Nowhere more southerly

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When we arrived in Kanyakumari, I was not fully awake. And when I was fully awake, the train was completely empty. I struggled out into the morning sun, and embarked on the longest platform walk I've done in India.

Kanyakumari is at the southern tip of India, where the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea meet. Next landfall south, bar a few scattered islands, is Antarctica. It is a sacred place for Hindus, but I had come purely for its geographical significance.

Though the best viewing is to be had in April, when the setting sun and rising moon can be seen on the same horizon, I still wanted a sea-facing room, which I had to pay through the nose for.

The main sights here are just offshore on 2 rocks - one is a memorial to a Hindu reformer from the 19th Century, the other is a 40m high statue of a Tamil saint. Reaching these is only possible by ferry, which departs from the mainland when it is completely full, i.e. one-life-vest-per-fifty-people full. It's extremely hot down here, but the sea breeze keeps things at a reasonable temperature, and I ended up spending ages at the memorial, sitting in some shade and having my thinning hair ruffled by the wind. I also noticed a large church further east from my hotel.

I then caught the ferry to the rock bearing the statue. Unfortunately it looks as though the mainland is the best place from which to view the statue, as the viewing platform on the rock itself isn't large enough to give you a good angle.

Back on land, I went for a wander around the small town. It seems as though the place is much more geared towards domestic tourist traffic, as I was ignored by the various hawkers. After dinner, from my balcony I watched the fishermen heading off to sea in their open boats throughout the evening. There was still fishing-related activity on the beach when I turned in at 2AM, and a random scattering of winking lights out in the darkness, of those who had yet to come home.

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Photos

Offshore memorial
As seen from the offshore statue

Statue of saint
Close-up