Arrivederchi Varkala

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So after a rather heavy, alcohol fuelled Thursday evening, yesterday was a total write off as far as meaningful activity goes. Needless to say I was in no fit state to do any yoga other than lying down on the yoga mat!

Today was entirely different. With a blood alcohol level of zero and a reasonable nights sleep (mainly because I was reluctant to turn the ceiling fan on so as not to wake David up, and visa versa) I got up to go running along the beach. David had got up to do yoga with Carrie again, so we both headed down to the beach. It was just starting to heat up, but bearable enough to do so some exercise. Kerala is one of the south most regions of India and as such very hot this time of year, often hitting a minimum of 32degrees.

After my run I went for a swim in the sea which was still quite cool from last night. The drag is very strong on Varkala beach which made it quite hard work even though the waves were only small. I left Carrie and David to finish their yoga session in search of  breakfast.

Content but still able to move after my buffet breakfast I headed back to our room. I unpacked and repacked my bag so as to make sure everything still fitted. I'd only bought a few clothes and some small trinkets in India, but with the addition of my sheets and a travel pillow donated by Julie it was rather cramped.

We had agreed to meet Fran, Carrie and Vari at their hotel so we could hijack their pool for the day rather than hang out at the beach again. A secluded little pool away from all the noise of the cliff tops shops was the fantastic setting for what turned out to be our very own, rather civilised pool party! We spent the afternoon chatting, sunbathing and dipping in and out of the infinity pool whilst being served cold drinks and snacks by the girls very own handy man - as well as making time for Carrie to show us how to do handstands!

We all agreed to meet at Rock 'n' Roll for dinner and a final game of Rummikub. We sat on the upstairs terrace so as to enjoy better the setting sun and the cooling breeze from the Arabian sea. Tonight I thought I'd go for broke and have a fish platter of calamari, tiger prawns and white snapper - it was a feast! All cooked on the open coals with either a tandori or lemon and garlic marinade it was a real pleasure to have had fresh fish all week.

I had booked a tuc tuc for 11.15pm to take me to the station. I said my goodbyes to all my new found friends from the ashram and headed off to grab my bag. Varkala's roads really are truly awful...compatible to sections of the A275 back home. The station was quiet when I arrived so getting a ticket was no hassle. I hopped aboard the next train and parked myself atop my bag in what I took to be General Class. As the ticket inspector came round he told me I was in 3AC, the sleeper class, and I'd have to move carriages at the next station. No problem I thought, easy...how little I knew! General Class on the evening and overnight trains is a very different scene from what I experienced on my way down to Trivandrum. It looked exactly as I had seen in movies and the news back home. People sat five or six to a bench, people sharing single seats, bodies sprawled in the walkways and sleeping on luggage racks...mayhem for a backpacker with a huge bag!

I managed to fight my way on and propped myself up against a wall. I spent the journey drifting in and out of sleep as people jostled for space and the train jerked backwards an forwards. Sleeping tonight was clearly going to be a luxury. 

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