Varkala part 2

I am having an fantastic time here! I've met up with a few travelers, one from California, 2 from England, and a few from Sweden. This is exactly the sort of traveling I thought and hoped I would encounter in India! It's been so much fun, and everyone is in the same travel mode as i am. We took the local bus into town yesterday b/c we heard that there was a festival with elephants. The bus is crazy, you just flag it down and hope that it slows down enough for you to jump on (and off). The parade was interesting. There were tons of people in the street and floats with giant hindu gods driving by. We got to the elephant part and it was so sad to see them chained like they were that we couldn't watch all 51 go by so we headed back to the beach for a sunset beer.

Tomorrow 6 of us are going to do the houseboat trip through the backwaters. I'm so glad, b/c I wouldn't have gone on my own, but just opted for the touristy day trip. So now we'll get to see village life along the rivers, which should be very cool. This has really been a highlight of my trip to India and I'm so bummed that it's coming to an end next week! But I am definitely coming back to tour more of the South.

Varkala

I flew to Trivandrum yesterday which is in Kerala...my ticket said leaving Goa at 1:45 and arriving at 6:40 and I'm thinking: is it really that far, have I misjudged the distance? Well no. We stopped like 4 TIMES, for the love. My whole day was take offs and landings.
Anyway, I finally made it to Varkala which is about 45km north. The area I'm in is called North Cliff and it's just that...there is a foot path that goes along the cliff where the hotels, restaurants, shops & yoga studios are and then it's a really steep long climb down the cliff to the beach.
Today I signed up for some yoga classes and I had an aruvedyic massage. It was not what I was expecting. The table was carved wood, no padding, no towel, no soft music playing, no ambiance. But, you know, this is what it's all about, so I'm down. The massage was not very relaxing, needless to say. I also had a scalp massage, which involves warm oil drizzled across your forehead for 45 minutes. I'm a little skeptical, plus, all that oil is going right into my hair and hot water is not a given. But again, I tough it out. Well the oil is BURNING, and I'm trying to tell her that it's too hot and she's just drizzling away, finally, I'm practically to the door and she's like, too hot, madame? UGH - That lasted about 10 minutes too long, I think I'll stick to yoga.
I'm going to stay here for 5-6 days and just chillax on the beach in between yoga classes. I haven't had any physical activity in a month, so we'll see how this goes :)

Goa

Why didn't I come here first?! Goa is absolutely beautiful! Tropical, beach-y, hot...everything that I love. I've been in South Goa for 3 days, it's more mellow and chill-axed than the North. If you've ever heard anything about Goa it's usually related to the crazy partying, which happens in the North. In the South it's mostly Indian families that come for the weekend, so it's pretty quiet.

Six of us came down on Saturday for the club opening. Three of them designed the club and were doing the event management for the opening. I guess it was kind of a big deal b/c South Goa doesn't have any clubs much the less a night life, so there were belly dancers, scantily clad ladies welcoming guests, a DJ from Bombay, even an Indian celebrity! I think the media was there so I'll be sure to save the front page paper w/ my picture.

Today I've taken the bus, actually 2 buses, to the North and I'm going to spend 2 days here before heading to Kerela. The bus was an experience...There's no time table, they just leave when the bus is full. It cost me 30Rs, which isn't even a $1, so I'm not complaining.

The beach town I'm at is called Baga...most of the hippies hang out in Anjuna which is further north and that's where the drug scene is big. I guess it's gotten out of hand and there are rumors that the police are corrupt (surprising? not really) and that the Russian mafia is somehow involved. On Wednesday's there's a big flea market in Anjuna, I can only imagine what's being sold :) I'll let you know what I find.

Bombay-Pune-Lonavla

i decided not to stay in Bombay but I flew there from Udaipur on my way to Pune. To tell you the truth, I'm glad I didn't stay, b/c I got enough of Bombay on the drive from the airport to the train station which goes right through town. It's wall to wall taxis, buildings and people. 2/3 of the population live in slums...does anyone know the population of Bombay? suffice it to say that it's A LOT. You know, I've read the word 'squalor', but the meaning comes to life when you see how these people live. Corrigated metal, tarps and rocks form the walls and roofs of shacks that are strung together for miles. Garbage burns in piles 4 feet high and 30 feet long right where children are running around half naked, relieving themselves in the same spot they're playing in. It's unreal to see the conditions these people live it.

I would give my skin, if I thought it would help.

But Bombay is resilient and these people have come from villages where they are worse off (if you can believe it). They've come to Bombay for a chance that something positive will happen...that their lives will be transformed...and if anything is going to happen, it will happen in Bombay.

I hopped on a train from Bombay to Pune. The train station was a scene! 15 trains, 40 windows to buy tickets to all over the country. And you have to stand in a particular line depending on where you're heading - for the love. Where are the directions? I must have looked particularly pathetic, b/c a man came up to me and asked if I wanted help. Well, knowing that I'm a target (tourist, female, traveling alone - hello), I said no, I'm fine, I'll figure this out. He must have seen the look on my face b/c he proceeded to tell me that he wasn't there to scam me and that he's waiting for a friend and he genuinely wanted to help and see to it that I have a good experience in India. So I very cautiously followed this man and what do you know, he didn't scam me and he really did want to help. He helped me with my ticket and showed me where the train was and then he said good bye. And I was skeptical!

I spent 4 days in Pune with family friends. It was so nice to just chill. OH, I almost forgot to tell you this new word I heard: chillaxing. LOVE IT! Ok, so I'm chillaxing in Pune (say poona) regrouping for my 3 weeks in South India. We take a trip to Lonavla which is a hill station 90 min from Pune to visit family. The next thing you know, I've been invited to Goa for a club opening on Monday. Well I politely decline b/c I'm heading to Kerela, but they insist - so much so that they cancel my flight to kerela, purchase me a ticket to goa and pay for my hotel. So here I am in Goa, funny how things work out.

Udaipur

To the dismay of my new family in the desert, I finally left and headed to the lake town of Udaipur. They really wanted me to stay and celebrate Holi on March 21 - which is the festival when everyone throws (powdered or liquid) color in the air and you come out looking like a clown. But I couldn't do a week in the desert...so I'm headed for the ocean.

You'll know Udaipur from the James Bond movie, Octopussy. Definitely go out and rent it. Almost every hotel/restaurant/bar has a daily showing of the movie - but being the 007 buff that I am, I have seen the movie at least 7 times. The town is very cute, with lots of winding roads around the lake. At sunset, I went to a roof top terrace and ordered a beer, but this place doesn't have a license, so they brought it out in a teapot!

Tomorrow I'm flying to Mumbai and then taking the train to Pune. I'll stay a few days w/ mom's friend and enjoy some home cooking and some family love before setting off to Goa.

The Desert

I just spent two days on a camel in the desert, what was I thinking?? For the love, everything hurts. But what an amazing experience, I've never been to the desert and it was absolutely incredible. So camels are interesting animals...when they sit down, it's like folding up a chair, the front legs go down first and get tucked under their body and then the back legs go down, much like how people sit on their heels. It was a little sketchy the first time Polo, my camel, went down for me to get off. You have to lean WAY back, since they go down front first, you're really pitched forward, but the back follows quickly.

There were only 3 of us on the safari, a very likable Irishman, Connor, our guide, Nan and me. We rode for 2 hours or so and then stopped for a long lunch break to wait out the heat of the day. The camels get to roam around freely, which is a little concerning when it's time to ride again. But Nan seems to know exactly where they are and brings them back in no time. After lunch we rode for 3-4 hours, so it seemed, my sit bones and the area around was on fire. I was practically holding myself up w/ my arms on the saddle to stop myself from rocking in the seat. We finally make it to the sand dunes about an hour before sunset and I can barely walk - but all is forgotten when I watch the sunset - what an incredible sight. The sand is rippled from the wind, and below us is a flat desert that stretches as far as you can see. The sun goes down behind a distant mountain range, it's the most perfect day. We sleep in a row under the stars, and watch the shooting star show.

The next day I'm dreading getting back on that camel, but Nan assures me that it wont hurt as much as the first day, and you know he was right. But by 4pm that day, Connor and I were anxiously awaiting the cold beer that was to arrive with our transport back to town. that totally ranked up there with one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Jaisalmer, India

I left Jodhpur last night on the 11:15pm train to Jaisalmer, it's a 5-6hour ride. If you're looking on the map, I'm practically in the desert near the Pakistan border. The train ride was interesting, I booked a sleeper, AC car. B/c god forbid you get stuck in a car or a train w/o AC! (lol). SO anyway, I've got myself an upper bunk, and I'm tired, from being sick and waiting around all day for my train. I'm lumbering my way down the aisle of my car, b/c at this point not only have I done some shopping so my pack is bursting, but I've accumulated another small piece of hand luggage. I get to my # and i'm the top of 3 bunks. Shit. Not only that but there are 2 sets of 3 bunks facing one another, then a small aisle and then 3 additional bunks facing us. I heave my bag up there b/c there's no way it's fitting under the lower bunk, and scramble up. I can sit up but hunched over w/ my head almost in my lap. There are all kinds of people getting on and I'm relieved that most of them are tourists. What dumbass would take only a 6 hour journey in the middle of the night. Anyway, across from me is a guy from SF, of all places! So nice to speak english gramatically correct. I'm always telling people, no marriage, i have small sister only, more cheaper, you get my point. 5 or 6 hours goes by pretty quick and i'm surprised that I slept. The guy from the Shahi Palace picks me up w/ a couple from Scottland and we head out. What they didnt' tell me when booking is that checkout for the current guests isn't until 9am. OK. It's now 6am. So our option is the roof top terrace, and at first i'm a little skeptical, but it turns out to be absolutely stunning and the guy sets up beds for us on these built in daybed benches and we're looking at this glorious fort lit up right in front of us and the sky is turning that most amazing blue color right before sunrise, and all is good.

My room is awesome! This place is built outof sand stone w/ intricate lattice work and carvings and I'm paying $20 a night. A family owns this place and they are very warm and welcoming. I was invited to help make an authentic indian meal at the owners house w/ some other guests tonight! yey!!! I'll let you know how that goes b/c we're having mutton (goat).
Hope all is well!