Getting our tan on in South India

You know those really annoying people that travel through places like India, entering the country as a tidy Westerner, yet after months of touring depart a scruffy hippy, claiming that their lives had been changed, they’d discovered some unknown spiritual dimension, and they would never be the same again….?!

Well, we can’t go as far as to say we succumbed completely to the Eastern attire (Emma does want to work for Vogue after-all!) but as cheesy as it sounds, in some small way our lives probably will…..never be the same again.

We endured the most delightful - and disturbing moments of our travels through the Central/South of India…..starting off with 4 days of travel from Rajashtan to Kerala….finding ourselves stranded in the slums of Amhendabad, being confronted by Eunachs on trains demanding money, and being hounded to get on ‘my rickshaw Madame! A very good price for you!’.

However, we were pleasantly surprised by Mumbai, formerly Bombay, but after only 1 night we boarded our 2 night/3 day train journey to the very bottom of the country. Being in a small confined space without air conditioning for that amount of time can be a challenge….we stopped drinking water after the first day to avoid the putrid toilets….and had to physically protect our bag of rubbish from being flung out the window! Yet, we shared the journey with 6 Indians, who were as intrigued with us as we were with them. 2 Muslims, and the rest born again Christians (everyone in India is spiritual, you’re frowned upon if you’re not) we had an amazing time with them, sharing food, electronics, laughs, stories….and they protected 2 little white girls who were potentially the bait on the train! Did you all get eyes for Christmas….?!

Quote of train journey: “When embarking on a 2 day train journey, as healthy as it seems, dried apricots are not a wise snack option…!”…..Gassius Maximus…..

We safely arrived in THE most delicious beach we’d ever been to…..the Lonely Planet did say you’d discover the most beautiful beaches in South India, and they were so right!! We located our bungalow surrounded by palm trees and star lanterns, and a full week of preparation for the pending Winter…relaxing and getting our tans on began!

Swimming in the Arabian sea is like swimming in icing sugar…..so smooth and barely salty at all. We spent hours in the water and laying on the beach eating fresh pineapples, before watching perfectly cylindrical sunsets by night. In Varkala, the small town is on a clifftop, overlooking the beach and the ocean, so at night all the fishing boats would come into shore, with their little lights aglow. It looked like someone had sprinkled fairy dust everywhere…..a photo couldn’t even do it justice!

We met lots of hilarious travelers, with stories we won’t bore you with…..Baubles, and shared many a ‘beer and sunset’ moment. However, after a month in India we were defiantly ready to land ‘on the Continent’……

Shock of Varkala: After Livvy had her first Aryvedic body deep tissue massage……

Masseuse (female) “Please take off all your clothes”
Livvy “Everything?!”
Masseuse “Yes, everything”
Livvy “Are you sure?!”
Masseuse “Yes m’am, I is sure. Every female body is the same, whether you fat, thin, big boned…..I’s never look….”
Livvy mumbles “oh, have mercy….”

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