Long weekend… the advantage of Kerala’s Minister of Education being Muslim! So what to do and how to make the most of it: another visit to Kanyakumari, India’s Land’s End, this time to experience the sunset!
Unfortunately, the Monsoon rains which have remained rather elusive in Kerala (or South of Trivandrum in any case) since they were first heralded in early June, came with a vengeance Friday morning and it was definitely umbrella weather… or actually not even an umbrella would have provided a wide enough shield. But we (A and I) were not going to be deterred by a little bit of inclement weather and, having our air conditioned car with driver arranged, set off not in the least worried by the distinct possibility that the sun might be hidden behind the clouds and sunset may be a little underwhelming. We wanted to get out and see the sights on the way, taking in the spectacular Western Ghats and the colourful lotus ponds (if you go at the right time of year this is, and Monsoon time is not the one). Just for a few hours we wanted to escape the dust, the noise and narrow-mindedness of the small hamlet of N. And this was an outing arranged by ourselves, so no hidden agendas to improve India on the cheap..
The journey was pleasant and went without any hiccups. The morning downpour had not made the roads treacherous. Well, not more than usual as our driver, being on the young side, took all the unnecessary and normal Indian risks and every time a car was approaching from the opposite side, felt this was indeed the best time to start an overtaking manoeuvre. We took our photo opportunities when traffic and the driver allowed..
And we eventually reached Kanyakumari… where the cloud deck remained firmly in place and was not showing any signs of budging. But we lived in hope that maybe we would get a little peek of the sun slowly sinking behind the waves and the horizon. Food vendors shared our optimism and were busy preparing snacks for the waiting crowds who slowly gathered on the promenade. Maybe it was not the usual throng of sunset gazers, but there were quite a few onlookers, all intent on enjoying the spectacle regardless of whether the sunset would show itself in all its splendour or not.
In the end, the sunset was a mere yellow blob in the sky sprinkling dazzling nuggets of gold on the turbulent waves. So although the sunset may not have lived up to expectations, it was just great to breathe in the sea air and listen to the crashing of the waves against the boulders peppering the shore. A satisfactory start to a long and relaxing weekend.
Lieve Round The World 