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Published: January 15th 2008
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Varkala Cliffs
The most dangerous beachside location I have ever been to - but brilliant all the same Today is my last day in Kerala. I am leaving early tomorrow morning to fly to Bangalore to meet Jane for a few days, then heading back to Delhi on Saturday and have 4 weeks left of my visa in which to try to see some of the more northern cities - weather permitting. It's a strange strange feeling. Timewise I am just over halfway through my time here - but this week feels really like the breakpoint - I am about to start a totally different type of holiday - back to northern india, cold weather (which I am quite looking forward to), and back to being on the road as well.. in short, I cant wait - but there is a sadness to it as well.
I am currently in Kovallam which is really pretty awful. It is a tourist town, really close to tip of India and although there is some charm to the small alleyways and jumble of shops and restaurants, it really does just feel like what used to be a lovely fishing village has been bulldozed and ever corner of the place has a hotel or guest house. It's a real shame. It is
Cafe del Mar.. (the original?)
Last sunset of 2007 for me - Varkala Beach nothing like as beautiful as Varkala where I spent new year. I came here, however, to meet up with Goa friends who were doing yoga here and I wanted to see them for the last time.
I signed up for one week as well - which was bloody extortionate - 180 euros for six classes. The problem was I am so used to converting into rupees that I didnt work out exactly how much that is until it was too late - that works out at 30 euros per class - ie 20 quid!!! Im in SOUTH INDIA for god sake - even Triyoga in Primrose Hill wouldnt have the nerve to charge that. Anyway... it's not about the money - but it soon became that way as I fell sick for 2 days mid week and couldnt make class. This is not the country that supports refunds. Ever. So I lost out, and wasnt allowed my days in lieu this week either... not very yogic if you ask me. These people are slick business operators (italian - not indian) and I woulld wager are not living and breathing the values which they are trying to promote.
The sickness came and went - it was fine. I have been so lucky out here really - in nearly 4 months I have only been sick twice - and not even that badly really. Since I got back to full health and the yoga finished I have been having a great time, drinking beer, swimming in the sea, eating great food. I am making the most of being on holiday before the "hard work" of travelling starts again. Im also really aware that after Jane and I part company on Saturday (she heads to Goa) then I have no plans to meet anyone again - so will be meeting brand new people, new travellers, no shared history. Which is exactly how I was when I arrived - but it is amazing how quickly I got into the groove of it and always had people around me. Natalia and Paul are here from Goa, and we have been having a great time - it's like Ive known them for ages really - despite the fact I only spent 2 weeks with them previously. It's something about the shared experience.
I havent been blogging as really not that much to report - but what seems to have been featuring these past few weeks down here is romance - or in my case, the lack of opportunities over here.
In Mysore there were a couple of budding relationships between people, but in the main people were alone so. Down here it was lovely to hear that Natalia, who I had last seen in Goa, had had her boyfriend fly out from Toronto for xmas and she was now engaged. Paul, another yoga friend, is caught in a bizarre love triangle between two yoga beauties - one elegant, aloof and ladylike, the other passionate, israeli, crazy haired and great fun. My money's on here - but regardless - is cute to watch. I have sadly not really met anyone that has really made me notice them - although I am the toast of nearly every waiter in town. It never fails to amuse the people Im with.. One particular waiter in Varkala fell hook line and sinker. I received three love letters in as many days, he followed me home, and begged for my heart. All three letters proclaimed eternal love, and his favourite line "I want to be a wave in your ocean..." - which, if his english wasnt so patchy, I would've taken as pretty raunchy double entendre - but I think he must have heard it in a bollywood film. Bless him. He told me before I left that he would always love me - no matter where in the world I was. All this after only ever serving me beer. Then, on arrival here in Kovallam I got an email from the irish man I had met in Mysore when I was his massage guinea pig. He is in Sri Lanka and I had forgotten that I had said I might meet him there. He had left Mysore for Goa and a tryst with Sharon, a traveller he had met up north. His email told me that Sharon was still with him in Sri Lanka for now, but was heading back to India - and it "would be great to see me again...". I was highly suspicious of the "..." - it speaks volumes. Things with Sharon not worked out??? Time to move on??? He can keep his dot dot dots, I am no longer heading to Sri Lanka. Shame though, he was cute - I liked him.
So, convinced that romance and me in the south were not to be - I took myself out for beer last night in the Beatles cafe (which was playing Bryan Adams, not the fab four) to contemplate the ocean and to avoid the ayurvedic cafe which I think has an atmosphere vacuum. In walks Gareth, mid forties, rugby player type, charming, funny, travelled all over, fixes jet engines for a living, used to volunteer driving supplies to Romania twice a year - too good to be true - the man was a god. And he asked me to travel with him (he is on motorbike) to mountains for the next few days.. I couldnt of course as am heading to Bangalore - which was soooooooooooooooo gutting. But maybe for the best. The name is a bad omen, I was told by fortune teller in Rajasthan that future husbands, accidents and bad luck lay ahead. Anyway - I am northern bound... maybe a mountain man awaits in Nepal - with open arms and a warm poncho.
Am heading out tonight for drinks and food and to say my goodbyes. Will especially be sad to say goodbye to Natalia - she has been good fun and a mainstay of the trip. Am also sad as when I left Milly and Silas in Varkala we were meant to meet again, but that is not going to happen now and I never got to say a proper goodbye. Am excited though - and as I said before it does feel like a breakpoint, like a bunch of new stuff is about to happen..
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