Trying to make the most of two days around Thiruvananthapuram (which is too little time), the naiad in me naturally gravitated towards water.The Blues caught my attention. On comparing these visuals with other places I’ve been to, I began to wonder whether maybe, just maybe, a different palette of Blues was used to make Kerala ?

My first glimpse of these blues was while flying over it – like an appetizer giving me a sense of what is to come.The water marks an irreverently irregular boundary with the land.

Coming from a place with not-so-clean air, one warmly welcomes the clear coastal sky of Thiruananthapuram.These windows of Napier museum, refecting the sky seem to partake in the welcome

Kovalam, a short 15km away from the city is a popular beach frequented by locals and tourists. At the rows of beach shacks that form a twinkly arc, one can relish some of the freshest sea-food right off the fishing boats

Looking through windows of trains, buses, and autos one begins to contrast the attempt at linearity in humankind’s constructions with the oblivious complexity of mother nature

Varkala beach, about an hour by train North of the city is like paradise for beach lovers – the waters are clear (and ALOT of fun to jump around in), the sands are clean, and the views awe inspiring. A couple of meters away from where the waves crash against the sand, lies a steep-ish cliff running along the shore – a sight not too common along this coast. It’s almost like a 2-in-1 package. A path run’s along the cliffs edge with shacks on the other side that have a a hippy-touristy feel to them

The railway stations that cater to the little towns and villages in this area maybe old and crumbling in parts, but they are also very clean and quaint.The sand coloured platform at Varkala seems to mimic the beach – it may even have been the same sand that was mixed in the concrete !

Moving further North along the coast, one would reach Kollam, an old sea port, that was an important trading town in ancient times. The Ashtamudi lake and its tresses are nestled in this area. Traveling through the town, it is hard to miss the backwaters sometimes just around the corner peaking behind houses and sometimes right in your face – on either side of the bridge you are crossing

For some of the locals, traveling by boat from one part of the backwaters to another is sometime more convenient than long and winding roads. The State Water Transport Department runs a boat service at low rates. It’s like a bus service – with stops, a conductor, fixed routes and timings, etc. This seems like a part of daily life for those living close to the backwaters – whether it be buying fish, going to church, or meeting friends. I’d suggest one witness this, rather than just tourist boats plying for the heck of it

Now about the backwaters – they take one’s breath away. Taking it in, one thanks the Higher Power for creating such beauty, and maybe that’s why Kerala is called ‘God’s own country’. Here the blues of the water seem to peacefully melt into the blues of the sky. The Green coconut trees covering the land help the Blues sing in a symphony of nature. There’s a certain calmness associated with it all.

The backwaters provide a unique habitat for creatures that live in and around and a unique way of life for the humans that co-exist in this beautiful lanscape

The setting sun makes the colours dance – as if nature were playing with pastels in the sky

I leave sun-dried and salted, like a preserved fish. But unlike this delicious fish, I hope to return to these waters :)

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Hope you liked this study in blue. Scroll back up fast to see the splash of blue to get what I meant

Special thanks to host and fellow photographer Rajiv G.P. whose company and photographs contributed to the above post.

Photographs were taken on a moto G and moto G 4 play. All the above photos are unedited. Do not use photographs without prior permission from the author