make a poet of you.

MANU REMAKANTH

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