A Coastal Getaway to Alappuzha Beach!
Hello there!
How are you guys today? I hope everyone is having a great day. Today I like to share something different unlike my regular art posts. I know, right? It's very unusual of me. I have been a part of the Hive community for more than a year now and I believe this is my first post on Pinmapple community. I didn't know where to post this so I asked my friend 
For the first time in a very long time I somehow got the urge to get back out into the world. I'm a very homely guy so I stay at my house most of time doing my own thing. It wasn't like that before you know and I think covid lockdowns contributed to my inactivity outside my house. As you all know the weather is getting unpredictable every year. We were supposed to get a good amount of rain this time of the year but it's blazing hot so it was time to get some fresh air. In my opinion a trip to the beach is the best place to cool off both mentally and physically. I used to come here a lot with family and friends back in the days but this time I came alone so this a solo trip for my rejuvenation haha!
My family doesn't own any automobiles so I always make my trip on my ancient bicycle xd. Isn't it hard to cycle all the way to the beach? Not exactly because my house is near the coastal area so travelling in cycle is the best option for site seeing and exercise. If you manage visit the beach early in the morning then you can see lots of people doing the same. My house is approximately 2km away from the beach so I can pretty much visit it anytime I want haha. A luxury that most people can't afford.
I decided to make my trip after 3pm because of the heat but I didn't want it to get too dark in there as well because my camera won't be able to take decent pictures without some strong lighting xd. Traffic was almost non existent while travelling so it only took me 15 minutes to get there. I parked my cycle near a shop under some shade. We don't want the seat to get cooked under sunlight and roast our butt on the way back unless that's you thing. As expected the beach was not crowded at all. It's both peaceful and sad at the same time because it used to be filled with lots of people regardless of the time and day. Kiting at the beach was one of the main hobbies of both grown ups and children. Unfortunately, the authorities banned it some years ago because some rogue kites were getting trapped on electric cables and was causing damages to the circuits. That's a shame because it was the perfect place for kiting because of the strong wind.
Even though the atmosphere was hot the air from the beach really cooled me off while I was walking through the hot sand. Unlike other beaches swimming is prohibited here because of the rough sea. It wasn't like that before. I used to see lots people going for a swim back in the days. Also wearing two piece, skimpy clothing etc is not allowed here. That must be a culture shock to a lot of people here. So why do people go there? Fishing is a common activity here. Anyone can participate as well if you got the right gear.
Pier: what's left of it
This is one if main tourist attractions on our beach. There is a rich history behind it. This Pier was built by Captain Hugh Crawford in 1862. It was built for conducting trade activities during that time. There were two big godowns near the beach. When the trade activities were shifted to a different location the godowns were demolished and pier was abandoned. I still remember the godowns though. I first saw it when I was 12 years old I think. They were huge but no one was allowed to enter because of the wear and tear of the building.
The newest attraction!
IN FAC T81 Vessel (Currently decommissioned)
This ship is probably the main attraction these days. If I remember correctly they moved it here back in 2020. You can see people sitting behind it under its shade sometimes. I don't know why they do it because its illegal xd.
After taking some shots I decided to walk a bit further to the north hoping that I get a sight of the fishermen travelling in the sea. While I was walking near the shores I saw many holes in the sand. These holes are occupied by crabs by the way if you didn't know. They all come out at night probably after 9 pm when everyone leaves. They were big like really big and if you manage to catch some then you can make big money at the market. To my luck I managed to get to see one during daytime hehe. I think one of the crows managed to pull it out. They are really hard to catch and they can manage to dig up a hole and hide in there in an instant!
I don't see any damage on its shell but I didn't want to test my luck by touching it. Probably acting dead perhaps!
Fishermen's area!
As you can see the fishermen lives near this area and their main source of income is by selling fresh fish they caught from the sea near the market. If you manage to get it directly from them, they will give you a huge discount plus it will be very fresh as well. My cousin's house is very close their area so they always get good quality marine foods. If you water for sometime you can see them cleaning their nets and boat preparing for fishing again. During this time eagles are always near because of the strong fishy smell from their boats. You have to be careful otherwise you could get hurt while wandering around. I managed to take some shots of their boats. I'm glad that they didn't leave otherwise it would be not possible.
I saw some other interesting things on my way back. I took some pictures of them as well. You can see it below.
See those trees? That place is quite famous among couples xd. Most of them go there with their lovers for privacy. We are a conservative country so there will be judgement if you do the things you see in foreign movies in public places like this haha. Most of them cut classes together and come here. Poor old me always came here alone xd. Well, at least the stray dogs kept me company :)
Now this structure, it wasn't here the last time I visited. By the looks of it we might be able to climb on top of it to get a grand view of the sea very soon especially during sunset. After all the walking I became tired and hungry and also it was getting late. I went back to the main area of the beach where they sell street food. They sell "Mulaku bhaji" there, it roughly translates to Pepper fry magbe. The Filipinos call it as Dynamite fry I think but they stuff the pepper with meat in their version. This one doesn't have that so it's pretty cheap. One plate consists of 4 fries with tomato chilli pickle as dip. I ate two plates haha. I have been craving for this for a while now. One plate only costs 24 cents. 2 plate is enough to fill an average person's stomach. It's best not to eat more because of acidity. Because of this I also drank some elaichi flavouted cold drinks as well after eating it.
The food was great and the view was even better. I'm glad I went there. I really needed some fresh air. There is one more thing I like to share with you guys before ending this post.
The lighthouse!
I almost forgot to post this. This is also one of the most popular attraction of our beach. I managed to take this picture a while back. It's still in working condition and they turn on the lights after 6pm. Visitors are also allowed there at a certain time. I visited the place with my father some years ago and climbed to the top. The view is freaking amazing! Don't forget to check this place out too if you come here. Entry fee is super cheap, probably under 50 cents.
The beach is located in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. If you ever come here don't forget to visit the place. My suggestion would be to come here during December. We conduct beach festival during this time along with Christmas celebrations.
I hope you enjoyed my travel blog!
All pictures posted here are taken by me
Thank you so much for your time :)