Laid Back Kerala

After the frenetic pace of Calcutta and the unusual pollution I experienced in Darjeeling, I was ecstatic to arrive in warm, clean, breezy, fresh-aired Varkala in the southern state of Kerala.

I realized that I had been moving quite quickly during the first half of my trip, with just a couple of nights in each of numerous cities (Delhi, Sarnath, Varanasi, Darjeeling and Calcutta). I needed a break and I couldn’t have found a better spot than this…

Coastline of Varkala in the state of Kerala

While there are definitely more popular spots in Kerala (Kovalum, to name just one), Varkala was the answer to my sinus issues and the antidote to my fast-paced progress.

The town itself sits on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea (how exotic does THAT sound?) and is lined with cafes, restaurants and (oddly) Tibetan-owned shops selling everything from jewelry to clothes to trinkets.

My mornings consisted of sleeping in (for me, this means until 7am :-), wandering over to a cliff side restaurant and enjoying a pot of coffee with milk and a croissant with jam and butter (usually with my new friend from Connecticut, Kate). During the hot afternoons, I lounged at the pool at my hotel (one of the few hotels with a pool, I paid a bit more than other backpackers for this luxury, a whopping $15/night), napping, reading and listening to my iPod.

Pool at the Preeth Beach Resort. Employee spruces up the painting on the bathroom.

At night, I’d reconnect with Kate for dinner at one of the numerous restaurants offering fresh seafood and fish.

Fish on ice at one of the many restaurants along the cliff.

I’d then start the whole process over the next day. No wonder I couldn’t leave for a week!

Happy Travels!

You can also read about my India travels on my blog at the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

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