Rained Out In Wayanad

Early monsoons prod a writer to discover the petroglyphs of Edakkal Caves and stories of the region's oldest tribes

- Sudha Pillai

Adventure begins where your well-laid-out travel plans end. And mine lay crumpled at my feet, trampled upon by nature. Monsoons had arrived a tad early in Wayanad. The leeches weren’t prowling yet, and the mountains were dark and mysterious even mid-morning. The waterfalls were frothing and menacingly beautiful. The ground had already turned a slippery reddish-brown. In between showers, oil and grease built up on the tar roads hugging the boundaries of vast tea plantations and spice gardens. Yes, monsoons had checked in at Wayanad, and everything was glistening. Also, the popular spots were shut.

“Chembra Peak is closed for the monsoons,” said Sajan Padikkera Suresh, my host at Camellia homestay. “So is Soochipara falls and Kuruvadweep island.” They were top three on my list of things to see in Wayanad.

I sipped my second cup of coffee in the partially covered terrace of the two storey homestay, a stout, pink building inside a coffee plantation overlooking Chembra Peak. The mountain, renowned for trekking, played peek-aboo with low-hanging clouds.

“However, Edakkal is open,” said Suresh. As three doors closed, another seemed to be opening.

THE STONE IN BETWEEN

A 45-minute drive took me to Edakkal Caves, situated on the western slope of Ambukuthi Hills. The caves are 4,000 feet above sea level. That meant a roughly 30-minute walk up a steep pathway (at points I felt like a mountain goat on a 90-degree rock face) and climbing over 300 steps. It was like a stairway to heaven, and a pleasant climb—monsoon showers resulted in fewer tourists and ideal weather for the strenuous trek.

Edakkal comprises of an upper and lower cave. The lower cave is closed to the public since a rock fell to the ground after the 2018 floods in Kerala. “Its safety will be thoroughly studied before reopening,” an employee informed me.