Kayalpura Homestay - Kollam

We had a wonderful stay at this homely homestay overlooking the vast expanse of backwaters. From the moment we landed in Kollam auto stand to reach Kayalpura Homestay till the moment we were dropped back - all our request were taken care in a polite, proactive and responsible way.

We had booked for a day’s stay at this idyllic place with an intention to just unwind - do nothing much but just read, browse, and soak in the solitude. This place has just turned out the way we have thought. Once we settled in, we soon got into the same groove of slow paced life on the backwaters.

 

The view of the serene backwaters from the room – sight of fishermen rowing catamaran and the far away sight of motorized fishing boats thudding their way to the sea all was just prefect setting for our stay. My impatient partner had a fishing rod to try his luck and the host was proactive to get fresh shrimps for the bait.

Here are some observations about this home-stay.

1. Right place to unwind, read, and browse without any disturbances 2. Verdant view ideal for daydreaming and chalking out new ideas

3. Homely food - loved the breakfast (broken wheat and payar)

 For those who have time and inclination, there are many other places to explore in and around this homestay. For example, you can go for a boat ride which takes you through the labyrinth of small water strips and see life up-close in the inside part of this town. Apart from that, you can take a houseboat or a boat for a day's cruise exploring the backwater area.

Thanks to the host, they arranged an auto to take us to the Thangassery light house. It was an exhilarating trip to the top of this lighthouse and view of the sea in the evening jaded sunlight was just memorable.

 

Special thanks to the host for dropping us to the railway station in his car.

Besides, it was great to see the extended family involved in the upkeep of this place and making homely lunch and special dinner for us. To sum it, it was a deserving break for us.

Thanks and Keep the good service.

http://www.kayalpurahomestay.com/

Home

I am not sure which city I belongs to, 20 days in a month I am at Trivandrum and the next 20 days in Bangalore. Both the places are my home, my heart and miss when I am away.

The best part is the train journey which shuttle me between two cities. They are a window to an unknown world. Stranger's peek into  your  life, exchange stories with them, share their food or just be a silent observer.

This time going back to Bangalore with a different experience of pain, loss ,  strength of unity and feel of humanity.

Maturing the Christmas Cake

Few weeks back when I opened the wrap to feed my plum cake which was baked last December 2017, I was so tempeted to taste them along with my home made grape wine.

"maturing" of Christmas cakes is required if it is kept for more than 3 months. After 3 months prick the cake and brush the surface with couple of tablespoons of Cherry alcohol and wrap it tightly in a double layer of greaseproof paper followed by a double layer of foil and then store it in an airtight container or tin and keep it in a dark cool place away from direct sunlight. Do not directly wrap the cake in foil as the fruit in the cake can react with the foil. Feed the cake occasionally to help it to stay moist.

114 days more to open my one year old matured Christmas cake.