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Published: January 13th 2008
Peace, yes :-)
Well I basically took a break from everything: the noise, the pollution, the dirt, getting around on buses and trains, but also from writing my diary and my blog. Nothing spectacular happened, no juicy anecdotes.. (although I drank lots of juice) - I call it my holidays. It didn't feel like I was in India even. It's just absolutely lovely here, been along the backwaters for a while, enjoyed actual western cuisine (It's good to not eat so much rice, it inflates my intestines) including croissants, did another meditation course for a few days (although I think Vipassana is still better for me), read another book, went swimming in the Arabian Sea, AND I got to wear actual beach clothes (shorts and bikini's) for the first time on this trip... All that was just what I needed to recover from feeling India-sick.
So now I am staying in the "Dreams Beach Resort" in Varkala, just 1 minute walking distance from the beach. Clean bathroom with hot water (ironically, there is no need for hot water now, the refreshment of cold water is more desirable in these tropical weather conditions). Most hotels/resorts/guest houses here look very nice
actually, it's pretty easy to find a nice room along the beach. I think I'll have to come back here next time I want to be in sunny conditions during the European winter. Perfect spot to relax, but there are also many possibilities to follow all sorts of (mostly ayurvedic) massage courses. Most of these courses take at least 2 weeks, and I just don't have the time for that now. Just to give you an idea of the area, here are some links:
http://www.come2kerala.net/Varkala.htm
http://www.webindia123.com/tourism/beach/varkala.htm
Almost time to move out of India... I had booked a cheap flight from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Vietnam (via Singapore / Singapore Airlines) on the 21st, assuming that there is a ferry from the tip of India to the northern tip of Sri Lanka. I had seen a dotted line on the maps and the legend showed that dotted lines in the water are ferry routes.... but apparently, that route no longer exists, because of the Tamil Tigers putting mines allover the northern and eastern area's of Sri Lanka. And then the violence seems to be escalating again. A few bombings in Colombo, a minister killed. Hmm that's why the flight
Kerala Backwaters - My "resort"
The room with a view is on the 15th floor of the second building.was so cheap! I'll try to cancel the flight from Colombo to Singapore and see if I can get one from Chennai or Bangalore or Mumbai to Singapore. I'll know more by Monday. Once I know more, I will know how quickly I have to move away from Varkala and in which direction. Yes, that means buses and/or trains again, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel :-), and the India-stress is out of my system for the moment, so I think I can handle a few days of it again.
There is also a good chance that I will be returning 2 months earlier than originally planned, and thus skip Australia. I feel 2 months is not enough to see Australia and New Zealand, and it would just make me feel stressed about wanting to see as much as possible in that short time. So if I save up those 2 months, I can go to Australia in a few years, and take more time. I would then have 5 months "loopbaanonderbreking" left (sorry for the non Belgians who don't understand that word, there is no English translation for the system that allows
Belgians to stop working for 1 year and still get some money), and adding a month of holidays to that, I can have another half year off :-) Aside from the advantage of having more time for Australia, it gives me something to look forward to when I am feeling too encaged in the daily grind again. Besides, I will be happy to see my friends a little sooner again, and resume "the inevitable daily grind" with a fresh mind and new inspiration :-). Anyway, it's not decided yet, but the idea is growing stronger in my head. I'd be home in April instead of June then, and still would surpass the experience of anything resembling what we'd call "winter" ;-).
Big hugs, and thanks again for all your supportive comments and messages, they make my day sometimes :-)
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Rutger
non-member comment
Good times are there again ! :-)
Hola Sabrina, I was very happy to read your journal on the Backwaters! Nice, no hassling there (well, I guess there is some, but not to the earlier tested levels ;-) Uhhhm, "loopbaanonderbreking"... gets close to "sabattical", I'd say. 'Good hopes that you can change your flights, and if not, then it will look good on your resume whenever you'd desire to become a tour guide for "Koning Aap" ;-D Thanks for taking all that time to get this weblog done! Cheers and xxx, Rutger