30 Dec Creative Musings
My Travel Diary
— Vijayapriya Gokul
By writing this blog, I am taking a trip down memory lane to reminisce the days spent at the southern tip of India.
I always wanted to visit the southern tip of the Indian sub-continent, that is, Kanyakumari. Glad that my wish was fulfilled this year.
Train journey versus flight journey
Though I have visited Kerala multiple times before, this trip is more memorable because we chose to travel by train. In the past, we used to travel by car or by flight.
There are many advantages of a train journey over a flight journey.
Firstly, nobody asks you to either switch off your mobile phone or turn on the flight mode. You continue using all the applications and connect with people by sending live messages. Moreover, if it is mealtime, you can order your food online and get it delivered to your seat.
Secondly, you can surpass all the security checks and the long waiting time at the gate to board the flight. During the journey, you can engage yourself in any of the following activities before taking a long nap: sit comfortably or walk through the compartment, gaze at the window, strike a conversation with a co-passenger, or read a book. At times, you will also get a shopping experience from the small vendors, who sell books, vegetables, or artifacts.
Thirdly, there is always a chance for the people who have come to see you off to sit next to you inside the train, chat with you, and leave a sendoff note before deboarding the train once it starts moving. Someone can also arrive at the destination, help you with your luggage right from inside the train, and give you a warm welcome.
Lastly, the rhythm and the rocking motion of the train can put you into an undisturbed, sound sleep.
If you take a survey, on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the highest score, train journey will score anywhere between 9 and 10. Or, it will get a five-star rating, undoubtedly.
Poovar
We reached Thiruvananthapuram the next day around noon. We hired a taxi to embark on a journey to our resort at Poovar.
Poovar is an island laden with many natural, beautiful scenery. We had our lunch in the resort, freshened up and then set out on a boat ride to explore the beauty of the backwaters. The cool breeze, the serene water, the aquatic plants, and the lives of the people on the backwaters made me realize the fact that Kerala is a thin slice of heaven on earth.
Temple visit
The next day, we planned to visit Padmanabhaswamy temple. It is one of the oldest temples in India that was built by Raja Marthanda Varma. This temple has created quite a stir in the recent past after the discovery of the secret vaults and its hidden treasures. You have to go through three doors to pay respect to the deity, who is in Ananda Sayanam. However, it is dark inside and the devotees could hardly visualize the deity residing in the sanctum sanctorum in the light of small lamps.
After the darshan, we had a glimpse of the city and did some shopping on our way back to the resort. We checked out of the resort the next morning and started our journey to Kanyakumari, which is about 160 kms from Thiruvananthapuram.
Two hours later, we reached the prebooked resort with a beautiful beach view.
Sunrise and sunset
The next day was the most awaited day of this trip. A day that was planned to see the fabulous sunrise.
I was taken by surprise to see a huge crowd gathered at the Sunrise point before 5 o’ clock in the morning. All were patiently waiting for the sun to rise.
Though the event lasted for about a minute, it was indeed a visual treat. Before the sunrise, the sky was painted beautifully in different shades of pastel orange and pink for every couple of seconds.
Later, the spherical ball of fire slowly started emanating from behind the clouds and began radiating its golden rays.
Once again, the sky was painted in different hues.
Likewise, the sunset was also magical.
I clicked pictures of the bountiful beauty of the southern tip of India and saved those in my memory to cherish for a lifetime.
About the Author
Vijayapriya Gokul is a Technical Writer who has worked on multiple domains, such as Publishing, ERP, CRM, Aero, Networking, and so on. Has handled variety of documents including Release Notes, Online Help, software & hardware product documentation, and more. Passionate about learning new things that help to grow, build a career path, and stay ahead of the curve. Some of her other interests are traveling, reading books, and blogging.
Current Role: Technical Lead
Company: HCL Technologies
City: Bengaluru, India
Connect at LinkedIn
No Comments