"Across the world, tourism has today become a vanguard of change, transforming countries and states into buoyant economies. However, there are several challenges that the industry faces like environmental degradation, degeneration of cultural heritage and social inequalities. More and more travelers are becoming sensitive to the impact their holidays have on local community and environment, and host communities are looking at avenues to optimize benefits from tourism"
"In keeping with this changing scenario, Kerala Tourism is now keen to put the concept of Responsible Tourism into practice. "... read more here on the initiative of ICRT India along with Kerala Tourism
© GP 2007
Sunday, 28 January 2007
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
Paying the price
Bangalore
"Section 144 declared in Tirur, Tanur,Tanalur and Kalpakanchery police station areas"
"One more!. An auto driver from Iringavoor is fighting for life"
"Latest news - Three more attacks this morning. One Hindu and two Muslims. Situations becoming worse"
The above were SMS I received in a day from friends from Tirur. Since the murder of Ravi, an RSS worker last week, the town was gripped in fear and looks like its a killing field.
Five more have been stabbed and according to trust worthy field reports, most of these guys have nothing to do with religion or sects or alliances! Except for the guy murdered (he was an accussed number 3 in a murder where RSS workers, butchered a neo-muslim convert in Tirur several years back), rest of the guys became easy target for both Muslim and Hindu fundamentalist groups. Looks like none of the hardcore militants are targetted, instead the strategy seems to be to focus on those who stand on the fringes of ideologies
If not for the local names, this could be a news from an area where sectarian killings happens! This is from Malappuram District.
Welcome to the new reality of Kerala!!
A trend that started around Babri Masjid destruction in 1992, has been largely over looked. Political parties including the left busy appeasing minority and majority vote banks will take another decade or even more to understand the complexity of this vicious circle. Not restricting to politicians, I wonder what the so called cultural stalwarts like Sukumar Azhikode (who blatantly supported militant (of course masked!!) organisations like NDF) will have to say on these unfortunate incidents that is gripping various small towns of Kerala.
Signals were there for all to see. Look at these samples:
"Kerala, which is clearly becoming a sanctuary and a possible recruiting and training base for some religious fundamentalist groups with inter-State links. The activities of such groups have assumed dangerous dimensions. This is particularly true of northern Kerala, where a significant Muslim population suffers from a broad range of economic and social disabilities and the BJP, the RSS and its satellite organisations pursue an aggressive strategy of stoking communal sentiments. "
"In 1997, Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar told the Kerala Assembly that five to eight extremist groups were operating in northern Kerala and that they received funds and other forms of support from foreign countries, especially Iran and some countries in West Asia. He also said that the situation was "serious"."
Read more such reports here Concern in Kerala
On my way back from Trivandrum, I got down at around 4 am on the secluded dimly lit highway junction in Kuttippuram to go home. Similar to my Fort Cochin experience, the auto driver refused to take me in! After convincing him, he took me home only to share a hell lot of unbelievable stories that happened in Tirur area in the last one week. It definitely sounded like those scary stories we heard from friends who went through Bombay riots! According to him,"You know? Those who were dragging them through the streets were those boys whom they see daily in their neighbourhood!".
I can't imagine the situation where I will be attacked by someone just because I was born into some religion! Worse to doubt my fellow passenger or my driver just for the reason that he is a Muslim or a Hindu!
Well, this is in fact the reality!
© GP 2007
"Section 144 declared in Tirur, Tanur,Tanalur and Kalpakanchery police station areas"
"One more!. An auto driver from Iringavoor is fighting for life"
"Latest news - Three more attacks this morning. One Hindu and two Muslims. Situations becoming worse"
The above were SMS I received in a day from friends from Tirur. Since the murder of Ravi, an RSS worker last week, the town was gripped in fear and looks like its a killing field.
Five more have been stabbed and according to trust worthy field reports, most of these guys have nothing to do with religion or sects or alliances! Except for the guy murdered (he was an accussed number 3 in a murder where RSS workers, butchered a neo-muslim convert in Tirur several years back), rest of the guys became easy target for both Muslim and Hindu fundamentalist groups. Looks like none of the hardcore militants are targetted, instead the strategy seems to be to focus on those who stand on the fringes of ideologies
If not for the local names, this could be a news from an area where sectarian killings happens! This is from Malappuram District.
Welcome to the new reality of Kerala!!
A trend that started around Babri Masjid destruction in 1992, has been largely over looked. Political parties including the left busy appeasing minority and majority vote banks will take another decade or even more to understand the complexity of this vicious circle. Not restricting to politicians, I wonder what the so called cultural stalwarts like Sukumar Azhikode (who blatantly supported militant (of course masked!!) organisations like NDF) will have to say on these unfortunate incidents that is gripping various small towns of Kerala.
Signals were there for all to see. Look at these samples:
"Kerala, which is clearly becoming a sanctuary and a possible recruiting and training base for some religious fundamentalist groups with inter-State links. The activities of such groups have assumed dangerous dimensions. This is particularly true of northern Kerala, where a significant Muslim population suffers from a broad range of economic and social disabilities and the BJP, the RSS and its satellite organisations pursue an aggressive strategy of stoking communal sentiments. "
"In 1997, Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar told the Kerala Assembly that five to eight extremist groups were operating in northern Kerala and that they received funds and other forms of support from foreign countries, especially Iran and some countries in West Asia. He also said that the situation was "serious"."
Read more such reports here Concern in Kerala
On my way back from Trivandrum, I got down at around 4 am on the secluded dimly lit highway junction in Kuttippuram to go home. Similar to my Fort Cochin experience, the auto driver refused to take me in! After convincing him, he took me home only to share a hell lot of unbelievable stories that happened in Tirur area in the last one week. It definitely sounded like those scary stories we heard from friends who went through Bombay riots! According to him,"You know? Those who were dragging them through the streets were those boys whom they see daily in their neighbourhood!".
I can't imagine the situation where I will be attacked by someone just because I was born into some religion! Worse to doubt my fellow passenger or my driver just for the reason that he is a Muslim or a Hindu!
Well, this is in fact the reality!
© GP 2007
Saturday, 20 January 2007
Noites de Havana!
Bangalore
Tired of debates and arguments on defining what is Responsibility in tourism in 'local context', I decided to take off from work this afternoon. Since all my colleagues are in Kerala this weekend, I had a luxury of being alone and decided to go home and watch Dirty Dancing instead .
Gosh! How much I miss dancing!!
Last time I watched this movie was with Maya in Vienna in her apartment. I had known her for almost 6 years after we met on Internet and been good friends throughout ever since. Even during my stay in Europe, somehow we missed meeting each other many times, until last year.
After struggles of missing baggage and waiting (for a change!), when I came out of the Vienna airport, there she was; anxiously waiting. As we both expected, the meeting was so normal as if we have been meeting each other in the same town on a day to day basis!
She was tensed about her relation but crazy in love with her Cuban boyfriend! Even though we have been discussing about him many times, I wasn't sure how serious this relation was, but then it was so obvious that night when she came back dead tired after dancing the whole night and told me "I have never been so happy!"
As Javier says in the movie, "Dancing is about being exactly who you want to be in a mad moment".
(Shame that I missed their invitation to go out for a Cuban night and instead decided to sleep!).
Now they are together and she is expecting a baby in February. May be it's time to visit the lovers again in before ITB Berlin. This time at the least I will be there with a relaxed mind, unlike last time when I was struggling with my problems with J!
Here goes the lovely couple:
© GP 2007
Tired of debates and arguments on defining what is Responsibility in tourism in 'local context', I decided to take off from work this afternoon. Since all my colleagues are in Kerala this weekend, I had a luxury of being alone and decided to go home and watch Dirty Dancing instead .
Gosh! How much I miss dancing!!
Last time I watched this movie was with Maya in Vienna in her apartment. I had known her for almost 6 years after we met on Internet and been good friends throughout ever since. Even during my stay in Europe, somehow we missed meeting each other many times, until last year.
After struggles of missing baggage and waiting (for a change!), when I came out of the Vienna airport, there she was; anxiously waiting. As we both expected, the meeting was so normal as if we have been meeting each other in the same town on a day to day basis!
She was tensed about her relation but crazy in love with her Cuban boyfriend! Even though we have been discussing about him many times, I wasn't sure how serious this relation was, but then it was so obvious that night when she came back dead tired after dancing the whole night and told me "I have never been so happy!"
As Javier says in the movie, "Dancing is about being exactly who you want to be in a mad moment".
(Shame that I missed their invitation to go out for a Cuban night and instead decided to sleep!).
Now they are together and she is expecting a baby in February. May be it's time to visit the lovers again in before ITB Berlin. This time at the least I will be there with a relaxed mind, unlike last time when I was struggling with my problems with J!
Here goes the lovely couple:
© GP 2007
Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Just 20 minutes!
Bangalore
We reached the river side where we met Velutha around 1330. No one had any idea, how we trekked so swiftly. There wasn't a single part of our body that wasn't aching. Except for Ravi, I guess most of us were too tired for anything. He kept on clicking photographs, even dared to ask us to pose couple of times :)
May be he didn't really gauge the situation. Or he didn't think the danger of getting stuck for one more night in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wild animals and that too without any food! Anyways, it was good to have someone with energy oozing out at this situation.
We met "Rajan", a nephew of Velutha on the way who suggested that we trek directly to Nilambur through plains rather than attempting a tiring hike up to Meenmutty. Considering the fact that he was the first human contact since previous afternoon, it was a blessing to see him. It was a choice between 4 hours of climbing or 2 hours of trek to another district and then hire a jeep to reach back in Wayanad which will take another 4 hours by road. We chose the latter.Even after 4 hours of slow trek along the river we were still far away from any sort of human settlement. Rest of the trek was like a pilgrimage.
No one even whispered. Legs were almost falling apart, hunger was burning every known senses in the body and the fear that we might not be able to get out of the forest was too much to accept.
Finally we saw a tribal settlement, (A unfortunate intervention of forest department and Hill Area Development Authority where tribal are "rehabilitated" and brought into the main stream!!) where the poverty stricken community couldn't even offer us rice gruel. After hearing our misadventure, the forest officer on a patrol who saw us at the entrance, came along with us and asked the community members if they could give us some thing to eat.
To some of the tribal whom we met on the way, we kept on asking like "how far?", how long"! The distance to the rubber and spice plantation was "just 20 minutes sir"! Great. That twenty minutes came after another two hours literally in a tea shop run by the plantation workers!
We reached the river side where we met Velutha around 1330. No one had any idea, how we trekked so swiftly. There wasn't a single part of our body that wasn't aching. Except for Ravi, I guess most of us were too tired for anything. He kept on clicking photographs, even dared to ask us to pose couple of times :)
May be he didn't really gauge the situation. Or he didn't think the danger of getting stuck for one more night in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wild animals and that too without any food! Anyways, it was good to have someone with energy oozing out at this situation.
We met "Rajan", a nephew of Velutha on the way who suggested that we trek directly to Nilambur through plains rather than attempting a tiring hike up to Meenmutty. Considering the fact that he was the first human contact since previous afternoon, it was a blessing to see him. It was a choice between 4 hours of climbing or 2 hours of trek to another district and then hire a jeep to reach back in Wayanad which will take another 4 hours by road. We chose the latter.Even after 4 hours of slow trek along the river we were still far away from any sort of human settlement. Rest of the trek was like a pilgrimage.
No one even whispered. Legs were almost falling apart, hunger was burning every known senses in the body and the fear that we might not be able to get out of the forest was too much to accept.
Finally we saw a tribal settlement, (A unfortunate intervention of forest department and Hill Area Development Authority where tribal are "rehabilitated" and brought into the main stream!!) where the poverty stricken community couldn't even offer us rice gruel. After hearing our misadventure, the forest officer on a patrol who saw us at the entrance, came along with us and asked the community members if they could give us some thing to eat.
To some of the tribal whom we met on the way, we kept on asking like "how far?", how long"! The distance to the rubber and spice plantation was "just 20 minutes sir"! Great. That twenty minutes came after another two hours literally in a tea shop run by the plantation workers!
"Even raw bananas tastes good after 22 hours of trek in two days without food!" In a tea shop that saved us finally. The workers were so wonderful. while we ate bananas and had black tea (with loads of sugar!), one of them went to his house and prepared wonderful lentils and rice gruel with some mouth watering pickle !
© GP 2007
© GP 2007
Monday, 15 January 2007
Second day
Bangalore
All of us were up by 6 in the morning. Those who slept close to the burnt wood were up "half-baked and half-frozen"! We didn't waste much time and started exploring another route that Thomas assumed is the final way to Soochipara. (again!)
In an hour we were sure about one thing.
None of us wanted to spend another day roaming around in the forest where elephants were roaming around like cattle. Except for some sweets I had in my trousers and plenty of river water, we had no access to food.
We decided to trek back the whole distance we covered the previous day. At the least we knew the way and the time it takes to trek back.
Another ten hours!
Trekking back through semi deciduous forest
The fear was only in terms of climbing the last stretch from the foot hills to Meenmutty waterfalls. That is probably a climb from 200 metres ASL to 1300 in one stretch! Something that is quite possible on a normal day but not when fuelled by hunger, fatigue, fear and low morale.
As a last ditch effort, Anoop and I decided to climb a steep hill in front of us to check out the surrounding areas from a higher altitude. Halfway, we understood that both of us were literally risking our lives by climbing that slippery terrain with no equipments whatsoever. In half an hour, we reached on top only to see miles and miles of forest and mountains in front of us and signalled the rest of the team to continue the trek. We followed them.
From their onwards the speed in which we trekked was crazy! Those bamboo filled areas which we trekked carefully the previous day (considering the presence of elephants) were ignored completely and we were pacing as if we would just say a "Hello, nice to meet you" to the wild elephants and continue the run!
We just wanted to get out of the forest!
© GP 2007
All of us were up by 6 in the morning. Those who slept close to the burnt wood were up "half-baked and half-frozen"! We didn't waste much time and started exploring another route that Thomas assumed is the final way to Soochipara. (again!)
In an hour we were sure about one thing.
None of us wanted to spend another day roaming around in the forest where elephants were roaming around like cattle. Except for some sweets I had in my trousers and plenty of river water, we had no access to food.
We decided to trek back the whole distance we covered the previous day. At the least we knew the way and the time it takes to trek back.
Another ten hours!
Trekking back through semi deciduous forest
The fear was only in terms of climbing the last stretch from the foot hills to Meenmutty waterfalls. That is probably a climb from 200 metres ASL to 1300 in one stretch! Something that is quite possible on a normal day but not when fuelled by hunger, fatigue, fear and low morale.
As a last ditch effort, Anoop and I decided to climb a steep hill in front of us to check out the surrounding areas from a higher altitude. Halfway, we understood that both of us were literally risking our lives by climbing that slippery terrain with no equipments whatsoever. In half an hour, we reached on top only to see miles and miles of forest and mountains in front of us and signalled the rest of the team to continue the trek. We followed them.
From their onwards the speed in which we trekked was crazy! Those bamboo filled areas which we trekked carefully the previous day (considering the presence of elephants) were ignored completely and we were pacing as if we would just say a "Hello, nice to meet you" to the wild elephants and continue the run!
We just wanted to get out of the forest!
© GP 2007
Sunday, 14 January 2007
Photos
Bangalore
Some of the pictures from the Meenmutty - Soochipara trek
Meenmutty waterfalls in the second level
From a pool in the middle of the forest
© GP 2007
Some of the pictures from the Meenmutty - Soochipara trek
AB off to an un-successful attempt
Meenmutty waterfalls in the second level
From a pool in the middle of the forest
© GP 2007
Cold
Bangalore
Luckily, it didn't rain at all that night. Seeing the drizzle earlier before we settle down, I was wondering how we would stay dry the whole night, especially when the temperature was dipping. Without much dialogues and discussions, each one of us had found safe and 'comfortable' places to stretch on various boulders.
Thomas and Anoop had again become the wonderful resource persons. Gauging the importance of the heat and light considering the whole night in front of us, they had dragged in a huge wood. The fallen tree was stuck between rocks probably during the previous monsoon.
Luckily, it didn't rain at all that night. Seeing the drizzle earlier before we settle down, I was wondering how we would stay dry the whole night, especially when the temperature was dipping. Without much dialogues and discussions, each one of us had found safe and 'comfortable' places to stretch on various boulders.
Thomas and Anoop had again become the wonderful resource persons. Gauging the importance of the heat and light considering the whole night in front of us, they had dragged in a huge wood. The fallen tree was stuck between rocks probably during the previous monsoon.
"half baked - half frozen!"
Probably for the first time, I felt happy to be in the company of a smoker. If not for Thomas who smokes his beedi often, we wouldnt have had a match stick to set fire to the wood! Even though we were all unimaginabily tired and calf muscles were literally withering away after ten hours of trek during the day, none of us realy slept because of the cold. The boulders were getting colder and colder by night and it became almost impossible to even sit on it.
After twenty minutes effort, we managed to set fire to the thick wood which lasted for the whole night. It saved us from elephants (fire keep the elephants away!) and we had some of our colleaugues literally lying down on top of it by the beginning of the next day!
© GP 2007
After twenty minutes effort, we managed to set fire to the thick wood which lasted for the whole night. It saved us from elephants (fire keep the elephants away!) and we had some of our colleaugues literally lying down on top of it by the beginning of the next day!
© GP 2007
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Helicopter rescue!
Bangalore
Before settling down on the huge rocks, Thomas made one last ditch effort to climb on to the nearby hill to get an idea of the location. He was certain that the Soochipara waterfalls was just nearby, may be just behind the mountain in front of us.
While rest of the team waited down, Thomas and I climbed on to see only many more other mountains ahead of this one! As it got darker, it became important that we climb down at the earliest and figure out how we are going to spend the whole night. It was damp, cold, and dark.
We had ran out out of food except for some bananas and we decided to keep it with us and go for the endurance test. All our muscles were hurting so badly that no one wanted to walk around again looking for dry leaves and wood to set fire.
In another 5 minutes, Thomas came back shouting that he had found the trek path!
He saw foot prints. He saw bamboos cut down for ladders by the honey combers. It didn't take another ten minutes for us to come down after checking the route. The thick smell of elephant dung, cold and darkness inside the wood was so scary that we decided not to risk any more and instead settle down on one of those boulders in the middle of the river.
AB was worried about not being able to send a message to his office in Bangalore, Thomas and Anoop was worried about not being able to convey the message to their family that they are safe. My concern was about VT and rest of the team waiting for us at the waterfalls with the jeep to pick us up wondering what had happened to us. Since we had gone into the forest with permission, definitely the forest department will be notified that we are missing, and that the whole area will have thousands of stories about The Blue Yonder team that went for location scouting and got lost in the forest!
Apart from the jokes we were making about VK and Arun coming in a helicopter to save us, that was probably one of the worst nights we ever spent inside the forest.
© GP 2007
Before settling down on the huge rocks, Thomas made one last ditch effort to climb on to the nearby hill to get an idea of the location. He was certain that the Soochipara waterfalls was just nearby, may be just behind the mountain in front of us.
While rest of the team waited down, Thomas and I climbed on to see only many more other mountains ahead of this one! As it got darker, it became important that we climb down at the earliest and figure out how we are going to spend the whole night. It was damp, cold, and dark.
We had ran out out of food except for some bananas and we decided to keep it with us and go for the endurance test. All our muscles were hurting so badly that no one wanted to walk around again looking for dry leaves and wood to set fire.
"It wasn't that bad. We had loads of fun too".
In another 5 minutes, Thomas came back shouting that he had found the trek path!
He saw foot prints. He saw bamboos cut down for ladders by the honey combers. It didn't take another ten minutes for us to come down after checking the route. The thick smell of elephant dung, cold and darkness inside the wood was so scary that we decided not to risk any more and instead settle down on one of those boulders in the middle of the river.
AB was worried about not being able to send a message to his office in Bangalore, Thomas and Anoop was worried about not being able to convey the message to their family that they are safe. My concern was about VT and rest of the team waiting for us at the waterfalls with the jeep to pick us up wondering what had happened to us. Since we had gone into the forest with permission, definitely the forest department will be notified that we are missing, and that the whole area will have thousands of stories about The Blue Yonder team that went for location scouting and got lost in the forest!
Apart from the jokes we were making about VK and Arun coming in a helicopter to save us, that was probably one of the worst nights we ever spent inside the forest.
© GP 2007
Friday, 12 January 2007
In the middle of nowhere!
Bangalore
Don't know if it was my training in disaster management or just sheer common sense, that I had started looking for a safe place to camp by 3.30pm. Even after an hour we trekked according to the information we had and the direction we reconfirmed with Velutha, there was an uneasy feeling about the trek route. It was obvious that not many had trekked this path in recent days.
Decreased light, hovering rain clouds and trumpets of wild elephants from all possible places (later we realised it was the echo because of the huge boulders) didn't give me confidence at all to trek any further. Being the leader of the group, Thomas didn't show much panic, but it was kind of obvious that he was lost when we reached the huge boulders that should ideally lead us to the Soochipara waterfalls.
Don't know if it was my training in disaster management or just sheer common sense, that I had started looking for a safe place to camp by 3.30pm. Even after an hour we trekked according to the information we had and the direction we reconfirmed with Velutha, there was an uneasy feeling about the trek route. It was obvious that not many had trekked this path in recent days.
Decreased light, hovering rain clouds and trumpets of wild elephants from all possible places (later we realised it was the echo because of the huge boulders) didn't give me confidence at all to trek any further. Being the leader of the group, Thomas didn't show much panic, but it was kind of obvious that he was lost when we reached the huge boulders that should ideally lead us to the Soochipara waterfalls.
"where to go?"
It started drizzling and slippery rocks were the last thing we needed at that time. The moment I saw fear in Thomas's face, I decided to take charge of the situation. While climbing from one boulder to another I had noticed couple of places that we could convert as safe shelter.
I wasn't looking at a shelter for the night, but more than that, I just wanted to ensure that we were on a height unreachable to elephants and be on a safe plain where there was no chance of a flash flood hitting us in the middle of the night!
© GP 2007
It started drizzling and slippery rocks were the last thing we needed at that time. The moment I saw fear in Thomas's face, I decided to take charge of the situation. While climbing from one boulder to another I had noticed couple of places that we could convert as safe shelter.
I wasn't looking at a shelter for the night, but more than that, I just wanted to ensure that we were on a height unreachable to elephants and be on a safe plain where there was no chance of a flash flood hitting us in the middle of the night!
© GP 2007
Thursday, 11 January 2007
Velutha
'Velutha' the tribal chief had the most intriguing features I have seen in Kerala. He was very short, had Mongolian features, and few long hairs which couldn't really be called as moustache! His language was a mixture of Malayalam and tribal dialect and was such a great guy for all the warmth he was showing on us. We shared our food and asked him about the route to Soochipara from where we were standing.
Which way? Kalakkapuzha
Which way? Kalakkapuzha
I still remember the way he was laughing for every single question we asked. Those were really stupid questions, but well we didn't hesitate to ask to get some indigenous knowledge ;)
*Are there elephants here? (Yes of of course!)
*Will they chase you? (He he, They are elephants, they will definitely chase you if you are on its path!)
*What will you do when they chase you?( He He, What do you think I will do? I will run like anyone else!)
*Are there elephants here? (Yes of of course!)
*Will they chase you? (He he, They are elephants, they will definitely chase you if you are on its path!)
*What will you do when they chase you?( He He, What do you think I will do? I will run like anyone else!)
Considering the conflicting answers he gave us for the directions, these were straight forward answers :)
I still remember how much he was laughing seeing me jumping (falling!) into water after seeing a snake moving swiftly between my legs. He continued to laugh through out our interaction.
Later that night, when we got stuck in the forest and wondering how to spend the night, all his laughter made sense to us! He was basically laughing at our stupidity of exploring an area that we didn't know at all!
I still remember how much he was laughing seeing me jumping (falling!) into water after seeing a snake moving swiftly between my legs. He continued to laugh through out our interaction.
Later that night, when we got stuck in the forest and wondering how to spend the night, all his laughter made sense to us! He was basically laughing at our stupidity of exploring an area that we didn't know at all!
© GP 2007
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