When a Rainy Night Took Us to Calicut: A Journey We Won’t Forget

Travels always hit different, especially when you’re not prepared. Not gonna lie, every trip leaves behind a handful of memories — some that make you laugh, some that give you life lessons, and some that just stay as unforgettable chaos.

So, it was a random Thursday when we suddenly got an email saying we were shortlisted for an interview for the Top 20 Indian Student Innovators team. Yeah, totally unexpected. The interview? Well, it had the perfect mix of chill vibes and mild tension — the kind where you smile outside but your stomach’s doing backflips wondering if you’ll make it.

Here’s the real twist: the main event was on June 14th, but we didn’t get any confirmation until literally the day before — June 13th noon. And guess what? We had to report at the venue by 9:00 AM on June 14th. Panic? Oh yes. Train tickets? Obviously sold out. But we’re student innovators, right? We don’t panic (too much), we just book a KSRTC bus and call it an adventure.

We grabbed the last available KSRTC bus — 13th June at 9:20 PM, set to reach Calicut by 4:20 AM. We reached the Changanassery KSRTC stand by 9:00 PM, and of course, the heavens decided it was the perfect time to pour down. Our bus was delayed by 20 minutes, thanks to the rain. But finally, by 9:40 PM, the bus showed up, and our sleepless, rain-soaked journey began.

Now, let’s talk about the driver — the guy was straight out of a Fast & Furious sequel. Rain? Slippery roads? Who cares. He had the confidence of someone who could drive blindfolded. The roads? Oh, Kerala’s roads are "officially" smooth, but during that ride, we experienced every bump, curve, and geographical depression possible. Our bodies were basically maracas by the end.

Sleep? What’s that? The driver made sure no one on the bus even thought of dozing off. Between the potholes and his rally-style driving, we were wide awake the whole time. To add spice, we got stuck in a 2-hour traffic jam near Koratty. Lovely, right? But hey, it was still raining and we were vibing, so no complaints.

At one point, we dozed off for a bit — only to wake up suddenly when the bus hit a scooter. Nothing major, just a little love tap. And no drama, thankfully, since it was the scooter guy’s fault. Finally, by 6:20 AM, we reached Calicut KSRTC Station, after a solid 9-hour marathon.

We had pre-booked a hotel just 1 km away, reached there by 6:45 AM, freshened up, and started prepping for our presentation. By 8:30 AM, we left for the venue (about 11 km away), and reached there by 9:00 AM — only to find that, surprise surprise, the event hadn’t started yet. Classic.

By 10:00 AM, things finally kicked off. I was dead tired by then, having slept a total of zero hours over the past two days. So naturally, I passed out on my chair during the speeches — a good 30-minute nap that felt like 3 seconds. After that, presentations began, and the real excitement started. We got to meet some amazing founders, startup people, and fellow innovators. It was electric.

Our team’s presentation? Of course, we were the last ones. And we hadn’t eaten anything since morning. To make it worse, there were no shops nearby, and when lunch was finally served — let’s just say, not every Calicut catering service lives up to the legend. We’ve tasted Calicut’s best before, so that lunch was a real letdown.

The event continued with talks, discussions, presentations… the whole startup circus. By 6:00 PM, we were finally done with our pitch.

Exhausted but relieved, we decided to enjoy the Calicut vibe a bit. The beach was calling.

But nope, the universe had other plans. There were barely any autos. So, we started walking in the rain, and after a kilometer, managed to catch one. But halfway through, the driver casually said, “Not interested anymore,” and dropped us at a random junction. Okay then. Picked another one, got caught in traffic, and finally reached the hotel by 7:00 PM.

At 7:30 PM, we started our 2 km night walk to Calicut Beach.

It was raining, the sea was wild, but the vibe was everything.

We tried the beach food — and wow.

Every vendor served food with such love. We chatted with them, made some friends, and just soaked in the warmth of Calicut.

And yes, no Calicut trip is complete without a visit to Rahmath Biriyani. It was 3 km from the beach, and yes, we walked. Through the rain. At night. Low visibility, tired legs, but full hearts. We got our biriyani, explored the iconic Muttayi Theruvu, picked up Calicut halwa, grabbed a few snacks and Pepsi, and walked back 7.5 km in total. Wild? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

By 9:15 PM, we were back, had our royal biriyani dinner, and crashed. Because, guess what? Our return KSRTC was at 8:50 AM.

Next morning, I was up by 5:00 AM, packed, woke up the boys, and we checked out by 7:45 AM. After breakfast, we reached the KSRTC station by 8:15 AM and boarded our return bus. This time, we had front seats — slightly better.

There was a sweet family on the bus, and they instantly clicked with the driver. The guy could drive like a pro and hold non-stop conversations like a podcast host. Turns out, he cleared the PSC exam to get this job. A true multitasker with the vibe of a motivational speaker. He deserves his own TED Talk.

We stopped for breakfast by 10:30 AM, but we skipped it — budget constraints and all that. Still had our snacks and Pepsi. Rain? Still going strong. We reached Angamaly by 3:00 PM, stopped for lunch (which we also skipped), and by 6:00 PM, finally reached back at Changanassery.

That 9-hour return trip was as memorable as the journey to Calicut. Different routes, different vibes, same destination — and both trips taught me something. Sometimes, when life gives you chaos, just pack a bag, say yes, and hop on the bus. You might end up tired, soaked, hungry… but you’ll always come back with a story.

So yeah, two trips to Calicut, two different stories. One by train (Click here to read that) , one by KSRTC. But this one? This one was something else.

Until the next travelogue — keep vibing and keep exploring.