Kanyakumari Trip: The Road to Kanyakumari

The blog is turning into “updated once in a month” category..Well didn’t find anything worth blogging..Unlike the previous posts this time I am making it a bit more personal. I had gone for a Kanyakumari trip last week and so have decided to blog about the trip. I have been living at Trivandrum for 4 long years and have not gone for many outings during this time( I mean to places which are nearby). Everyone from our house wanted to go for a trip to kanyakumari but it never happened .. We had made the plans many a time but it never “happened”..Finally it happened last week and I learned a lesson-The trips don’t happen if u plan them too early..We decided to go for the trip on Wednesday and went on Friday. Such quick planning is the best way to go for a trip. Just pack your bag and go.

So we are ready to go for the trip..4 from my house Vivek, Sharath ,Varun and me..Two other friends Shabeer and Mujeeb joined to make the total 6. They arranged a car and Mujeeb was to do all the driving. As per schedule we started at 9.15 in the morning. I noted down all the timings in the morning newspaper –“save trees, use less paper” . After a light breakfast and filling diesel we started the journey..We just moved 1-2 kms when Sharath thought it was high time the music system came to the scene.. The first was a Tamil song “Kattippudi kattippudidaa” (one “hell” of a song for me, actually)..But since such a fast song was too unavoidable for others I decided to try enjoying it..Suddenly I missed Chandu(my room mate) very much..This song is one of his favourites and I really missed his presence all during the tour..But still the tour was great..

10:00 am : Shabeer has gained his form..Started with his bunch of comments and jokes..Mujeeb is going fast and Sharath reading the sign boards well to know the routes to take..Its 10.55 now and we have crossed the Tamil Nadu borders. The “Welcome to Tamil Nadu. Enjoy 56 % reduced (??) roaming rates now.” sms was delivered to our mobiles. I noted down the place- “Kuzhitura”. Still the sign boards were in Malayalam and English and we did not have problems knowing the directions. But it was not to be so, as we were soon to realise. Our first destination was “Pathmanabhapuram Palce” at Thakkala ( the one shown in 'Manichithrathazhu'). Without much difficulty we found the place where we had to take the deviation from the main road. Thus we reached the palace at around 11.15. The palace was much more magnificent than my expectations. The architectural beauty was beyond description. We roamed around the palace relating every place to the scenes of Manichithrathazhu. Having seen the movie more than 25 times, I could say which shots were at which place quite easily. There were people to describe each and every room about their purpose and all. I liked the room where the famous “Oru murai vanth parthaya” was shot. Another place was where the song “Varuvanillarumee” is shot. A long corridor where you can see your reflection on the floor. When I saw the movie I thought it was because they had sprinkled water all over the place that they got that mirror effect.. We took a lot of snaps there Varun being the photographer..I was really wondering why I havent seen a beautiful girl yet..(Kaanan kollavunna penkuttikal tourinu pokku nirthiyo eeshwaraa !!) And then….. This paragraph is getting too big; let me move to the next ;-)

And then , I saw her..The most beautiful girl I had seen that day (Strictly speaking the title of “most beautiful” was to remain till the afternoon only, hehe). I was relieved. So the beautiful girls have not stopped going for tours.(Samadhanamayi..) As there were no more of the above mentioned category to be found anywhere at the palace I decided to watch her.(Njan oru vann vaayanokki alla tto..Plz don’t misunderstand me ;-D ). We moved around the palace always sticking to the gentlemen attitude “ladies first”. Or to put it more frankly “beautiful ladies first”. Even though I watched the girl now and then, I never forgot the scenic extravaganza offered by the palace. I really envied the kings who lived there. What a great place to live in. With each nook and corner of the palace gleaming with uniqueness in one way or other, it would be the best home one could have. Atleast I felt so. As Sharath exclaimed “It would have been easy for the people who lived here to spend time. Start walking at one end of the palace and by the time you finish you will have spent a large part of the day!! Simple.” . We didn’t think of the time that passed by. By the time we were out of the palace and completed a quick walk around the archeological museum it was 12.45. Vivek reminded that if we cannot reach Kanyakumari by 3 we wont get a boat to the Vivekananda rock. So we dropped the idea of having lunch there. After having a small refreshment we all got in to the car and started to Kanyakumari..(Mujeebe vittoo..3 maNik ethaNam) .

Now if I don’t mention Mujeeb’s driving expertise it would be a big mistake. He was really fast and at the same time very cautious. I was wondering why the Tamil Nadu roads were so clean..After having travelled to Madurai during our s3 trip I really had the notion on how the TN roads were..But this time the roads are clean!!! We didn’t have to wait too long..The roads started showing their real nature. Whatever I had thought in praise of the progresses in cleanliness of the TN people was flown down the drain..Old Chankaran still on the coconut tree..("Pandathe chankaran thengumme thanne" ,hehe). Considering the fact that Mujeeb was driving at 90 kmph(not a tint of exaggeration in mention of the speed) we were sure to make it easily before 3 and get there before the boat service stopped. Now to our dismay the rain clouds were starting to show . By the time Vivek finished saying that the trip would be spoiled if it rained, it had started to rain and that too quite heavily. Was this going to be the sad end of a much awaited Kanyakumari trip?? No way..It was destined to happen this time..The rain stopped soon and the skies opened up and after a few more kilometres it was again bright sunlight. And the sign boards were encouraging too..We were nearer and again the roads were in the best of their conditions as Mujeeb would prefer it. The car started gaining speeds again and I was now looking at the speedometer . Frankly, I am little bit afraid of high speeds. But then I saw that the others were not at all concerned of the speeds. So I kept watching at the speedometer without saying anything. And finally it happened..The meter showed the 100kmph mark..No comments on that coz speed is still increasing and I saw 110 kmph..The only thought in my mind,though I didn’t mention it to anyone then , was to reach there quickly so that I could get out of the car soon. And to my great relief the first signs of the Kanyakumari town were showing up. Its 2 pm and we saw the Kanyakumari railway station. Soon I could see the sea right ahead. We parked the car by the roadside and got down. Now to the boat jetty to get a boat to Vivekananda rock..This is the end of the beginning..