The beach to tranquility

The intention was to unwind and the beach was theunanimous choice. Everyone wanted to calm their minds walking on the seashore, watching the ebb and flow of waves. Then, the search was on for finding that one beach where the gang could spend a day fruitfully and thus we  stumbled upon Mararikulam beach in Alappuzha. The photographs were so alluring that the trip was fixed for the following day. Excitement filled the air as the trip to Mararikulam beach, which is better known as Marari beach, began from Kottayam.

Google Map guided us throughout the journey. Riding past the hustle and bustle of the town, the vehicle entered the Kottayam-Kumarakom road and continued the trip via SH 40. Then, we entered Muhamma Boat Jetty road and passing through the NH66, finally, arrived at beach road. It took one hour and 20 minutes to reach the destination. One of the beautiful things to watch on  the road was the backdrop changing from the ruckus of the town to the quietude of the village.

Then came the food joint exploration. There are plenty of small restaurants serving authentic Alappuzha cuisine, on roadsides. If you are a foodie, you should visit one of them. Also, there are outlets that sell fresh fish.

The narrow road leading to the beach has green shrubs on both sides. As the beach road ended, the white sand beach came to everyone's sight. The setting was picture-perfect. In most cases, the photograph and reality may seem poles apart. But, Marari beach was different. It was clean and scenic as portrayed in the photographs. Parking the vehicle, everyone kicked off their beach expedition.

The coconut tree-fringed beach that looks like an untouched place is tidy and not crowded. That makes it different from other beaches. One could saunter on the long stretch as long as she/he likes and wait for the waves to kiss the feet. If gets tired, chairs are available on the shore to relax a bit. You just need to pay an amount for an hour. You can also take bath in the beach but it is not advisable to go deeper. Fishing boats and nets on the shore add beauty to the entire setting. If you are an artist, you will find it a perfect picture to reproduce on canvas. And, there are lots of shells, both tiny and big, in various colours. Digging them out from sand is so much fun.

Dusk was nearing and it was time to return. But, the crashing of waves and cries of marine birds were reverberating in ears even after reaching home.