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Published: December 21st 2009
Gokarana... where time didn't stand still but the rest of the world definitely melted away into the relaxing surroundings of Kudle beach! We arrived in Gokarna Sunday evening after a long winded train journey from Mangalore. We'd bought the cheap seats and after trying to sneak onto the sleeper carriages we soon found ourselves shoved about, moved on and grumbled at by those who's seats we'd sat in. Understandable, but slightly annoying especially when they're so rude about it! So after a while we got told where our carriage was - the last two carriages, one was titled 'Luggage' and so we stumbled into the other. Only then did we realise 'Luggage' was code word for women and the carriage we were in was for men. But no one seemed to mind, and after all the moving in the heat we settled there for the remainder of the journey - stood in teh smallest of spots next to the toilets! Not ideal, but it was actually a fine journey with no hassle or staring! the men were well behaved... the only odd experience was when a Transvestite or even possibly a eunuch walked on in 'her' garish sari and started to clap ludly in ever guys face along with a strange smug look on her face before holding out her hand for money... I still don't really know what it is all about, but apparently it is considered bad luck not to give money, most of the men on the train seemed to prefer the risk of bad luck than give in! She didn't clap at us thankfully and so I just watched with intent trying to stifle a giggle at how surreal it all was! We arrived In Gokarna town and settled into a hotel before having an amazing Thali... Anna still claims it was the best she'd had yet in India... I've had so many it's hard to rate them!
Monday we went a wondering to the beaches trying to find cheaper accomodation on the beach itself... We went over to OM beach but were put off by the groups of Indian men all wanting photos, so settled with a basic concrete hut on Kudle beach. Later that day we stupidly decided to walk our big bags the 2km from town in the midday heat to save money on a rickshaw.... I think I must of shed several pounds by the level of sweat and the heat turned my brain into jelly, so finally we recovered on the beach, in the sea and watching the sunset... magically beautiful and to top it off Noarah (Noo) arrived from Goa to spend the last couple of weeks of her travels with us! We met Noo back in Varkala and spent time on the house boat with her and her friends and hit it off straight away, so to have her back in our company was fantastic! She took the hut next to ours and the three of us spent the week indulging in some sunbathing, swimming and general chill time! Our mornings we filled with Yoga, Noo and I took a general class at one end of the beach at 7.30am every morning where we improved our stretches and stances, Anna took an actual class at the other end of the beach where she attended classes twice daily and learnt alot about breathing and relaxing techniques.... by the end of the week we were experts of chill time! Our evenings we filled with the yummy delights of the various cafes that were dotted along the beach... Rock Namaste cafe being a cheap favourite for people watching and Jazzmine being another favourite for music, comfort and some of the healthiest puppies around!
Puppies litter the beach, the pour out of various guest houses and restaurants all adorably cute and massive time wasters... what better way to finish a yoga class than spend 10 mins playing with puppies?! It does make you wonder what will happen to them all, surely not all of them survive to leave a happy life on the beach otherwise they'd be no room for people. The territorial behaviour of the older dogs is one answer and we've heard horrible tales of monsoon season... but I must keep the image of happy pups basking in the sun as the memory of Kudle beach.
The beach is blissful, a wide golden stretch of sand, shallow warm waters that you can safely swim in, rocky headlands either end dotted with palm trees, small boats on the horizon catching your dinner and a small sleection of travellers who all appreciate the place equally. It seems like a hidden paradise that has yet been undiscovered by the big tourist trap that is quickly enveloping this part of India. However, whilst we were there a road was being built to the beach... good for people like Anna and I who think walking it is healthy but bad for all of us who like the tranquility for it will soon be built up and developed to feed the masses. It's a shame, but also makes me happy that I got to experience it before the change. We spent a couple of days wandering the town and looking at the retty things being sold, but unfortunatley the relaxing vibe drained us of any exploring enthusiam and so the surrounding beaches, temples and cliff top views were left untouched by us which I am a little ashamed to say. But our energy left us as soon as we finsihed yoga and so the beach the sea were all we were interested in.... a proper holiday within a holiday! I'd like to say it did us the world of good, but Anna's relaxed state left her open to picking up a nasty virus which she spent battling over our last weekend. We were meant to leave on the Monday morning but instead stayed a day longer for her to recover (and for me to top up the tan one more time) before leaving on the government bus early Tuesday morning.
Even then we both reluctantly left... the beauty of the area pulling us back to stay a little longer. But Hampi called, and we've been told it is another place you won't want to leave... so again moving onto better things!
Love to all at home, hope everyone is winding down successfully for the festive season and those who are lucky enough are out enjoying the snow... I want to see snowmen people! A white christmas... I am jealous, really I am. As lovely as it will be to experience a christmas away from the warmth of my family nest with a beach and curry there is a massive part of me that would swap it, if only for a few days.
Eat lot's of mince pies for me!
Birthday Love to Aunty Marg, I hope you had a wonderful day filled with love, joy and laughter. There is no one who I can think of who deserves a more beautiful birthday than you... I hope you felt my birthday love on the crisp december breeze!
Love Love love and jingle bells!
Lessons Learnt:
How to unwind and relax to a new level!
Practise makes perfect when it comes to Yoga... although somehow I really do think I just wasn't meant to bend that way!
There is always more to see than the sea and the sand, but indulging in that for a week really does no harm... and I can always come back!
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Papa Bear
non-member comment
What?
What? What do you mean "I can always come back"........eight months down and another six to go is too too long little Grub! We want you home for Party in the Paddock on 7th August 2010, not 2011! Keep dancing kid............ PB xxx