The land of backwaters has been beckoning us for quite a while, but we took our time to find places that were unexplored and had something exotic to offer. As this search went on, a mailer on monsoon resorts captivated my attention and the idea of holidaying at an estuary was received with a high dose of enthusiasm by my husband. Thrilled, we made all arrangements at a resort and booked the tickets, prepped for a short vacation.

We took the train this time, for a change, anticipating that the view on the way would be good and the weather would be great as it was the monsoon season. Our hopes didn't really come true as the journey was actually hectic and the weather unpleasant. We reached Poovar around 12.30 pm the next day. The welcome was a traditional Keralite offering of 'Chandan' and a honey-based coolant. After the refreshments, we were taken for a visit of the property and we were quite pleased with what the resort offered, especially the Poovar beach which was just a boat ride away.

The first visit was to the beach by boat, which included a ride through the mangrove forest. The journey was very camera-friendly and we clicked as many pictures as possible. The backwaters were spotted with lone sailors rowing their boats in solitude, with just nature for company. The still waters seemed to pose no trouble all through their navigation. The guide/sailor was friendly enough and even offered to teach us how to maneuver the boat.

Turned out, my husband was pretty good at it! After a fun ride in the boat, we reached the Poovar beach about an hour before the sunset. The beach was totally unassuming, a complete shocker! It is rendered as a meeting place of the river and the backwaters. A real treat to the eye. The backwaters end where the beach starts and on the other side was a collision of the Neyyar river and the backwaters.

The waves of the backwater would be bowled over by the waves of the beach. And all of this would get reflected by the sun. Dunes formed gracefully and stood strong even after getting washed by every wave. Pelicans kept pecking at little worms and offered good photography. We tried to sink into the calmness offered by nature and took a long walk towards the entire stretch of the beach. It was a relief to find that such a beauty was not yet commercialized and exploited. The whole stretch remained clean, neat, and peaceful. It seemed like the perfect destination to unwind, relax and de-stress. And that was exactly what we were looking for!

Although yearning for more, we had to go back to the resort, as it was getting dark and there would be no boats after dark. But the sky enthused us on the way back with its myriad hues. The next morning was scheduled to explore the resort and indulge in some interesting activities like coconut tree climbing. No, we did not have to climb the way the localities did - unscathed and unperturbed just by their foot. We had the coconut climbing device and all that one had to do was wrap his legs around it and go up step by step, balancing each leg. It was quite interesting and actually quite innovative.

We also played cricket, table tennis, and foosball and headed for a heavy lunch, what with all the playing in the morning. After a good workout of indoor games and cricket, we headed out to Kanyakumari to witness the sunset. Wasn't it a shame to be a south Indian and not visit Cape Comorin?? We decided we can't take the blame and so we headed out, to witness the famed Thiruvalluvar statue. We reached around 5, just an hour before the sunset. The Thiruvalluvar statue stood tall and imposing, perhaps reflecting what the great sage contributed to Tamil literature. We could not take a ferry to the Vivekananda Rock memorial as the ferry service was closed for the day, so we took our time to hunt for the right place to witness the sunset.

What we gathered from the people around suggested that we seek some place at the Kovalam beach (not to be confused with the Kovalam beach in Kerala), which was about 4 km away. So we drove again and found the beach right across, with a huddle of the crowd, all waiting for the sunset. The beach, being a cape was a dump yard of sea shells, fish thorns, and the like. In fact, they were good acupuncture for the feet.

We still managed to find a vantage point despite the thorny sand and blowing winds. But when the magic begins, it makes you forget all the troubles around you and get mesmerized by the action in the sky. The sun descends slowly - a small glow of light at first and then grows bigger as he comes down lighting up the clouds and setting them on fire. He blazes like an aura of hope, glinting with power and mightiness. After a brief appearance, he finds his way further down, as if to be buried inside the waters. The clouds seem to be going after him, lost and ablaze. The red clouds are gradually followed by darkness, indicating that it was time to leave. So we headed back to our resort after a tiring journey, fully aware that our short vacation was coming to an end.

The next morning, we visited the beach once again, but by foot, this time, taking the long 2-km path that tread across the fisherman's village giving us a taste of the local culture. But the long walk was compensated with the breathtaking view of the waters in the morning sun. Our attention soon drifted towards a huge line of fishermen pulling a massive rope from the waters.

When looked closer, we understood that it was a fishing net, but nothing ordinary. The net must have been more than a kilometer long when it was in the water. with its markings stretching beyond what the eye can see. The fishermen pulled with all their might hoping for a good catch for the entire village, I presume. We couldn't watch the entire drama though, as hunger pangs kept pushing us back to the resort.

Not in a mood to tread the long walk again, we were really hoping there would be any other mode of transport to take us back. Just when we had lost hope, we heard someone waving at us. On a closer look, we discovered that it was the local fisherman, who had a free day due to the 'harthal' that was going on in parts of Kerala that day. He declared that there was hardly any business for him as the fish market was closed and he was wondering if he could offer us a boat ride. Delighted with what we just heard, we immediately obliged. And there we were, safely transported back to the resort where we had breakfast, packed our bags, and bid goodbye to this serene island, promising to come back once again when the routines get stressful and the heart craves peace and tranquility.