At 8.30am we made a prompt departure from the hotel in Madurai on the 280km road journey to Kollam in the neighbouring state of Kerala. We travelled through the plains where villages are spaced at ten mile intervals and then up into the Western Ghats hills. Many towns were displaying Communist Party of India flags and posters and they are obviously strong politically in this area. The Communist Party runs the next state of Karnataka and so the spirit of Marx, Engels and Lenin lives on in this part of Asia. Kollam is an old trading post on the Arabian Sea and there is a strong Christian influence here. We saw the fishermen bringing in the final catch of the day and then a chance to dip my toes in the ocean on the other side of India from where I arrived.