Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Three oceans

Kanyakumari sits at India's southernmost point,  and gets its fame from being the place where the Arab Sea,  the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal meet. People say that only here you can see dawn and sunset at the same point, a statement that needs so much qualification that it really doesn't mean much. Still, Kanyakumari is a pleasant city with lots to see: a gleaming big cathedral, two islands with a temple and a huge statue, a Kumari temple that would be an appropriately gloomy setting for a Lara Croft movie,  and lots of markets and restaurants.  Interestingly, there are many Indian tourists but few westerners.

We got there by train,  another very Indian experience. It's crowded yet cavernous,  the windows are small and barred,  and partially covered with what looks like blast shutters. A lot of iron goes into these trains. Ours had over twenty cars, it looked endless.