Kadampadi - The journey not the destination - 2

After a traditional lunch in a hotel at Mahabs, we left the place to our next destination which was app 160kms again on the Coramandal coast. Just 7 kms  on our route, we overshot a road which had an indicator 'Kadampadi- rural tourism village'.  We suddenly placed this village to the  TDC Brochure.

When i picked the brochure at Mahabalipuram, it listed some of the nearby tourist places. One of them was Kadampadi - The two liner about this place described  it as a rural toursim village where one could experience village life, a coracle ride, farming , bullock cart ride, village menu , folk dance etc,. It sounded interesting, we decided to dirty our feet and soak in some village air.   We reversed the vehicle and drove into the road which led us to a muddy track flanked by emerald green fields like these. But sadly, this project seems like a failure which was promoted in 2007 by the Indian government to promote a slice of rustic life to foreigners and domestic tourists. We found from a villager that this village tourism is not active throughout the year now and  happens only during the 3 days of pongal.  Having come thus far, we decided to explore. The H and sonny boy went up the tank bund to find no coracles in the lake. We spent some lazy moments gazing at the villagers working in the fields and enjoyed the cool breeze. 

                                 a city's paradox- unpolluted crisp air, no buildings and lots of open lands filled with greenery like these. we walked through these lands. A visual and soulful treat.

Enroute, we found many hotels selling kumbakonam degree coffee. I don't like coffee   but still decided to try the famous kumbakonam coffee. For a true coffee lover like the H , this taste could give a cappucino or a mocha a run for money. This coffee history and procedure of making  it deserves a separate post from me. Will make a post shortly with inputs from MIL and a hotelier at kumbakonam

Another place where we stopped was at Surabhi organic farm which practises organic farming. Run by a old couple, this place cultivates 20 acres of organic farming producing mushrooms, brinjals, tomatoes, cabbage, greens, lemons and other veggies. It has an entry fee of Rs. 20. This was another interesting stopover for us.

                                                       The plantain saplings

                           It encourages organic manure where kitchen wastes can be stored in those pots above to make vermicompost manure.

the cabbage patches

cluster beans creepers, brinjal plants

It encourages kitchen gardens to be grown in old paint buckets, ice cream tubs and other old recylable plastic containers.

We passed through many scenic places like mudaliarkuppam where the road  was flanked by the bay on one side and the back waters on the other. Just like land farming, shrimps and prawn cultivation took place in the back water farms. Passing through these interesting places, we finally reached one of my favorite town which popular the world over but made more popular now. Thanks to the acclaimed movie 'The life of Pi'. I have visited this place around 8 times and have also blogged about it. But i still have so much  to see and  say about this beautiful place. 

 In my next post.