deewrites

Jun 14, 2026. A splash of Carmel

Today, I went to Carmel by the Sea. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to in the US. I’ve been there at least three times in the past four years. I take anyone who is visiting me there to show them around. Some are impressed, some not so much. Not everyone enjoys art galleries, elaborately decorated hideaway nooks, secret alleyways, and the just-vibes nature of the town. Mind you, everything is expensive there. I had already visited once this year, and this was my second time. I like to keep the tradition going.

It’s about a two-hour drive from San Jose. It’s not considered long but not short either. We arrived there around 4 PM, a full four and a half hours before sunset. I always go there for the Sunset, but this time it was just to spend a couple of hours on the beach before we headed back.  

It was very windy when we got out of the car. We brought our beach tent and set it up on the beach shore, not without quite some trouble. We couldn’t place it facing the ocean because of the wind direction. So we settled to keep it sideways and opened the side flap to get a view.

Normally, I read or write on the beach. But not this time, because this time I had forgotten to bring a book or notebook. So, I just sat there, enjoying the midday sun shining brightly on the water and sand.  The weather was just warm enough. Otherwise, it was rather cold, and the water pierced the skin like needles on contact. I was apprehensive, but still decided to give it a try and walked toward the crashing waves. The water was still freezing, but it didn’t sting as much. That’s good, I guess.

I walked along the shore, enjoying the scenery. Strangely, nothing was blue. It was a whirl of flashing silver and blinding white before my eyes. A rare scene that took me back to the black-and-white days of the past. It felt like that was from a very long time ago, almost from a different universe. As if whatever remained of that past existed only on film. Forgotten until played. Never to be relived, but only faintly recognized.

I remembered playing on the terrace of my grandfather’s house. The floor was made of grayed-out cement. Rows of  dhimme’s (protruding pillars to the top of the roof), a mix of bricks and cement, stood to the side of the water tank. We played many games, but I only remembered echoes of unfiltered laughter of kids running around, never heeding the tiredness in their limbs or the dryness in their lungs. Dust rose above their knees, nails filled with grime.

It was only a flash, though. There were many such flashes as I dared open my eyes trying to take in the Sun. When I looked back, my husband had stepped out of the tent, soaking his own feet in the beach water. I walked back to him, and together we strolled towards the cliff that marked the end of the shore. 

We headed back home, happy to have gone out after being cooped up for more than a month now. The beach somehow managed to wash away the monotonous gloom and gave a boost of energy and mental nourishment for the following days.

Just head out to a beach. It’s one of the best things there is in this world.

-Travel Deepam