BEACH TALES- 2 

We were the Legend Hunters: Sangeeth, Adarsh and I, but that day it was only the two of us: sangeeth and I. Adarsh was busy with his academic works. Once again our destination was Muzhappilangad—this time exclusively the sand stretch from the Muzhappilangad driving beach,  to Dharmadam, to see a piece of green land floating over the sea, nearby the shore, as if popped up from the sea bed, separated from the main land by just about fifty meters of sea water: the Dharmadam Islet. 

 We decided to start our walk from the driving beach. It was a really long way to the Islet, may be about five kilometers. We both got down at the bus stop in the Thalassery –Kannur High way, at Kulam Bazaar, (or the pond bazaar, if translated.) Then as planned we walked on to the Driving Beach. Our plan was to cross the whole distance to Dharmadam Islet walking through the beach. And we planned a great trekking experience for the future tourists who visit the shores of Dharmadam and Muzhappilangad to know this beautiful land more closely. We were glad for we were the ones to walk this route for the first time.

 But the Driving Beach infuriated us. Reckless driving on the beach has caused a great damage to the different varieties of sea creatures dwelling on the beach. There was a plan with Sangeeth that could help protecting the sea life on the shore and the nature. A large population of shell fish, star fish and crab varieties occupy the shore at least to a stretch of five to seven meters inside to the main land from the sea bed.

 As we walked on the shore towards Dharmadam, another sea shore village, we heard a honking from behind. A car was pacing at our direction. We slipped out of its way in time. It was close. About to hit us. We were close to death. Driving beach! It should be killing beach.

 Even though the beach is renowned world wide as a driving beach, there are no measures taken from the government to control or to regulate driving on Muzhappilangad beach. The government is blind. They can’t see the wealth hidden here, we both remarked.

 Muzhappilangad beach is remarkable for its possibilities in beach tourism and also back water tourism, a fact we would learn much later in the course of our trekking. But unfortunately the authorities never show interest in these ‘possibilities’. In India, it is not the possible for the private sector to make direct investments in beach tourism such as making beaches private properties. There are legal limitations. So there is a treasure, but no treasure hunters yet or at least, not in a big scale. The wealth is hidden, untapped.

 It gave both of us a nasty period of embarrassment to think of our paralyzed government. I was a bit more disturbed because of my writer's block. I wanted to react, to write, to announce the possibilities of the place, its charm, the bio-diversity, but my only weapon, my quill was lost somewhere in the confusion inside my mind and I was—blocked. Even my thoughts were hidden by a grey mist, just the color of the sea. It is pollution that caused the sea to appear in that color. But my mind was blurred due to confusion, probably. Does the confusion give rise to block or vice versa? Who knows? I think they are mutually related.

 We walked forward. There were no side walks. So we had to walk on the beach where we noticed many types of shell fish and tiny crabs, one of which looked like a tiny spider. I decided to call it a "spider crab". We missed Adrash, who could have satisfied our curiosity in knowing the exact scientific nomenclature for these creatures.

 We walked under the vast blue sky near the endless cadence of the waves, towards our destination. But Sangeeth had a plan, too about protecting the beach from harmful driving, as I mentioned earlier, about bringing in an Ethical Tourism.  

 (To be continued.)

Next in Beach Tales: How to Save a Dying Beach?