Travel in India
Travel in India
It is 6 in the morning and I stumble out of my hotel room still groggy mumbling to myself that it better be worth it. I am in Kanyakumari, having arrived just a couple of hours earlier as part of a packaged tour from Madurai. The tour promises a full day of temple visits in and around the town, breakfast, lunch and shopping. But that's not the reason I booked the tour, it is the cheapest transport available to me from Madurai to Kanyakumari and it promised to get us in town by early dawn for its highlight attraction, the sunrise.
Kanyakumari has built a formidable tourist industry around sunrise and sunsets alone. There are a many hotel and tours that promise the best views by the beach and the peak season for this mini-industry is in April, when on a full moon's night, one can see the moon rise and the sunset simultaneously. What makes it special is the "V" shaped coastline provide stunning panoramic view of the converging Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean that cups itself around the coastline. It is at the beach, our first tour stop, where I abandon my fellow tour travelers and the gruff guide to make my way towards the jetty to soak in the rising sun.
Having arrived at the beach just before the crack of dawn, the first burst of color takes care of my grogginess: the black curtain of the night slowly turns into a brilliant pink, with shades of purple. I pause at brief intervals between my trek to the edge of the jetty to admire the rising sun and the ever changing colors of the sky. I finally make my way to the edge of the jetty and find myself with a motley group of students, other backpackers and local tourists all sitting around and enjoying the cool morning breeze and the warm light. It is quiet except for the sound of the gentle waves and the distant chatter of the fishermen in their boats. I get a bit contemplative as I'm reminded that I am at the very spot that was one of the hard hit areas of the violent tsunami of 2004 that must've punctured the calm and beauty of that particular morning.
As a kid I was always fascinated by Kanyakumari, partly because it was known as the grand tip of the sub-continent and an exit into the great beyond. As I slowly make my way back to the shore, the rapidly climbing sun announcing a new day has woken the quiet streets. The fish market on the beach is full of early morning catch and buzz and further down school children running along and the smell of breakfast invite me. Not a bad way to start the day at the very end of India. Summer Time Trip Destinations with a Give Consideration to Families Kerala Tour – Experience the Land of Wonderful Attractions in India Hammersmith celebrities EcoFirst Can Help Against Summer's Worst Pest: Mosquitoes Exotic Honeymoon Destinations for Adventurous Newlyweds Ching Ming 2010 to protect the approach of understanding of forest fire prevention safety - fire safety festival, Ching Ming Festival, forest fires, Top 3 Island Honeymoon Destinations My trip to the Miami office The Economic Climate in UK: Is it Conducive for UK Company Formation? Avoiding the ‘Christmas shopping rush' this 2010 Budget Hotels for Sanya Holidays Comparison between Honda Activa and Hero Honda Pleasure Nail Polish Trends For Summer 2010