Day 7
Early morning start from Rameshwaram gave us a clear road with some state transport buses and some small trucks.
Villages are well marked on road and direction signs were quite frequent. Road was a two lane sans potholes.
We lost route for a short while near Tutticorin, but my friends being a Tamil helped us.
We touched AH43 again and then onwards we enjoyed the drive to the full extent.
Following photos should give you some hints of the view here.
We easily got a hotel right at the entry toll point in Kanyakumari. this a junction of two roads.
Here is a view from the hotel terrace.
Then, there were colours all the way till the sea.
Contrast should be surname of our country. Poverty where can not stop being colourful, being happy, being alive.
When I first saw Bibekananda rock, it was looking different than I saw it in the year 1983.
And then I realised, I have achieved my dream of driving till the end of India.
Statue of poet Thiruvalluvar. You can climb through stairs in this statue. I heard, people who climbed here at the time of Tsunami, got saved that fateful day. That's what my friend said there.
Bibekananda rock temple.
Tourist, one with less care about history and culture but for his own world.
View from Bibekananda rock.
A bunch of Bengali tourist climbed down to enjoy the open view of three oceans. I tried to see if there's really are any difference in colours of sea waters in Indian ocean or Bay of Bengal or in Arabian sea. but no difference was there. Yet I still remember there was colour differences when I saw it some decade back.
I could not stop taking photos from this point, as the railing was symbolizing my standpoint to start this journey and those splashes on that rock showed my joy to myself. Standing inside the meditation room on Bibekananda rock for less than a minute, I realised how much risk I had taken for my family and how calmly they followed my requests. All the pain of such long drives, uncertainties, troubles of staying in new place every alternate nights came back to me.
Still I am happy as I can see the same joy is their on their faces too. As it was achievement of the team.
Day 8
We went to kovalam next day. Road to Kovalam is okay inside Tamilnadu and were bad at some places too. We reached Poovar first to see back water. Poovar will gift you Green, lush yet deep Green. A Green that is so engulfing that you will see the river water as Green too although the sky is still Blue. Our boat took us through those narrow allies or water roads where trees, mangroves will almost touch you. You will see people taking bath on theNeyar river without bothering about your presence.
We had a Malayali lunch with various fries including fish, prawn, squids. It was a sumptuous and simple meal.
Slowly you will start feeling jealous of Malayalis as they are so lucky to have such a place for themselves. Kerala is like a small natural heaven, Kind of a disneyland for children. Poovar has a beach named golden beach. I liked this beach much more than so called famous Kovalam which we were about to see next.
We first were welcomed by touts, agents and then post arhuments, negotiations, we were greeted by this owl in a cage.
Life in Poovar seems pretty much like it was decades back. Except for vehicles and young generations (4 yrs to 18 yrs), things seems, didn't change. And being a Bengali, born and brought up in Kolkata, all those posters and wall writings of CPM party seems so familiar. Kerala I believe are devoid of middle age people as they are mostly living abroad. Even those "who cares who you are, as long as I am here" expressions of elders are familiar too. Those "I know it all, I read news papers everyday (and chat for the rest of the time)" expressions, gestures were seen in the by lanes, crossings, shops. While driving, I was enjoying those short split second clipping of actions and was making my own story based on them. I, as if was living their life through their stories.
I wish I had taken photos of those rolling roads in Poovar, where you will feel like staying for some weeks, at least.
These little boats, resting idle are must be for local travels. they symbolize a laid back smiley life to me, always.
If you can ever drive through Kerala, try to drive through little towns, villages. You will see a movie of your own yet that will actually be a collage of slice shots of Kerala too. And you probably will not be able to explain to others what have you seen: but can have a smile bubbling inside your mind, always.
This old man was walking by the riverside, we were probably non existent to him. And I saw a time through him. He crossed those trees as if they are just like some other buildings in our cities, he walked on grasses but didn't have to be careful like us in the city, he didn't care looking at us. He was content.
And so were these fellow, well some of them. Some are probably little inquisitive or possessive.
Some of these canals are so narrow that you will want to take off roof hatch of your boat, so that you can really touch them. Your hands will automatically go out to them.
Green has a certain temperament in Kerala. Like in Sikkim, they are permanent.
A close view of the canal and those trees. Our boatman said they are mangrove trees. I could not remember exactly how mangroves in Sundarban were, but atleast I didn't see those upward facing roots in Kerala.
The elephant rock in Poovar, a natural sculpture.
Although Kovalam is less than 20 km from Poovar, we took more than an hour to reach there as we lost our path on those wonderful rolling roads. Kerala is by the way heaven to bikers as well.
Kovalam will treat you like a smiling kid who was hiding behind the bed. It is kind of hidden within hills and is small. It is clean, well maintained and quiet. Those mountains on either end and one lighthouse will force you to change your mind to stay the whole day there. Life here seems to stall. Quite a lot of foreigner was there who I felt kind of having that pause, stalling of their life.
Some more photos of Poovar back water.
Shopp boat in Poovar, tourist were having drinks served from the boat shop.
Here, river Nayaar is merging with Arabian sea.
Departing views of Poovar.
Kovalam beach.
Lighthouse in Kovalam beach.
The atmosphere, attitude of Kovalam meets requirement of foreigners here. It is so laid back, end of the world, remote place on its own. Even you will fall trap. The narrow lane and a foreigner lady here bridges the difference between finish of those two walls. Juxtaposition of wealth-poverty, relaxation, tense burgain, sea and narrow lanes, colours of houses and simplicity of dresses of elders will constantly keep you surprised in Kovalam.
I do not know the logic of selling leather shoe/chappals in seaside, but he does. Definitely tourists buy them. May be to adore and attach ethnic India.
Just to proof my point that Kovalam is there to lay back, relax and enjoy doing nothing.
Early morning start from Rameshwaram gave us a clear road with some state transport buses and some small trucks.
Villages are well marked on road and direction signs were quite frequent. Road was a two lane sans potholes.
We lost route for a short while near Tutticorin, but my friends being a Tamil helped us.
We touched AH43 again and then onwards we enjoyed the drive to the full extent.
Following photos should give you some hints of the view here.
We easily got a hotel right at the entry toll point in Kanyakumari. this a junction of two roads.
Here is a view from the hotel terrace.
A graphical staircase for a house beside Balaji restaurant in Kanyakumari.
My friend pampered us a lot. He stood in the queue to buy boat tickets for Bibekananda rock, while we roam in those residential places to see how people live there.
Two young boy welcomed us first.
We walked to a fishermen's establishment. It was another lazy afternoon for ladies.
Contrast should be surname of our country. Poverty where can not stop being colourful, being happy, being alive.
When I first saw Bibekananda rock, it was looking different than I saw it in the year 1983.
And then I realised, I have achieved my dream of driving till the end of India.
My friend called us when were they close to the counter. Post two hours cue, we still had to wait for the 2nd boat for another 15 minutes. A lovely view of boats placed and painted like a pallet of colours.
Statue of poet Thiruvalluvar. You can climb through stairs in this statue. I heard, people who climbed here at the time of Tsunami, got saved that fateful day. That's what my friend said there.
Bibekananda rock temple.
Tourist, one with less care about history and culture but for his own world.
A bunch of Bengali tourist climbed down to enjoy the open view of three oceans. I tried to see if there's really are any difference in colours of sea waters in Indian ocean or Bay of Bengal or in Arabian sea. but no difference was there. Yet I still remember there was colour differences when I saw it some decade back.
I could not stop taking photos from this point, as the railing was symbolizing my standpoint to start this journey and those splashes on that rock showed my joy to myself. Standing inside the meditation room on Bibekananda rock for less than a minute, I realised how much risk I had taken for my family and how calmly they followed my requests. All the pain of such long drives, uncertainties, troubles of staying in new place every alternate nights came back to me.
Still I am happy as I can see the same joy is their on their faces too. As it was achievement of the team.
Day 8
We went to kovalam next day. Road to Kovalam is okay inside Tamilnadu and were bad at some places too. We reached Poovar first to see back water. Poovar will gift you Green, lush yet deep Green. A Green that is so engulfing that you will see the river water as Green too although the sky is still Blue. Our boat took us through those narrow allies or water roads where trees, mangroves will almost touch you. You will see people taking bath on theNeyar river without bothering about your presence.
We had a Malayali lunch with various fries including fish, prawn, squids. It was a sumptuous and simple meal.
Slowly you will start feeling jealous of Malayalis as they are so lucky to have such a place for themselves. Kerala is like a small natural heaven, Kind of a disneyland for children. Poovar has a beach named golden beach. I liked this beach much more than so called famous Kovalam which we were about to see next.
We first were welcomed by touts, agents and then post arhuments, negotiations, we were greeted by this owl in a cage.
We still some more time before the boat comes, so we for once took a group photo with the help from the same agent.
I wish I had taken photos of those rolling roads in Poovar, where you will feel like staying for some weeks, at least.
These little boats, resting idle are must be for local travels. they symbolize a laid back smiley life to me, always.
If you can ever drive through Kerala, try to drive through little towns, villages. You will see a movie of your own yet that will actually be a collage of slice shots of Kerala too. And you probably will not be able to explain to others what have you seen: but can have a smile bubbling inside your mind, always.
This old man was walking by the riverside, we were probably non existent to him. And I saw a time through him. He crossed those trees as if they are just like some other buildings in our cities, he walked on grasses but didn't have to be careful like us in the city, he didn't care looking at us. He was content.
And so were these fellow, well some of them. Some are probably little inquisitive or possessive.
Some of these canals are so narrow that you will want to take off roof hatch of your boat, so that you can really touch them. Your hands will automatically go out to them.
Green has a certain temperament in Kerala. Like in Sikkim, they are permanent.
A close view of the canal and those trees. Our boatman said they are mangrove trees. I could not remember exactly how mangroves in Sundarban were, but atleast I didn't see those upward facing roots in Kerala.
It is dead, already.
The elephant rock in Poovar, a natural sculpture.
Although Kovalam is less than 20 km from Poovar, we took more than an hour to reach there as we lost our path on those wonderful rolling roads. Kerala is by the way heaven to bikers as well.
Kovalam will treat you like a smiling kid who was hiding behind the bed. It is kind of hidden within hills and is small. It is clean, well maintained and quiet. Those mountains on either end and one lighthouse will force you to change your mind to stay the whole day there. Life here seems to stall. Quite a lot of foreigner was there who I felt kind of having that pause, stalling of their life.
Some more photos of Poovar back water.
Shopp boat in Poovar, tourist were having drinks served from the boat shop.
Golden beach in Poovar.
Here, river Nayaar is merging with Arabian sea.
Kovalam beach.
view of Kovalam beach from parking lot.
Lighthouse in Kovalam beach.
The atmosphere, attitude of Kovalam meets requirement of foreigners here. It is so laid back, end of the world, remote place on its own. Even you will fall trap. The narrow lane and a foreigner lady here bridges the difference between finish of those two walls. Juxtaposition of wealth-poverty, relaxation, tense burgain, sea and narrow lanes, colours of houses and simplicity of dresses of elders will constantly keep you surprised in Kovalam.
I do not know the logic of selling leather shoe/chappals in seaside, but he does. Definitely tourists buy them. May be to adore and attach ethnic India.
Just to proof my point that Kovalam is there to lay back, relax and enjoy doing nothing.
View of lighthouse from its base.
Parting view of Lighthouse beach from base of lighthouse. We drove back from here to Kanyakumari.
Roads and drivers in Kerala are horrible if you are driving at night and need to drive fast. Nobody listens to your horn, and acts like a jealous child by blocking your free passage on the right of the road even it means taking their own car to the right and keep the whole left side.....empty.
We reached Kanyakumari at around 10 pm. We had started at 6 from Kovalam. 4 hours it took for us to drive 90 kilometers.
We were to leave Kanyakumari for Bengaloru tomorrow.
Wonderful,. Simply wonderful. But in some of the photographs i felt the saturation is too much.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anindya. Saturation boost are intentional to highlight India's colour contrasts. These photos are sometimes turned towards documenting India too.
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