Varkala beach was just what I needed after being hospitalized for typhoid and spending two months in (amazing yet cold) Nepal. I guess in a way, my body knows that it needs the beach and warm weather. After having Dengue, I also recovered at the beach on Koh Chang island , Thailand.
My mother and I took a bus from Fort Kochi to Varkala. The bus took about 6 hours and was actually quite nice. However, anytime I don’t have to stand for hours or sit on top of the bus, I think it is quite nice! We arrived at Varkala beach in the early afternoon and ended up staying at a place that our tuk-tuk driver suggested. I never listen to the “recommendations” that the drivers have, but Kerala Bamboo House ended up being great! Our bungalow was super clean, cozy and it had a semi outside bathroom. There was no roof and we could look up at the stars and sky as we showered. The beach was also right outside, about a 5-minute walk. The bungalow cost about $20.00 a night. This is normally out of my budget range, but splitting the cost with my mom made it possible.
Varkala Beach is along the Arabian Sea and part of the Indian Ocean. It is believed that a swim in the waters will wash away a person’s sins. I did not know this until I started writing this post. I saw many Indians taking brief dips in the water in a ceremonial fashion. I spent many hours swimming in the ocean and the waves knocked me all over the place. I must now be completely cleansed of my sins.
It is amazing how healthy I feel when I am at the beach. I instantly starting running every morning and eating healthy and delicious food. I spent my days lounging on the beach, reading, running and laughing with my mom.
Kerala Bamboo House had a cooking school and I ended up crashing Adam’s, (from New Jersey!) class. I didn’t exactly “crash” his class but was instead summoned by the instructor who was excited to introduce two American travelers to each other. I watched as Adam and Ani cooked multiple Indian dishes. Ani made a point to add a little extra food for me (as well as put the rice in heart shaped molds.) After the cooking class, Adam, Linda (who was summoned over at meal time) and I, enjoyed a delicious meal.
I enjoyed spending a brief time getting to know Adam. We enjoyed the beautiful Varkala sunset and he invited me to a kirtan/meditation class, that I really enjoyed. Varkala is known for yoga, meditation, and it is the birthplace of the Ayurvedic massage. I have realized that the hardest part of traveling is leaving behind the wonderful people that I meet. Sometimes, I only spend a brief time with these people, yet they make such an impact on my life. When I think about all the fabulous people I have met over the past 5 months I am happy and sad. Realistically, I will probably never see a lot of these people again. But I do know, there are a select few, that I will be seeing again.
Kerala and Varkala beach were lovely. From the little bit of time that I have spent in India, South India is completely different in every way from the north. I definitely plan to spend more time exploring the south.
🙂