Situated over a vast stretch of beachfront property, once dry land, is a beautiful expanse of a 26-hectare farm thriving with lush vegetation, featuring a scenic view of the clear sea of Zambales. Tucked within its green surroundings rests a lovely abode that serves as the main artery of Zambawood. For all its visual gifts showcasing modern architectural design and stylish interiors, there is a remarkable tale of origin that needs to be known. The first time I met Rachel Harrison, I immediately noticed the marvel in her eyes while she narrated the inspiration behind Zambawood.

Before my trip to Sri Lanka, I had some trepidation about traveling solo to this teardrop-shaped island nation reeling from a brutal civil war. But the excitement of ascertaining the unfamiliar triumphed over my lingering doubts, and a few days before I headed out to Kuala Lumpur for my connecting flight to Colombo, I learned about the “Cultural Triangle”—of which Sigiriya (which I'm familiar with because of the Duran Duran music video for "Save a Prayer") is a part.

The state of Kerala is no stranger to being the centerpiece of a spectacular narrative. I remember back in college reading Arundhati Roy’s “God of Small Things”, in which a town called Ayemenem first brought my imagination to the existence of the famed Kerala backwaters, where intertwining lakes and lagoons running parallel to Malabar Coast offers a different glimpse of life in this tropical part of India. A year removed from my month-long exploration of the northern part of India that took me to places in Kolkata, Varanasi, Agra, and New Delhi to the state of Rajasthan and then to Mumbai, I welcome the opportunity of visiting this nation of almost a billion souls for the second time, as part of the #KeralaBlogExpress.