Kanyakumari

Our trip down to the very sourthern tip of India - Kanyakumari - brings us back into Tamil Nadu. As we approached there were dramatic mountains to the east of us and some beautiful scenery...although the population density of India is truly staggering, as there are short distances between one crowded town and the next. We checked into our hotel, which was to our satisfaction and has a stunning view of the convergence of the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Indian ocean to the south. We sat in armchairs watching the tides converge, the birds soar, and the boats bob...with a view of the Swami Vivekananda temple, built on a rock and a huge statue on another rock of someone whose name I can't spell (sorry...so much to see, so little time). We drove to a location to see the sunset - that and sunrise (which we are supposed to be able to see from our room...but it was too overcast6 today) being the primary attractions of Kanyakumari.

Fortunately the sea is beautiful, because, as I had been warned, the town itself is not very appealing. In some ways, it's remarkable to me that we have been in India for a month and have seen almost no beggars and have rarely been accosted by aggressive hawkers selling trinkets, etc. The streets nearby and the market stalls are crowded with such activities and I am not sorry that our exposure to this aspect of India has been limited.

This morning we visited the Gandhi memorial in Kanyakumari - constructed in such a way that the building has architectural aspects that resemble a Christian church, a Hindu temple, and a Muslim mosque. The aged guide insisted on a detailed tour for us Westerners. Gandhi's ashes were held in this memorial until they were distributed and scattered. The building has a hole in the roof designed for the sun to shine down a on the spot where his ashes were held on his birthday (October 2) each year.

We had an amazing spectacle last night - better than the sunset - when we dropped Neel at the Vivekananda ashram where he is staying. IT was dusk and the crows were gathering to roost for the night. The sound of their cawing was raucous as they attempted to find their perches for the night. I took a short video, which I will try to post when I get home.

A nice conversation on the boat ride back from the Vivekananda memorial this morning. I was speaking to a young man who asked where I was from and how I was enjoying my visit to India. When I told him that the Indian people were the friendliest people I had encountered anywhere I'd traveled, he responded that this was the highest compliment that the country could receive. He went on to say that while the country is very overcrowded, its people are its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. I concur!

Separate post will give our final itinerary changes.