With trees and water bodies surrounding it and providing home to wildlife, Kerala is one of the best state’s in India. My visit to Kerala had been one of a kind. This was the first trip I had taken along with my childhood friend, Mirika. We had visited Kannur, a small city located in Kerala.

Kannur, formerly known as Cannanore, is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Kannur district in the state of Kerala,India. During the British rule in India, Kannur was known as Cannanore, a name that is still in use by the Indian Railways,It is the largest city of North Malabar region. Our visit to Kannur was very short yet a very memorable one.

The four day journey started off with a surprise visit from my dad to Kannur and a lot of goodies which he had brought along with him from Qatar after which, went around exploring our village and meeting up with some of the neighbors. Due to the extreme heat and humidity, we were forced to take another shower after we were back from our walk. This was followed by an amazing dinner of Puttu and Kadala which was made by my grandmother. Puttu and kadala is a very popular food in Kerala. Puttu is made by steaming rice flour along with grated coconut while,Kadala is a coconut based kala chana (black chickpeas) curry that is rich in protein and lip smacking good when eaten with Puttu.

The next day, after breakfast we had gone to a cultural “mela” where people from different states of India as well as from Abroad had come to showcase their cultures through art and crafts. The “mela ” was located on the Kannur police grounds also called the Kannur parade ground which was an open area covered in loose mud and absolutely no shaded area. Though it was about 40 degrees, the area was blooming with tourists and the native who weren’t bothered by the heat but were engrossed buying ornaments, Bargaining with the shop keepers to reduce the prices, Children running around the entire area. By the time we took the entire round and bought a few items it was time for lunch. We then headed to this restaurant called “Cabane Bambou” where we had an amazing lunch after which we headed back home.

The following day, We had all gone to Kannur fort followed by Muzhappilangad Beach which is the largest drive-in beach in Asia. Saint Angelo’s fort also called The Kannur fort was established by the first Portuguese Viceroy in India, Don Francesce De Almeida in the year 1505. Initially, the main idea was the build the fort using wood but instead it was built using stone. This fort is surrounded by the the Arabian sea on all sides giving the people a full view of the sea and an opportunity to sight the enemy and strike fire before they can attack the fort. We had taken a complete round of the fort and it was one of the most magnificent forts I had ever been to. The different divisions of quarters, the arrangement of weapons had been done so neatly and with so much of planning that the structure wasn’t made too congested, it consisted of a lot of greenery and shade providing a nice cool breeze throughout and it also served the purpose and protected the people inside the fort. Muzhappilangad beach is one of the largest beaches we had ever been to. the sand was so soft and white it was as though we were walking on a bed of baby powder. Apart from dipping our feet into the sea and chasing each other around with sea shells containing crabs inside them, we gas also collected different types of shells and enjoyed the sunset on the beach. The waves and the golden sun made the entire atmosphere very magical.

Our last day in Kannur was one of the most difficult days, Difficult because we had to battle against our will and leave this beautiful place even though mentally we didn’t want to. We started our day with a visit to the nearby Devi temple where we prayed to the lord to give us a lot of strength and happiness and to always help us during our tough times after we had prayed and received the blessings from the pujari, came back home, had breakfast and started getting ready to leave for the airport. Once we were all ready, we seeked the blessings of my grandparents and left for the airport.

Our trip to Kannur wasn’t just about visiting places and buying goodies to take back to our friends in Bangalore. During this journey I had bonded with one of my closest friend a little more, We ended up making memories we knew we could talk about later and laugh at in the future, I had also gotten much closer to my grandparents and loved spending every bit of my time there with them .But most importantly, I had learnt to become a more confident person .

Amidst all the growth and buildings in the state of Qatar, there does exist a place where one can truly experience the culture of this land, ‘The Arabian culture’ at its best . Souq Wakif is situated in the heart of the city-Doha is is one of the most traditional places. Although this place is over a hundred years old it had been renovated in the year 2006 in order to prevent it from collapsing. One can find a lot of things which are native to the Qatari culture. From garments,handicrafts,food items till hookha’s everything is sold here at this market.

The word ‘Souq’ or ‘souk’ is an Arabic word which means a marketplace. This Souq was founded over a century ago and was a place where traders would often come and sell their goods.Even today, the main purpose of the souq is to provide us with goods at very subsidized rates making it one of the most busiest places. The quality offered is also very good. The Souq is situated near the sea which allowed traders from all the nearby areas to travel to this market place and trade their goods in the earlier days.
The Souq has been designed in the form of a maze usually leading to different areas making this an exciting challenge for the customers as they do not know what comes next. The shops are lined one next to the other in a small space and the building made out of bricks, They have also used a lot of Bamboo and palm trees after every area and often play cultural music in the background giving the area look more traditional and aesthetic feel. As we walk through these small paths we can hear shopkeepers trying to scream on the top of their voices and attract customers to buy products from their place only. Apart from shopping in the Souq, one can also check all the beautiful cafe’s and restaurants in this area which cater to a variety of cuisines ranging from Arabic to Italian. One can also rest in the boutiques hotels while enjoying a view of the sea from their rooms. They have also started a new section solely for animals and pets wherein exotic birds and small puppies are kept for people to play with and take home. The Souq also consists of centers which exhibit one of the finest traditional arts of this mesmerizing culture some of which date back to centuries!

December is one of the best month to visit the Souq as there are a lot of cultural activities that take place from Belly dancing to Sword fighting that happen after dawn. There are also a lot of circus shows that take place and a lot of amusement rides for the children to enjoy.

If you want to experience Qatari culture at its best do visit Souq Wakif. To have a one kind experience.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton