As i left RMM

As i left RMM

As i left RMM bus stand on Sunday at 4.27pm, i came across a board OOTY (485)and Kodaikanal (285). This was followed by RMM Municipality structure. Pamban Bridge came around 4.43; Mandapam 4.48 and Coast Guard station Mandapam few minutes later. Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust Welcomes You board was the next to greet you. Next major stop happenned to be Uchhippuli followed by INS Parendu 500 metres away.

For a fair distance water could be seen spilled on the road and later it was traced to a Water tanker which had been leaking the moment it left Sujoy Aqua. On the way the access to Thondi and DEvokottai were shown to be 85 kms away. With Sathankulam in, IOB ATM was shown 1.5 km ahead at collectorate.

In Bharathinagar it was the Inthiya Super Market and Ramanathapuram finally coming around at 5.38. Ramanathapuram bus stand had a green/yellow building serving as office of MKM and in vicinity was a billboard of NIFE Institute of Fire and Safety. Penguin Xerox marking too was shown on a different structure. AS the bus began to move it went past Schwartz Matriculation Higher Secondary School 1986. From Ramanathapuram, Madurai is 110 kms, Parmakudi is 35 kms. And few kms later Tuticorin is shown 100kms away on a different route.

Parmakudi came around 6.32pm. Parmakudi bus stand had IT computer; Sri Xerox (Printing, xerox, scanning colour printing, college projects, lamination, spiral and other bindings). A bus from Madurai to Ramanathapuram one to one nonstop was seen plying and Vana Madurai came around 7.29 . The bus reached Madurai around nine. And i was in heritage hotel before 10.

Though not much had changed in RMM, the minimum bus fare had gone up to 4rs (2rs in Oct-Nov 2010). Abbirami hotel had a fair sprinkling of people for meals on most occasions and Keer Thana Stores General Merchants had a ready supply of Mysore Sandal Soaps and other daily necessities. Lakshmi stores for wallet and Shri Sathya Sai Stores for tea were equally strong. The old man opposite Srinegri Mutt selling stationary and cool drinks seem to have waged a battle all alone; Tailors on North Car street were a content collection and ready to stitch; and three cyber cafes, Shiva Net, Global Net and Browsing centre were out of bounds for no connectivity. Last time round, Shiva Net and Global Net had been utilised on different occasions.

Queen Palace was the new accommodation to come up next to Royal Park. And if there is one place where three wheelers (autowallahs) are a disciplined lot it is in RMM. Commuting is not much of a problem and those coming here are better advised to try public transport. Strong tea from a restaurant at Tamil Nadu Hotel could be tried; securing accommodation here too could be a challenge.

If one has secured lodging benefit then stay for a longer duration won't be troublesome. The only rider being the visit to distant places should be early morning or late afternoon. For a majority, the visit to RMM is barely 24 hours; and there is a tribe that looks beyond daily lodging and shower.