After two chaotic and confusing bus journeys, I arrived in the paradise of Varkala on the south coast of Kerala.
Varkala feels a million miles away from the rest of Kerala, let alone the rest of India I have left to explore. Western girls walk around freely with legs and shoulders bared, Bob Marley pours out of restaurants with Tibetan, Italian and a whole host of other national cuisine, and it just looks entirely different from what I have experienced of India so far.
Of course, the main town has the typical food stalls, thriving roads and a thousand smells constantly changing with every sniff. But this was not the town, this was the cliff and beach haven frequented by many travellers, some who simply never leave.
Being about 10 shades whiter than every single person here, I quickly realised that days in Varkala were filled with dedicated sun worship. On the cliff nestles quirky hotels, great shops and of course the multi-cultural clusters of restaurants. The cliff face itself has pathways down to the main beach and along the coastline a few quieter beaches cling to the cliff edge.
On my first night, I joined an eclectic group of chirpy travellers in a sea-facing restaurant. This was my latest night in India so far, laughing and chatting as more and more people joined our group. We sat on cushions by candle light and I had my first Indian beer - this was a far cry from the 10pm curfew I had already gotten used to.
The next day, after a lingering breakfast overlooking the sea, I headed down the steep steps to the sandy beach below. I went for a swim and could feel the strong currents that earned Varkala the title of one of Kerala's most dangerous beaches. But this didn't seem to deter people and everyone, including me, was having so much fun in the flattening waves! The beach does have its own lifeguard with a solitary rescue ring, "symbolic", I guess.
I then walked the length of this beautiful coastline, a thirsty task but worth every water-swigging second. This was a completely new India and, while I didn't feel like I was experiencing the 'real India' I had come all this way for, it was paradise for a handful of days.
Varkala was a million miles away from the rest of India, but only a 14 hour train ride to my next stop...
Varkala feels a million miles away from the rest of Kerala, let alone the rest of India I have left to explore. Western girls walk around freely with legs and shoulders bared, Bob Marley pours out of restaurants with Tibetan, Italian and a whole host of other national cuisine, and it just looks entirely different from what I have experienced of India so far.
Of course, the main town has the typical food stalls, thriving roads and a thousand smells constantly changing with every sniff. But this was not the town, this was the cliff and beach haven frequented by many travellers, some who simply never leave.
Being about 10 shades whiter than every single person here, I quickly realised that days in Varkala were filled with dedicated sun worship. On the cliff nestles quirky hotels, great shops and of course the multi-cultural clusters of restaurants. The cliff face itself has pathways down to the main beach and along the coastline a few quieter beaches cling to the cliff edge.
On my first night, I joined an eclectic group of chirpy travellers in a sea-facing restaurant. This was my latest night in India so far, laughing and chatting as more and more people joined our group. We sat on cushions by candle light and I had my first Indian beer - this was a far cry from the 10pm curfew I had already gotten used to.
The next day, after a lingering breakfast overlooking the sea, I headed down the steep steps to the sandy beach below. I went for a swim and could feel the strong currents that earned Varkala the title of one of Kerala's most dangerous beaches. But this didn't seem to deter people and everyone, including me, was having so much fun in the flattening waves! The beach does have its own lifeguard with a solitary rescue ring, "symbolic", I guess.
I then walked the length of this beautiful coastline, a thirsty task but worth every water-swigging second. This was a completely new India and, while I didn't feel like I was experiencing the 'real India' I had come all this way for, it was paradise for a handful of days.
Varkala was a million miles away from the rest of India, but only a 14 hour train ride to my next stop...
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