November 22, 2007 6 PM
I stepped out of the car that drove me from Tellicherry railway station to Muzhapilangad and instantly fell in love with the beach. The white sand dunes and the deep blue water that stretched to infinity was a lovely sight on a November evening. As I walked my way through the sand, in the western sky the orange faced sun was readying for it's daily plunge into the Arabian sea. I was to stay that night at the Beach Pavillion resort which boasts of excellent proximity and view to the beach which itself is a drive-in beach and the longest in Asia at that. Muzhapilangad beach is about 7 km from Tellicherry and about a kilometer off the highway that stretches to Kannur. It is not yet on the Kerala tourism map and with tourists thronging the Kannur belt for their share of water and sand one would have the Muzhapilangad beach and the mightly Arabian sea all to onself. Moreso after dusk when the handful of locals lazing up and down the stretch of clear water, the bunch of youngsters playing cricket on the hardened beach sand, and the cars zipping through the drive-in stretch decide to call it a day.
November 22, 2007 630 PM
Sharath was walking along side me on the soft sand with my baggage in hand. The owner of Beach Pavillion had got Sharath to pick me up from the station and drop me at the resort. Sharath was an unassuming young man and given his upbringing in a tourist town was someone whom you would instantly befriend. He was thoughtful enough to suggest that I pick up something for dinner since the resort itself did not have a restaurant. The resort had a main block that housed four suites and 8 cottages until couple of months back when all of the cottages were demolished as they were built up in unapproved land leaving only the main block. Sharath led to me one of the two suites in the first floor which had a lovely view of the sea and beach through the coconut grooves and tall pine trees. The room itself was very spacious with a double cot and some ad hoc furniture. The bath was huge and a cottage in itself and had an exhaust fan with a dove's nest. By 715 PM I had unpacked and changed myself into comfortable clothing and hit the beach. By then on the eastern sky a full moon had bloomed in all its glory lighting up the waves and giving them a silvery glitter. The walk on the moon lit beach with cool November breeze blowing was a treat to all senses. I wet my feet in the water and as far as the eyes could see the water streched. Behind me in the cold dark stood the Beach Pavillion with a 60 Watt blub on its face flickering wildly and there was an eerie calm to the surrounding. As I walked back towards the resort after a long walk alongside the water, I could hear the rise and fall of the waves behind my back. The sea had suddenly become turbulent.
November 23, 2007 550 AM
The night was uneventful and I had laid on my bed listening to the waves for a long while. The deep silence was punctuated by distant clatters and bangs. I had to toss around in bed for a long while and feel asleep well past midnight. I woke up before break of dawn to the chirping sounds of birds. I stood at my balcony and through the pine trees could see the stretch of water. The sea was more serene now than she was when I turned my back to her the previous night. As I stepped out of the resort and into the beach for my long morning walk I could see that the sea was dotted by fishing boats. Morning is the most active part of the day on the beach with locals thronging for a brisk walk on the seashore and with fishing boats pulling ashore one after the other.
