Said goodbye to my Dutch saviour and arrived to an unsurprising issue with the hostel i'd booked. Seems someone wanted to stay an extra night so they obviously had priority. Go figure. The owner did have a friend with a room spare though (also unsurprisingly). He leads me to the seafront, right on the cliff and opens the door to the room. Basic... very basic! "300 a night" (£4) he says. "you want?" It has a double bed, desk, mosquito net, en-suite and a tree growing through it. What else do you need! £4 a night is ridiculously cheap for a private room next to the sea, even in India. I take the room. The ceiling is fabric with what looks like tarpaulin behind it. I can just see sky where the tree pokes out of the roof! I make a base with the mosquito net. Laptop. phone. kindle. earplugs. check. I'm so tired from the crazy journey before that i decide to get an early night and climb into my base. The mosquitoes hungrily hover around me. I mock them.
Varkala is a breathtaking place. Crashing warm waves (with dangerous rips), a long sandy beach surrounded by cliffs with shops, restaurants and accommodation on top. My morning routine is 7am beach for a swim and jog then back up the cliff for "muesli fruit", coffee and a delicious apple, watermelon and ginger juice. These are definitely the best few hours of the day. The only people on the beach at 7am are yoga enthusiasts, fishermen, some ex-pats swimming and worshippers. This is a very holy beach and Hindu's come from everywhere to pray and scatter the ashes of their dead in the sea.
I couldn't hold concentration in a beginner Hatha yoga class due the rather large American chap to the front-side of me, most amusing. I think yoga should be a private thing, classes are too distracting, or maybe that's just me.
I had an Ayurveda massage. These are everywhere here, and are designed to be relaxing using natural herbs and oils. Mine was performed by a slightly odd but insightful Indian man who told me that I have "busy knees" and informed me of bad digestion. I found it hard to relax here also as he was panting heavily whilst oiling me up ready for the massage. Some Indian mantra in the background would've been nice!
Most people here are secreting natural beauty. The green tea, fresh fish, sunshine, sea, yoga, meditation and alcohol restriction diet can do wonders i'd say. Some of the expensive resorts have 7 to 30 day programs to "enrich your life". I can't take the super-slow pace any more (and locals asking if you want taxi, food, drink, souvenir, massage, yoga etc.) so hire a moped, spending the rest of my time here exploring back roads, temples and towns around the resorts, occasionally dipping back to jump in the sea :) ahhh!
I'm not sure i'd recommend Varkala to another backpacker, it's absolutely beautiful but there's no dorm's, everyone's a couple and/or in a happy ali-baba trouser wearing trance. Which is fine, but not for me.
Next stop Thiruvananthapuran
Varkala is a breathtaking place. Crashing warm waves (with dangerous rips), a long sandy beach surrounded by cliffs with shops, restaurants and accommodation on top. My morning routine is 7am beach for a swim and jog then back up the cliff for "muesli fruit", coffee and a delicious apple, watermelon and ginger juice. These are definitely the best few hours of the day. The only people on the beach at 7am are yoga enthusiasts, fishermen, some ex-pats swimming and worshippers. This is a very holy beach and Hindu's come from everywhere to pray and scatter the ashes of their dead in the sea.
I couldn't hold concentration in a beginner Hatha yoga class due the rather large American chap to the front-side of me, most amusing. I think yoga should be a private thing, classes are too distracting, or maybe that's just me.
I had an Ayurveda massage. These are everywhere here, and are designed to be relaxing using natural herbs and oils. Mine was performed by a slightly odd but insightful Indian man who told me that I have "busy knees" and informed me of bad digestion. I found it hard to relax here also as he was panting heavily whilst oiling me up ready for the massage. Some Indian mantra in the background would've been nice!
Most people here are secreting natural beauty. The green tea, fresh fish, sunshine, sea, yoga, meditation and alcohol restriction diet can do wonders i'd say. Some of the expensive resorts have 7 to 30 day programs to "enrich your life". I can't take the super-slow pace any more (and locals asking if you want taxi, food, drink, souvenir, massage, yoga etc.) so hire a moped, spending the rest of my time here exploring back roads, temples and towns around the resorts, occasionally dipping back to jump in the sea :) ahhh!
I'm not sure i'd recommend Varkala to another backpacker, it's absolutely beautiful but there's no dorm's, everyone's a couple and/or in a happy ali-baba trouser wearing trance. Which is fine, but not for me.
Next stop Thiruvananthapuran
This sounds wonderful. Love the pictures especially the one of you in your meat safe net. The beach looks fantastic too. Can understand your restlessness, you have always been like that. enjoy yourself son and have a good trip further on. Tracking you on my map. mom
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of you in your base.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of when I was a kid and my Mom laid out the sandwiches on a hot summer day she would then place such a contraption over the top to keep the wasps off the jam or butter.
I found mediation very much as you did here I could not relax my mind to do what it was Baba wanted me to at a retreat in Glastonbury. "Think of a dark pair of curtains been drawn across your mind". he would say.
ReplyDelete"What are they made of"? was my reply.