ROAD LESS TAKEN

Climbing a 150 feet tall palm tree, without any machinery aid is truly a challenging task for anyone. But, it is a daily routine for 30 years old Chinnappan, who is a palm wine (Padhaneer in Tamil) tapper by profession. He climbs four trees in a day, to earn his livelihood, which is about 600 feet up and down.  No wonder, this is considered to be one of the toughest jobs in the entire world.   Being a seasonal employment, palm wine tapping brings only a meager income to his family. Hence, he has to seek another job during rest of the months of the year, to run his family. After enforcing a ban on tapping toddy, which is a fermented form of the sap, this business has lost its charm and enthusiasm. Hence, to prevent the sap from fermentation, quicklime is applied inside the mud pot that is fastened to the palm flower. Though his counterparts in the neighboring states, extract toddy without any problems, it is an illegal affair across the state of Tamil Nadu. The reasons ...

Soaking in the beauty of Back Waters In Kerala  With the kind hospitality of one of my friends, it was a golden opportunity to visit one of my most dreamed tourist locations, Back Waters in Azhapuzha. The endless waterways connecting all the villages in the district are the main attraction for the tourists. Cruising on the river, you can witness the ceaseless beauty of the countryside. Myriad paddy fields, simple but elegant houses lining up the banks of the river, locals ferrying goods in their canoes and children learning to swim and paddle in front of their houses are the vivid images of the place that will ever last in your mind. The entire lake is dotted with boats ranging from gigantic house boats to small canoes. If you are a lone traveler, it is best for you to travel in the public boat service provided by the Kerala government, which is economical and it gives you the chance to experience the local flavor of the place. Tasti...