Back to the hills

he northern beaches of Kerala were amazing, but they still don't compare to the hill stations in the Western Ghats, even with the extra effort required to haul a fully loaded bike up the hills. We arrived in Kalpetta surrounded once more by peaks blanketed in lush tropical forests and a shimmering sea of undulating tea plantations, what's not to love about that.

Our bikes provided a great way to poke around town, see the sights, and led to some lazy afternoon rides through the tranquil scenery. Traveling with empty bikes on all the trips out of Kalpetta was a welcome change, all we had to worry about was finding a nice mellow rhythm in the pedals and losing ourselves in the hills.

The first day we did a 20k ride out to Soochpara falls, a nice place to lounge in the shade and cool off under the cascading water during the midday heat. Entertainment for the afternoon was provided by the hordes of Indian tourist that collected in mass beneath the falls for a cleansing bath. My only suggestion for them would be to avoid white towels, there was more than enough on display without those adding to the show.

Chembra peak the next day supplied us with the most spectacular views while were in Kalpetta. We followed a series of interweaving dirt tracks, that cut a path through the open fields of grass along the shoulder of the peak, to the summit. What we lacked in shade was made up for with spectacular vistas in every direction and a gentle breeze to ward off the afternoon heat. The summit belonged to us and provided a comfortable cloak of silence, broken only by the grass rustling in the breeze. Moments of silence become so poignant when the day to day is shrouded in the constant din of traffic. I will leave any descriptions of the scenery to my camera which is far better at capturing the beauty than my words.

The last day at Karalad Lake provided a similar break. A short ride through bucolic fields of palm trees and wheat to arrive at a halcyon lake erupting in beautiful purple lotus flowers. No traffic to hear, just the rhythmic sound of a woman slapping her clothes against a nearby rock. Taken with the scenery the noise blended seamlessly into the landscape. The hills provide a perfect escape from the chaos that is the lowland cities of India.





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