In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the emotionally withdrawn Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) and free spirit Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) strike up a conversation on a Long Island Rail Road train from Montauk, New York. They are unaware of having been lovers who had memories of each other erased, with the only memory for Joel being Clementine’s whisper, “Meet me in Montauk”.
At the end of a three-month stay in New York City where I did a new thing each weekend, for the last one a day trip to Montauk, the tip of Long Island, seemed perfect. On a clear-sky Saturday, I hopped onto a train leaving Penn Station in midtown Manhattan at 7.40 am. It would reach Montauk by 10, with a changeover at Jamaica where the early morning packed train made way for the near empty one to Montauk.
My travel reading was research on the hamlet—the Montauk Point Lighthouse being the first in New York State and the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the US and it being featured in a sci-fi novel, The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time, by two Long Island residents.
The sun was up high and it was a perfect day for the beach. I decided to walk to the lighthouse and stop by any beach on the way. Clear blue waters shone in the distance as I walked toward a shed where a couple was loading a surfboard atop their car. When I asked for directions, they enquired about the vehicle I had. Hearing I was on foot, the woman looked worried and gave me a map. To get to the lighthouse I had to make my way to the Plaza in the centre of Montauk and follow Route 27, the highway. The map was a cartoonish representation. I set out guided by my instincts and the map.
Still water accompanied me for several metres and I crossed people milling about putting up lights and other decorations at an open restaurant. The map in my head had straight lines but real roads seldom do. After walking the deserted streets and crossing silent homes I came to the Plaza, a little street with shops on both sides. Entering one selling T-shirts, I confirmed the direction with the shop owner.
From the Plaza, I took a detour to the Ditch Plains beach, the closest one on my route. It was crowded, with couples, families with and without dogs and lone travelers like me. Seagulls were everywhere and I spotted a one-legged bird that pranced around making you forget about its missing leg.
I walked on, stopping to see some sights along the way, like the Deep Hollow Ranch, which the signboard called the oldest ranch in the US. Inside, I was greeted by the unmistakable stench of horse poop. Up ahead, I crossed a gate that cautioned trespassers. It was an erstwhile military area, now part of Camp Hero State Park. It had been a Coast Defense base, then an Air Force Base till 1984. The Montauk Project claimed this site was used by the government to conduct secret time travel experiments. I transformed into a conspiracy nut wanting to cross over and inspect but walked on.
My last detour was a path leading to a bird’s eye view of the island; water as far as the eyes could see and waves beating and receding against giant rocks. Back on my route, the road rose and fell in bits before it became flat. I knew the lighthouse was near and even guided two cars passing by.
Finally, I saw the light.
There was a queue to the top of the lighthouse. I climbed the narrow, steep stairs gingerly and reached the giant light that guided ships into harbour. With no vehicle or a place to stay to enjoy nighttime views, I made the most of the sunny day. Stepping onto the edge threw up an all-encompassing view of blue waters and ships in the distance. Outside the lighthouse was a beautiful garden leading to stones by the water where people sat fishing or having a picnic.
It was pitch dark by the time I crossed the place that was being decorated in the morning. It was now full of people swinging to music.