… red green Kerala
Exhausting journey into Kerala, coming into Kunnur. At first Kunnur seems a bit of a dissapointment as a town, though it promises to have both Theyyam, a few bay side beaches with facing sunsets. But the town is large commercial, a bit smelly (diesel mainly thank fuck), and very busy. The bus stand is a bit of mayhem with big state and private buses coming in constantly. The train station area promises decent hotels, and slightly more quiet. I get a bad vibe from the first hotel, and a good rate from the second. I’m too tired to haggle (exhausted from hanging onto my seat), and take the second.
Peyambalam beach proves to be well worth the visit, faces the west setting sun, and has an interesting couple of monuments.
First bliss is the touch of the water, I am in paradise in seconds. It is warm, gently sloping, mild surf … some Indian bathers in clothes, but it takes me no time to strip down to shorts and embrace the ocean. The stress and chaos of India melts into the Arabian sea. As usual, most Indians seem to think you a touch crazy for swimming in the ocean.
Then the monument park. Kerala is a hotbed of communism, with many of the local party offices having monuments, and postering campaigns. These are classics featuring iconic figures of Marx and Che. Kunnur is no exception, a few random doves and an incredible prosperity of Hammers and Sickles. “CPI” is grafitti’d to walls near party offices. All standing wonderfully alongside the opiate madness of contemoprary hinduism. My favourite is the monument garden near Peyambalam. Commemorations of noble party officers of the recent past, historic victories to workers celebrated, exhortations to future generations to maintain the struggle, a very nice place to view the sun setting across the Arabian sea. Several of the small villages have large (c. 2m) dominating monumental hammer and sickles.
