Which way is the beach?

---

'Arguably the state's most idyllic beach' according to the Lonely Planet. Well would you care to show me where this beach is then, Lonely Planet? No? Well that's 'cos there isn't one between the months of July and November! Failed to mention that in your fancy guide book didn't you?!

Lack of a beach aside(and ignoring the incessant bongo drum sellers), Varkala is a fantastic little seaside resort built mostly on a dramatic cliff top overlooking the Arabian sea and (when it's there) Papadashum Beach. During and in the months following the monsoon the sea swell manages to engulf most of the beach. It's actually a little unfair to say that there has been no beach at all. At the north end of the cliffs there is a Black Beach, a compact and bijou little number, where I managed to park my rear for the best part of 3 days. With it being the only sand available it gets a little crowded and also the water tends to consume most of the beach so you have to perch on the rocks above. But that aside it's good enough for a few days. It's also possible to take a dip in the ocean although the surf is a little rough so as to make it rather like being in a washing mashine.

Another major attraction at Varkala is the seafood, upon which I have gorged and satisfied myself at every lunch and dinner. Most of the restaurants display their catch of the day at the front of the restaurant to entice you in and I have had the pleasure of dining on the likes of fresh Barracuda, Butterfish, Kingfish prawns and calamari every night. The feeling of eating such fantastic food under the stars on a balmy Keralan evening just can't be beaten.

It didn't all start off so promisingly though. At breakfast on day 1 I was greeted with a typical monsoon storm which flooded the restaurant in minutes and left be stranded at my table for about 2 hours. Fortunately in the afternoon the weather cleared and we've had pretty much nothing but sunshine for the last couple of days.

My lodgings for the stay in Varkala have been the type you would associate with a place like this, perhaps a little cliched, but great fun nonetheless - a bamboo hut. And just outside my front door lies my favourite piece of furniture - the hammock, obligingly slung between two coconut trees. Pigs and sh*t spring immediately to mind.

I leave Varkala tomorrow to head north to the town of Alleppey where I'm looking organise a trip to explore Kerala's famed backwaters. From there I plan to head quite a bit further north and plonk my bum on a beach in Goa until it's more or less time to go home. That is unless of course the Lonely Planet is leading me up the garden path again.

---

Comments

[Dad]

Rough Seas
I knew mum shouldn't have washed you in the machine when you were young because now every time the sea is rough you liken it to that experience! Food sounds fantastic and you look very comfortable with the horizontal position. Keep enjoying!

[Tobes]

Dirty!
...Tommy, Sami has gone out of control.....! Enjoy Goa, sunshine!

[cc]

bad cuda
mate ..don't eat cuda ..it's potentially harmful ..you can get fish poisoning by eating large carnivorous fish as the poisonous toxin bio accumulates through the food chain. apparently it's called ciguaterra. check it out .... don't want you wasting away even more now do we.!! Sami has definately lost it ... you need to move back in and set him back on his sitting on the sofa with the lights off path. verkala looks cool - enjoy !!