Highlights of Varkala

No real sights per se in Varkala, but it was an excellent rejuvenating stop.
The town, which I ignored except for the train station, is a few km from the beach; the Varkala I describe is the tourist ghetto on the cliffs.

Here are some of the things I enjoyed in Varkala:

• sandy beach
• refreshing breezes
• body-surfing in the waves
• walking along the cliff-top walk, looking at the stores and restos and cafes (all with breezes and a view)
• Keralan coffee – filtered!
• fresh seafood nightly (I counted 16 restos that had fresh fish on display for dinner along the 1.2km cliff-top walkway)

  

  note the pieces cut out of the blue marlin

• meeting other travellers (hi Brennen, Micaela, et al) – this was the first stop since Mamallapuram where there were lots of westerners
• taking my first yoga class, and meeting a very interesting western “swami” (Jay, though he hates titles – he’s “a spiritual being having a human experience”) on the beach later that day
• taking a hands-on Kerala cooking class  (see my other post)
• sunsets (at least the last 2 days when it wasn’t cloudy); see a sunset wave video at http://jantrabandt.blip.tv/

  

  

• Tibetan singing bowls (there are a number of Tibetans here, with their shops and restaurants; in fact 2 of my best meals here were at 2 Tibetan restos – one fresh kingfish/dolphin-fish/mahi-mahi, and one veg sizzler).  (sorry, no Tibetan singing bowls in that picture – different shop!)
• tourist wedding on the beach: bride and groom arrive on separate elephants, led by a little band (drums and cymbals); after a brief ceremony in a decorated bamboo hut built on the beach for the occasion, they depart together on one elephant. Lots of tourists on the beach watch! (see the photo in another post, and the video now at http://jantrabandt.blip.tv/)
• natural spring water coming out pipes at the bottom of the cliff (refill your water bottle! I UV-sterilized it to be extra safe (because I had the technology :-), but lots of tourists were drinking it)

Misc photos: North beach viewed from a breezy 2nd floor resto, fishermen at dusk:

Be forewarned: every meal takes at least 1 hour!