Solo Day Trip - Kochi to Athirapally Waterfalls

An impromptu trip to end the year 2019 on the high with this solo voyage to one of the best waterfalls I have ever seen. It was 25th of December 2019 and I was in Kochi after a trip around Kerala with my family. They had left to Hyderabad in the morning and I had my train to Bangalore at night. So, I had a whole day to explore the place and experience the solitude after a while. So, with a confusion of exploring kochi which was very hot and humid or other nearby place, I went on to search for a place to use this opportunity to travel solo. Then came an idea to check if Athirapally is manageable and it turned out to be a perfect getaway for the sunny side of kochi.

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After a bit of researching as to where I could go and checking for some information about how to travel to athirapally from Kochi I decided to take a train from kochi to chalakudy which is about an hour ride which is in between kochi to thrissur route. I got ready quickly and left on my way to railway station. I bought a general ticket to thrissur and after some waiting I got into the train I was waiting for and got an empty window seat.

It was around 8 am, already hot and humid as the sun was getting brighter and warmer. As soon as train started with its journey to the next station, the breeze hitting my face through window was soothing to my soul and refreshing. I sat there with all strange faces around but the memories of the family vacation were still fresh in my mind and was recapping the whole trip we had for the last 4 days. As the train pass by from one station to another, the faces kept changing and the unreserved seats were ever ready to welcome anyone without any discrimination into there laps.

The train passed through stations and there came the stop I was eagerly waiting for which was chalakudi which was rather a small and deserted station. There were literally no one around the station and the few who got down from the train quickly mapped their routes and disappeared into their daily lives while I was standing still on the railway bridge at the sight of the empty station and running train. It felt as if I was deported to an empty place which belonged to nobody where I had to survive. I went on my way out the railway station and onto the clean roads and the empty streets.

After strolling onto either sides of the roads escaping into the shades to get away from scorching temperature, I decided to take an auto to the bus station from where I was supposed to take a bus to athirapally waterfalls. In about 10 minutes I was dropped by the bus station. I was hungry now and the bus stand had a canteen which was simple yet well maintained. I ordered masala dosa which happens to be the routine for at least once in my trip. I had my breakfast which tasted good and while sipping my tea I heard a voice from outside calling out passengers who wanted to go to athirapally. I got excited and burned my tongue trying to drink fast.

I got into the bus which had no vacant seats but enough to stand hanging onto the pole. I stood there with my bag between my legs and waiting for the unknown journey to begin. The driver and the ticket collector eventually got tired looking for more passengers and joined the crowded bus and started the much awaited journey. The ride started off with crossing streets and narrow roads of the town stopping by after every 5 minutes. And then the sound box started humming malayalam songs. The bass was good. The music even better. The songs catchy and rhythmic. It was a great experience altogether. As the songs changed, the view of streets and vehicles turned to empty roads and scenic nature views. As the elevation started to rise, the views changed from streets to wide open roads, homes and shops to huge trees and river streams flowing by.

It took about an hour to reach the last bus stop which was athirapally. A few hundred meters walk to the entrance where we had to collect the ticket to enter the place. The walk towards the waterfalls was downward slope with lush green nature all around and monkeys hanging out from trees. After a walk of about 10 minutes the background of shade and greenery turns into a wide open river flowing with the hot sun shimmering it's glow on the river. People scattered all around in the river soaking in cool water and having fun time with their friends and family. To the right was the edge of the cliff and the calm river now turned into gushing waterfalls falling from the height of more than 100 meters onto the rocks below making sounds and splashing cold water droplets onto people overlooking at the sight of the wonder.

The view from the top was mesmerising with calm river flowing to the left and the gushy waterfalls going down from the cliff to join another stream. I walked around for sometime and took some photographs of the river and the waterfalls. Later I decided to go down to the waterfalls to have a look from bottom. The trek down was through a muddy track and uneven land surrounded by greenery and shades all around. In the heat the walk through that environment made it easy and enjoyable. About 15 minutes later the sound of the waterfalls was getting clear and just a turn later the view of enormous waterfalls was breathtaking. I was stunned by the beauty all around. The water falling onto the rocks below made tiny droplets fall on the face and the breeze was heavenly in that heat. As I stood near the waterfalls the heat, sweat and tiredness reinstated with cold breeze of shower, Calmness of mind and serenity of the nature.

After sitting down for some time and enjoying the moment and the view all alone and being grateful for making it there without much trouble. I thought to myself about all the waterfalls i had visited, this has to be the beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen after dudhsagar waterfalls. The time passed quickly and I was still and lost in the beauty of the waterfalls and the serenity around the place. Eventually I had to get up and get going back to catch the bus back to town. I walked back the way I came from and the walk back was hectic and difficult as the path was steep and up. With the bag on my back and the hot climate I had to take few breaks while coming back up. After some trouble I was on my way back to main gate. As I came out of the gate I could see the bus standing right in front and it was the same bus I had come there.

With hot sun trying it's best to suck up as much energy as possible from others, I quickly made my way into the bus which was heating up like oven. After few minutes of waiting and deciding that it was worth to start the ride with people on board the bus the driver started the bus. As soon as the bus made its movement the cool breeze was much welcoming and helpful. The ride back was the same way we had come up but a lot faster and sloppy than it was before. After around 30 minutes we were in the town and in no time I was at the bus stop clueless as to what I was supposed to do or where I wanted to be next. It was around 2 in the afternoon and I had another 7-8 hours before my train. I didn't want to go back to kochi until at least sunset because of the heat so I enquired if i can get a bus to thrissur from the bus stop. With very few words and a lot of gesturing I was told to go out of the bus stand and take left from the junction from where I could get a bus to thrissur and so I did.

I was feeling hungry but there was no restaurant nearby. So I waited for the bus. After a couple of buses and rejected nods from people when I asked if the bus went to thrissur my time had finally arrived when a bus with name plates written in foreign language to me arrived and I heard the only word I wanted to hear and that was thrissur. I became as joyous as a kid when his dad accepts to take him out for a ride. I hopped in with excitement and then I found that the seats were all filled but it didn't matter much. After couple of stops I got the seat and I was fast asleep with the help of breeze coming from the windows. It took around an hour to reach thrissur and spent half a day in this small town of kerala before going back to ernakulam to catch my train to Bangalore.