This is the first blog of a series, as my weekend travels from Bangalore to the state of Tamil Nadu were packed and jammed with more activities than I actually thought were possible. A dear friend and colleague, who is Indian (lived all over India) and has been living in the US for many years, is actually here for the entire month of September to see his parents and family, whom I was so excited to meet. He offered to host a visit for me to the southernmost part of India, and took me up and down the coastline of South India. You may have “visited India”, but you have not “seen India” until you see it “with an Indian”. Subhash was able to relate the history, “time the visits” to each location for best visuals, compare where we were in relation to other parts of India, in addition to being able to translate all of the surrounding conversations that I always “hear”, but never know what people are saying! (e.g. He was able to match the actual dialogue to the roadside drama I was hearing, as one of many examples. I KNEW there was a fascinating story behind what I was seeing and hearing!) Just the little things that provide a huge upgrade to your experience.
I arrived Friday evening in Trivandrum. Had an excellent dinner, caught up with Subhash a bit on what has been going on in the US, my life in India, etc and suddenly it was almost 10:30 PM by the time I started to head to bed. Quick note: We are planning to leave the next morning at 2AM! We have decided to head to Kanyakumari Beach, which is the most southern beach of India, bordering the Laccadive Sea. If you look at the map of India, you will see that this part of India is where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean “come together” on the map. The car leaves at 2AM sharp. I sleep in the backseat, and only wake up as we get there and it is time for sunrise. It is obviously pitch black dark and we are walking for about a quarter mile from the parking lot to the beach. Suddenly I hear the waves of the ocean, and it feels like I am in NC. We get to the actual beach and there are hundreds of people there. Some have travelled for 12 hours or more. This is quite an attraction. As you look towards the horizon, you can see small fishing boats leaving for the day. As the sun rises, people yell and cheer. I realize that I have never heard people yell and cheer upon seeing a sunrise. Everyone is so focused on the beauty of the surroundings, and living in the absolute moment. Definitely the most “beautiful” experience I have had while in India.
In the pictures, you will see the Thiruvalluvar Statue, 133 feet tall which is just a bit offshore, with the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. I tried to capture the volume of people that were visiting, and in last picture below, the energy and excitement of the crowd. Much more to come...!
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