Okay, so here is a confession. I have never been a big fan of sunsets or sunrises and I’m not really sure why. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy them every now and then, but I have never felt the urge to walk distances or schedule my day specifically with the aim of making it to that special ‘sunset’ point.
Well, all that was true before I joined the Kerala Blog Express and met two special people, the crazy EDIN CHAVEZ and the awesome INMA GREGORIO.
Edin and Inma had two very different personalities and I was fascinated by them both but it was the traits they had in common that in a strange way resulted in this post. Two of the things that captivated me the most was their conversations in Spanish (which I couldn’t understand at all but still enjoyed a lot) and their love for sunsets.
Even if they had gone through a busy day and had seemingly given up to exhaustion by displaying a lack of enthusiasm for planned photo ops, the suggestion of watching the sun come down to meet the horizon and taking a few good shots would make them jump to their feet. To be honest, on the first evening at the Estuary Island in Poovar, I wasn’t really keen on shooting the sunset; I was just following the herd! But I am glad I did, as that ended up being my first step in a relationship with the flaming skies.
After the first evening, the quest became effortless. I just had to follow the crazy sunset hunters! They could sense sunsets and locate fantastic view points to shoot from. I was learning. I was falling in love.
While skimming through the photographs that I had shot during the Kerala Blog Express, I realized that I had made a journey of sunsets. Every photo took me back on the journey and memories flooded in. Here are ten of those sunset moments that made the Kerala experience so magical for me.
Local boys showing off their parkour skills at sunset. Location: Estuary Island, Poovar. Courtesy: Estuary Island Resort.
Staying at the Estuary Island Resort allowed us to soak in this brilliant sunset. Location: Estuary Island, Poovar. Courtesy: Estuary Island Resort.
Inma (aworldtotravel.com) doing what she loves the most; enjoying the sunset. Location Courtesy: The Leela Kovalam.
A fishing boat glides past as the dying sun paints the sky a fascinating pink. Location: Punnamada (Vembanad) Lake. Courtesy: Rainbow Cruises, Allepey.
The sunset turned out to be the icing on the cake after a fantastic boat ride spotting wild elephants, sambar deer and gaurs. Location: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Dramatic giant silhouettes of trees against the gradient sky at Wayanad. Location Courtesy: The Hill District Club, Wayanad.
The mesmerizing hills of the Western Ghats create a beautiful layered foreground for this sunset. Location: Wayanad. Courtesy: Vythiri Resorts.
A favourite of many sunset-chasing photographers, the Chinese fishing nets frame the sun as it rests on the horizon before taking the plunge. Location: Fort Kochi.
A fisherman tries his luck oblivious to the stunning shimmering water. Location: Edakkad Beach, Kannur. Courtesy: Malabar Cove Beach House.
This tiny gorgeous stretch of sand witnesses the most surreal crimson sunset every evening. Location: Edakkad Beach, Kannur. Courtesy: Malabar Cove Beach House.
So as you may have imagined, by the end of the KeralaBlogExpress road trip, my love for sunsets had slowly developed into an obsession and there are only two people to thank for this transformation, Edin and Inma. What better way to thank these amazing guys than to use the Spanish that I have learnt by listening to them (and a little help from Google Translate, obviously!).
Amigos, gracias por ser increíble.
(I do know a few more words in Spanish but then this isn’t really a post about my incredible command over the language!) 😉
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