After our crazy night in Kochin, we leave the next morning for Varkala, further down the Keralan coast. It's a beach resort, but with a twist. On the south cliff, travellers and tourists alike swim, drink sneaky beer and cocktails (Kerala is a dry state, so booze is contraband) and buy tat from the markets. And on the North cliff, Hindu's make a pilgrimage to wash the ashes of their dead relatives in to the surf, on a daily basis. Something for everyone!
We arrive and find a place to stay, just two minutes from the beach. It's clean, spacious and everything seems oh-just-tickety-boo until DISASTER strikes in the form of a arachnid. And not just your standard little spider. This one is leering at me from the corner of the room, with a body the same size as my head and legs like Cindy Crawford. Horrific. After a major shit-fit, Lisa summons the owner, who safely removes el-spidre. But the damage is already done. I can hardly sleep and when we wake up the next day, I have basically mounted Lisa (much to her delight, as you can imagine...)
So, pathetically, we change rooms. No need to judge me on this, I have already heavy-judged myself. But it has to be done.
We send most of our time in Varkala laying on the beach, reading (I am a reading machine on this trip!) and swimming. And it's bliss. Although slightly more touristy than we initially anticipated, Varkala is beautiful. Huge crashing waves and deep red sunsets and suchlike. And it's an ideal place to stay for exploring a bit more of Kerala. A bit bored by our lazy beach antics, we decide to head in to Kollam one day, to take a back-waters canoe tour. The backwaters of Kerala are a network of tranquil waterways and canals that are totally unspoiled and abundant in flora and fauna.
We charter a canoe for the afternoon and spend a few hours idly cruising along the canals. It's completely idyllic, unadulterated India. There are no ear-splitting car horns, no tourists, no sneaky masturbators/urinators/general creeps. In fact, there's barely anther person in sight at all, apart from the locals who use the waterways to bathe and wash their clothes. Total bliss.
Back in Varkala, most of our nights are spent sampling the cocktails in the bars on the North Cliff. On our 2nd night, we randomly bump in to Dave ("I'm 22 and I just like cartoons..."), an English guy who we first met in Anjuna, and then ran in to again in Palolem and Mysore completely serendipitous-ly (I love it when that happens!) He's travelling with his uncle and aunt, and they are out most nights, so we join them for drinks and chat.
On one occasion, there are a few of us out at an Indian-Australian run bar which makes a big effort and hosts musicians, events and puts on fireworks for people. It's hugely popular, and packed out with people all drinking cocktails and beers from teapots and cups. So far so illicit. The music and fireworks are great and the atmosphere is buzzing, until:
1. Paul - strange guy who fancied Lisa in Cochin - appeared at our table. He didn't say a single word; just stood staring at us in silence. Then walked away, to continue staring from a different vantage point. Awkward to say the least! And a bit creepy.
2 All-of-a-sudden every waiter in the place quite literally drops what he is doing and makes a run for it. The local police have arrived, and within a few minutes, all the bev has been confiscated (NOOOOOO!), the power has been cut and the owner has had to go on he run to avoid a hefty jail sentence.
None of the bars in Varkala are licensed, but avoid the prohibition issue by paying the police huge baksheesh for the privilege of having a blind eye turned towards it. Discretion (ie serving alcohol in teacups etc) is usually enough. But because this particular bar is run by an Australian-Indian couple (inter-racial...how scandalous!), the police will not accept baksheesh, and have made it their mission to try and expose the Australian lady as being some sort of illegal immigrant. Which, of course, she is not. It's simply another example of endemic Indian corruption. Something's definitely rotten in the state of Kerala though...
We spend just over a week in Varkala, and by the time we leave, our plans have changed completely. Instead of heading eastwards to Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu, we decide to go to the Sivananda Vedanta Ashram a couple hours away, for some yoga, meditation and chanting.
A bit of soul-searching is just what the (ayurvedic, holistic) doctor ordered...
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