Just 45 minutes South of Varkala is the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram (or Thrivandrum for short). My friend Helena and I headed there on Wednesday. We arrived around mid-day, found a hotel and set out accross the city. One of our first stops was a restaurant which serves South Indian ‘thali’. After a delicious meal, and even better coffee, we were in a great mood.

We took an auto rickshaw down to a palace, which still belongs to the Travancore royal family. We went for a tour. For a palace it is more comfortable than flambouyant. It is two stories high, and is made of wood — much of which is beautifully carved. While there, we found out that there was to be a concert on the grounds from 6-9 that evening. We decided to stay for the concert and went for a walk.
The concert was a South Indian Vocal concert given by Prince Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma of the royal family. He was accompanied by a violin, a two-sided drum called a ‘mridangam’ and a ‘ghatam’ (a large clay pot). The stage was a porch of the palace. The musicians were surrounded by dozens of ail lamps.
When the concert started, I didn’t much like the Prince’s voice, and thought it would be a long three hours. Soon, however, I was riveted. All the musicians were very talented, and his voice proved equally amazing. A short time into the concert, everybody stood as the Maharaja arrived. Later, the full moon rose over the palace. When the concert ended over 3 1/2 hours later, it seemed too soon.
After the concert, we had another great meal, and retired to the hotel. That night was one of my worst nights in India. The hotel room was unbearably hot, and full of mosquitos. I was eaten alive. Yet I was still in a great mood in the morning.
The next day we headed down to Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India. A three-hour bus trip brought us to the crowded pilgrimage spot. It was fairly uneventful, except that it was impressive to see waves breaking from opposite directions over the sand. Our adventure ended at around midnight, when we arrived back in Varkala.
I have really enjoyed taking short trips from a home base. It is nice to have less luggage to worry about, and to know you have a comfortable, safe place waiting for you.