The rains just stopped pouring and we came out to the veranda of the farm house which is in the middle of a rubber estate , we sat there enjoying the cool breeze coming through the wet rubber trees
. The calmness of the place was broken with sound of a Mahindra jeep climbing the rough terrain to the farm house and the jeep braked in front of us and our driver chettan jumped out and took one gallon from the rear of the Jeep and placed it on the veranda. From his smile in his face I understood what is there in that gallon. It's nothing but "Toddy " the natural beverage of Kerala.In malayalam it's known as Kallu..... It's almost ten litres of stuff !!It's only 9 'O' clock in the morning, we had just finished our break fast and the stuff arrived as our driver chettan promised। In our minds it was a Himalayan task to finish this whole stuff
within 11 'O" clock . If you don't finish it before eleven then it wiil turn sour and it will be difficult to gulp the stuff so we have to act fast.
Action started , we started in a slow pace and later on it picked up. The stuff was pure with out any adulteration. We almost finished the stuff by the targetted time and it was finally came to an end when one the action group's member's wife came and violently took away the glass . It brought back our senses and we marched towards the nearest stream . Jumped in to the cool waters and enjoyed the bath. Driver chettan promised us to take to Thommankuthu a nearby picnic spot . It is a nine step water fall through dense forest.
So the next day after the Kallu Kudi ( Toddy drinking) event we packed some food and drinks and started towards Thommankuthu
through the beautiful high range roads of Thattakuzha. After a wonderful ride through steep climbs and curves we reached the spot. It was really a wonderful spot with huge rocks and waterfalls in the middle of thick vegetation .We collected our tickets for trekking the forest , after a few minutes of trekking we found a tree house which is built with bamboos and coconut leaves. Its almost at a height of a three storied building , and to reach there there is a stairs hanging down. all of us decided to climb there . We reached the tree house and the
view from there was something never forget. The stream is flowing down with full force, and the house was swaying with the winds along with the whole tree. We had some food and we climbed down , but we never wanted , we would have liked to live there . It was so much close to nature.Trekking continued through the narrow forest path with huge trees both
sides and we can see glimpses of the waterfall in the far through the vegetation. Many of the trees are engraved with love sighs and Malayalee names. Hope these things will stop one day. Also found carelessly thrown beer bottles and coke containers . It's sad that people do these things to beautiful place.
Finally we reached the spot where our driver chettan promised that we can have a safe splash at the waterfalls. The water was cool and clear, it cooled our minds and body . Children enjoyed the splash. They never wanted to come out of the water.
