This time i would like to post it like a travelogue. Yup! A time-bound travelogue! The journey goes as follows:-
16th April 2011: I started to Trivandrum from my workplace in northern-most part of Kochi-Angamaly in one of the boring trains-Venad. It travels 200 KM in 6 hours. Would you believe it??? 6 hours for 200 KM, stopping at each and every station, stopping and showing it benevolence to all those who are waiting for the train at so called stations (I tell you, in few places I didn’t see even platforms and those who got in, asked for lift and driver stopped I guess!). To add to its “speed” a person in the compartment got sick in between (cardiac arrest I guess), the passengers had to pull the chain, doctor, police & railway guard came. Once he was given primary medication, he wouldn’t mind to get off the train. The next thing I heard was the guard shouting- “GET OFF THE TRAIN YOU B@$!@#$%. I don’t want myself to be held responsible for your death!” My mind also shouted the same- “GET OFF THE TRAIN YOU B@$!@#$%” along with “AND F**K OFF TOO”. (Sorry, no offense meant on any sick person, but on his attitude!) The rest of the journey was peaceful and reached Trivandrum by 10.30. One of my friends came to pick me up. He forced me to stay at his house which was a score of Kilometres out of the city, but following my pressure he allowed me to take a room in a hotel and agreed to help me out. We reached a fairly descent hotel (from outside by the way!). On reaching the reception, the first words came in to my mind was- “God! This place is likely to be raided any second!” Yup you read it right. What I saw were few girls with shiny sarees, jasmine on their hair and paan in their mouth. (Psss....They were pro’s. Not professionals you dumbo! Prostitutes! Oh well professionals in this job i guess!). The man at the reception gave me a wicked smile, outside there was a Tata Sumo waiting with many “Ladies” and with their pimp-“Mr. Gentleman”. When I came to my senses I was the pillion rider of my friend’s bike. Then, we took another route and a room finally. My friend left after having a chat with me. And I slowly slept off.. Thus the day ends....
17th April 2011: early morning went to “Pazhavangadi” temple which was the prime reason i forced my friend for room in the city. The God-Mr.Ganesha is supposed to have immense power to remove obstacles i guess and i do strongly believe in Him.
Returned to room, vacated it and had breakfast at Thampanoor. Then, I took a pre-paid auto to Cotton-Hill school. (I know what you are thinking! What has school got to do with a travelogue right? Well what I have to tell you is-“READ FURTHER YOU DUMBO!!!”) So, I was there to write a test of ISRO. Thanks to my dear friend Jayakarishnan without whom I wouldn’t have known about this test and made this quick journey possible. The test came out to be very bad after which me and my friend parted. I went to another of my friend’s house where I had lunch. Then by around 3 I reached Thampanoor from where i took my bus to Kanyakumari. I wanted to see the sunset, but the bus driver made me use the “F” word very badly in my mind, n number of times. And in between the journey a down-pour came. I apologised to “Mr.Ganesh” (No! It’s not the driver’s name, I meant Lord Ganesha!)-for swearing and prayed to make the clouds disappear. I think He heard my prayer to some extent. On the way the places, though in the state of Tamilnadu resembles a lot of Kerala. The people also talk Tamil like the way I do-mixture of Malayalam and Tamil. Wait a minute! This place was a part of Kerala! You don’t know that story? Well here it is:-
Kerala had Kanyakumari with them while Tamilnadu had Palghat with them. They saw that Kanyakumari is attracting a lot of Tourists and is a huge income for Kerala state Government. So Tamilnadu forwarded a deal with Kerala to have Palghat and handover Kanyakumari to them. But why would Kerala listen. Tamilnadu had a few statistics which Kerala didn’t see
- Kerala already have Kumarakom, Alleppey, Thekkadi, Athirampilli and the list goes on... so why not hand over them Kanyakumari. Plus, Palghat has got Nelliyampathi, Silent valley, Malampuzha etc.
So, the scores are now in favour of Kerala right? Kerala-5 Tamilnadu-1
- Kerala loses all its timber, rubber, fishing, Triparappu falls etc
Score Kerala-5 Tamilnadu-6
- Tamilnadu losses all its paddy field and Tamil talking people in Palghat.
Score Kerala-10 Tamilnadu-6
- Kerala disagrees to give off Padmanabhapuram palace
Score Kerala-11 Tamilnadu-6
- Kerala creates a checkpost and sales tax check point at Walayar which ultimately turned out to be one of the sources of Income.
Score Kerala-20 Tamilnadu-6
- Tamilnadu loses all its AIDS patient of Palghat.
Score Kerala-20 Tamilnadu-10006!
Well, Tamilnadu already have Namakkal with them, they would not mind losing “few” AIDS patient.
By the time Kerala knew this, someone has already signed the trap (or Crap! whatever!). Now we can understand why Tamilnadu have an IIT as well as NIT there while we only have an NIT. (Wait, we have got IIM with us! F off! So what, we have already have given away Kanyakumari to them!)
So, jokes apart, I reached Kanyakumari, it was real joy to hear the roar of the sea. I tell you it is a real mix of geography. While facing the south, I was able to see clouds on my right i.e. west which made me unable to see the sunset. While on the left, i.e. on eastern side it was too clear with moon rising over the Vivekananda Rock. On seeing this, the song-“Pirappukkum Ella uyirukkum......... Uzhaithu vaazhvom!!!!” came on my lips (Yes the same Semmozhi song by ARR!) At that point of time I received call from friend at Trivandrum who wanted to know if I reached safe. Why? Only because it was raining there in Trivandrum. A few minutes later, I called my sister figure in Chennai and came to know that it was too hot there. The extremes were visible at Kanyakumari. After it got dark I entered the temple to see the “Amman” and her nose stud. Talking about the nose stud, there is a story behind the nose stud that ship used to wreck at Kanyakumari thinking it light house. (Even if it was a light house, which fools bring the ship so close to light house? No wonder they wrecked!)
So inside the temple I was keenly looking at the idol to see the stud, but I couldn’t. At that time I heard a lady on my left asking her Kid in Tamil-“Nikiiiii! Mookoothi paathaya, atho paaru!” (Meaning Nikiiiii! did you see the stud?) The kid replied-“Ahh! Yes!”
“What?” I asked me. I am sure that that kid doesn’t know even what a “Mookoothi” is. I felt like smacking that kid’s head and ask-“Unmai sollu! Mookkoothi paathaya?” (Tell the truth. Did you see the stud?) And the kid would cry. Just mere wish.
Same time the Malayalam version of the same happened on my right. “Da mone! Mookoothi kando?” Blah blah!
Sadly, I was not able to see the stud. The atmosphere is not filled with religious fervour but that of tourism. But the beauty of the Idol covers it. I came out and had my dinner.
Then, I took a bus to Marthandam. (See this is a place in Tamilnadu with name of King of Travancore-His Highness Marthanda Varma!). The lines of the song “Yen peru Meenakumaari, Yen ooru Kanyakumari” were on my lips. On the way I noticed a board of a hotel-“Anagha ‘Kudumba’ Hotel”.
“Kudumba hotel? They literally translated family hotel into Malayalam & Tamil. I was wondering what Family hotel means, maybe they serve only to families, or serve in a lot of families, or may serve food which help in creating family???? Still a mystery!!!!
I didn’t stay back, the reason for which will be told next day.
I took ‘A “U”-turn at the southern-most tip of India’
I took a room at Marthandam and slept nicely.
18th April, 2011: I woke up at 5, got ready by 6 and took a bus to Chitharaal Jain temple. This was the main reason for which I didn’t stay back at Kanyakumari. I had read that a bottle of water must be kept in stock as the Jain temple is up a small hill and no water is available there. Thank God I took one.
I was not able to see anyone climbing up, so asked an old lady if I could go there. She said I very well can. She asked if I am alone as if she was scared if I am going to commit suicide, out of love failure maybe? Why do people think, a man (sorry a Boy!) with improper shave has lost love and will commit suicide?
The moment I started climbing, the gravity started pulling me down. It’s just a small hill with about 15 minutes trekking. I reached top and the panoramic views were too good. My only disappointment was that I was the sole person on that hill. Yes not even a priest. I started feeling scary after spending around an hour on top. I took a few photographs, Climbed down and took a bus to Marthandam. I had my breakfast there. I took a bus to Trivandrum. Lunch with my friends and then came in train and now at home.
There ends the journey... Did I rush through the last part? “YAAAAAAAAWN! Am sleepy plus nothing exciting happened.......
