Varkala, Kerala, India

Trip Start Feb 26, 2008
1
7
93
Trip End Ongoing


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Saturday, March 8, 2008

After the boat cruise in Allepey we made our way to Allepey train station where we booked a train to Varkala. We got to the station at 9:30 on Saturday morning but the train wasn't leaving til 3:30pm. We decided to take a different train at 11:30 and then change to another train to take us to Varkala by 2:30pm. We were a bit nervous about taking our first train in India as we had heard so much about them. At the train station, we got both welcoming smiles and inquisitive looks. A lecturer brought his class of students over to talk to us in English. Some of the class took pictures of us. The we met Youssef "the liar". He came over to chat to us, told us he was Christian, later told us he was Muslim, told us his eldest child was 20 and in university, then told us his eldest child was 18 in school, told us he was studying Ireland, then asked us 101 questions about Ireland. I understood about 10. He thought it was beside Italy. Anyway he helped us get the right train, showed us where to get off and where to get our next train from etc so he turned out to be quite useful Bandana in Varkala
Bandana in Varkala
 !
When we got to Varkala we took a tuk tuk to our accommodation that we booked while in Kochi. A beach hut on the cliffs overlooking the sea. A really nice place. Varkala is a lot more touristy than Kochi with more white people around than locals. There's lots of good places to eat and have a beer (even found a place to watch live premier league yesterday - Lydia was soooo happy!) and the beach is savage. We spent the whole day on the beach today, got burned (in blotches!). We went out at one stage to where the waves were breaking and got caught unexpected by some massive yoke - took us about 20 metres inshore and left me with my bandanna in my mouth and my swimming shorts around my ankles! Lydia's still laughing about it but i'm a bit traumatised still.
We're gonna stay here tonight and tomorrow and then take a 20 hour train ride north to Goa on Tuesday. Not looking forward to that but hopefully it'll be ok. We've to go to the train station tomorrow to try to get tickets.
Since we've been here we've seen an elephant (on the motorway with heavy chains around his ankles), a dolphin, loads of hawks, a snake (being charmed) and loads of different fish, and goats and cows everywhere! The conditions have been better than I expected with only one non-toilet paper toilet visited and all our accommodation has had a shower in it but I'm getting used to the bucket and jug shower, its much more refreshing than the standard trickle of luke warm water you get from a normal shower. Weather had been in the 30's all the time but there was a thunder storm last night and a nice sea breeze today. The sweating has stopped for now!
PS - Lydia is drinking beer every night - she loves it, can't get enough of it and in most places they serve it "discreetly" in a tea pot coz they won't pay for a licence to sell alcohol!
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