A Taste of India Across the Sea

When I left India by ship from Mumbai, I cruised across the calm Arabian Sea to Mombasa on a week-long journey. Delighting in vegetarian curry on the trip, I thought it would be my last.

Kenya’s Mombasa

The ship docked after a week crawling across the placid Arabian Sea. My foot touched African soil for the first time to the sound of an African greeting, “Jambo.”

As I explored Kenya’s coastal city, Mombasa, sea breezes sailed in off the ocean. 

Leaving India

Ship off the Kenyan coast

Photo courtesy: Andrew Thomas — Wikimedia Commons

Three times I’ve left India, (oops, now it’s four, since writing this post) and two of those times were by sea. Firstly, I chugged across the Palk Straight from Rameswaram to Mannar Island, Lanka.

The second sea exit was

Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari

Photo courtesy: P.M. Puniyameen — Wikimedia Commons

On the southern most tip of India lies Kanyakumari.

I visited this wind swept pilgrimage point before the rows of souvenir stalls and temples were constructed.

An ache for India

Sailing towards Kenya on the calm Arabian Sea, I knew I’d return to India one day. The country left its mark on me.