After a second day of 5-7hr bus journeys I reached Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India, from Kodaikanal, in the Western Ghats (hills, at 2000m). Civil disturbances over the Mullapperiyar dam issue between Tamil Nadu and Kerala had closed roads and prevented a trek across the border to Munnar. Keralans are worried the 100yr old dam might burst and cause disaster, as helpfully dramatised by a current movie “Dam 999”, whilst Tamils depend on the water from the dam for much of their supply, and fear terrible drought if it is to be rebuilt.
My room in the state run TTDC hotel has several lizards in. The sea view is serene, but it’s humid. I head to the typically dingy a/c bar and get a beer, served with several complimentary tapas, as customary. It’s a Sandpiper, better than the ubiquitous Kingfisher, or super strength 10,000 bar staff seem eager for me to take. Bars are a totally male preserve, other than tourists, nearly always in basements with no natural light. Sometimes they have quirky themes, like ‘Wild West’ or ‘Apollo 6’, and often more staff than customers, though service is still slow. But after 7hrs hurtling down the country in a suspension-less bus it’s worth it for a cold beer.
Kanyakumari is full of groups of male pilgrims in orange or black dhotis (loin cloths, as Gandhi wore) and holiday makers. The streets are lined with market stalls. An island with a colossal statue is just off shore, sun too bright to make out any detail, Indian tourists swim and play in the sea, some make devotions. It’s very hot, despite being winter. There’s an ancient pillared granite sun shelter, though during summer the rock must get too hot to touch. I check out and catch the 1030 train to Trivandrum, capital of Kerala.
