Transfer from Munnar to Varkala was not easy. As I had missed my bus in Munnar, I was already late. In addition to that, I didn’t board the direct bus to Ernakulam. The bus dropped me at Aluva, from where I was advised to board a train to Ernakulam, some 30 minutes away in the train journey. After a wait of an hour, I did board a train but in the general compartment. There are two railway junctions in Ernakulam: North and South. I didn't know that the trains halting at Ernakulam North don’t halt at Ernakulam South and vice versa. Ernakulam North arrived at the promised moment, and I did alight, but just then a fellow traveler assured me the train would halt at Ernakulam South too. In fact, he was himself alighting there. He looked like a local; so, I didn’t double confirm it. Only later I realized he was himself traveling to the city for the first time in a group comprising 30 people from Jharkhand. BTW, just for information, this was his fourth train in his single journey from Jharkhand to Ernakulam. Anyways, the Ernakulam South never arrived, and I reached Kottayam instead at 01.30 AM, and I had a train to board from Ernakulam South at 5 AM. In addition to that, I was traveling ticket less in a general compartment. Of course, I duped the ticket checker, who was diligently active in service even at the wee hours of the morning, got a return ticket to Ernakulam North, and somehow reached Ernakulam South on time to board the train to Varkala. It was a sleep less night, but it would have been so in any case. However, I will have to admit that even the general compartments in those trains were pretty clean and comfortable.
I think the little trouble in the train journey was to prepare me for a very comfortable stay at Varkala. Talking of stay at Varkala, let me inform you it is very important to chose your abode in Varkala with a great taste. There are four choices: North Cliff, beyond North Cliff, South Cliff, and Varkala Beach. North Cliff is the hub of activities, and most people want to put up there. I also put myself up in a sea facing room in a hotel at North Cliff, which was a good option. However, better it is to put yourself up in a home stay or a hotel at South Cliff, most of whom have stairs leading to the secluded parts of the beach, which they don’t mind calling their own private beaches, where you can swim and bath sans stares. There are also lots of resorts on the stretch extending from North Cliff to Edava/Kappil beach, which offer a cozy stay in the serene natural beauty, albeit sans beaches. However, I will advice you not to put up at the Varkala Beach per se. It is a crowded place with less comfort and privacy, which you wouldn’t expect from a beach life, even if it is just for a day or two.
Varkala was the last stage of my trip, and I chose it to wind down and write. I am not a swimmer; I am not colored; I don’t wear bikinis; I don’t ogle girls; and I don’t play frisbee with dogs; so, I hardly had any charm for the beach per se. I just wanted to stare into the unending landscapes of water, which I could do from my hotel room itself. So, I didn’t do much in Varkala except for taking a long morning walk from North Cliff to Kappil Beach, spending an evening in the South Cliff, and taking a Shirodhara message at North Cliff. But I did enjoy my comfortable stay at Varkala observing, thinking, and writing. A lot of what has gone into this book was indeed written at Varkala.
Ayurveda is omnipresent in Varkala. I don't have many positive opinions about Yoga. However, I have been doing Jalneti to manage my sinus. I don't know whether it has helped me or not, but it does give a good feeling for some time, especially in a polluted city like Delhi. In Varkala, the nature care options are many. Almost every second resort has a resident doctor-cum-manager, who would offer you medical consultation followed by a tailor made Ayurvedic treatment program comprising series of Yoga massages and exercises. I chose to try Shirodhara massage, in which lukewarm herbal oil with coconut oil base is poured on forehead for nearly 40 minutes. As per the doctor there, the Shirodhara massage should be preceded and followed by a head massage, and he decided to offer it free to me. So, the whole program lasted for an hour. Was it any good? Well...this program offers to cure you of your insomnia by reducing stress, releasing headache, migraine, etc. I don't have any chronic headache problem, but I do wake up several times at night. Of course, I am not naive enough to expect cure of my sleep problems (if any) in a single exercise. Before starting the exercise, the advice I got from the doctor was to not to expect much, to enjoy the moment, and to try not to think too much about it. I don't do meditation, so it is not possible for me not to think. I asked him if it would be alright to fall asleep. He said it would be the best. Unless I am with a partner, I fall asleep thinking something or the other: fantasies, court proceedings, social issues, nature, and chores in the decreasing order of preference. My obvious choice there was fantasies. Ever since I had come to Kerala, I had not found a single girl arousing amorous interest. Interestingly, during the exercise, I dreamt of an unknown Keralan face, of whose I was not interested in the face of course. The message of the exercise: Not only hills, backwaters, and beaches but also Keralan girls are sexy; point well taken.
It seems North Cliff to Edava/Kappil Beach is a completely unexplored area. There was an unstructured walkway right from the cliff to the beach, but, of course, it was not well planned. There were lots of private beach resorts on the way, who had obviously constructed promenades on the shore lines in front of their properties. These promenades linked to each other forming a continuous pathway. Wherever there were no resorts, there were kuccha pathways used by the villagers. The walk in the morning was an immense pleasure. There was so much of natural beauty in and around the pathway that a few km walk turned into a never ending dreamwalk taken leisurely in sync with the pace of the clouds on the horizon. The modest houses of the commoners gave competition to the big resorts of the rich, for the nature wouldn't discriminate between the rich and the poor. Fortunately, the political society of the place had still not allowed the resorts to acquire the lives of the villagers; therefore, the fishermen would carry out their activities unperturbed next to the resorts, and the guests would, for a change, watch and learn.
Edava/Kappil Beach at the end of the pathway was serene and beautiful. There was not a sign of humanity on the stretch except for some fishermen activities at the start of the stretch. I almost ran naked on the beach but for the small fishes who had come on the shore in lecherous interest, but I was in no mood to entertain them. I diligently picked them up, caressed them, and gently flung them back into the water lest they should die in amour.
There was also a beautiful backwater lake running parallel to the beach, which had been exploited by the entrepreneurs to build resorts alongside the lake. But the resorts were mostly unoccupied because of the off season. There were also stone embankments alongside the sea periodically halting the walk along the beach, but these halts also gave the opportunity to sit, relax, watch the vast expanse of water, and contemplate, while getting drenched in the waves. Luckily, the clouds on the horizon were also matching their pace with that of mine. Seeing me tired, they also halted and poured a bit before starting their journey again.
How versatile the nature can be! She can use the same clouds to express joy, sadness, anger and love. She can use the same wind for navigation, destruction, breeze and smoke. She can use the same Sun for light, eclipse, energy and blaze. It all depends upon the relationship you want to enjoy with her. You can fall in love with her and enjoy her protection, or you can destroy her with your unhindered and audacious adventures, which eventually destroys you. Unfortunately, this relationship is not one-to-one; it was only my luck that I was alone there and got the special attention of the clouds. At all other times, how nature loves one is the result of the cumulative love of all to her and the humans still have a lot to learn about love.
After a walk of around 3 km, I reached the end of the beach, where I found some dogs. I did get frightened for I was in clear minority amongst the Varkala dogs, who have been made notorious by media for attacking humans. But, thankfully, they were busy in some kind of foreplay, and I never pose any threat to any kind of sexual activity unless it's rape. So, I moved on and crossed the beach through a stone embankment separating the sea from a small lake and leading towards a motorable road, and the next I saw "Real Yoga Center: Lake N' Sea" having the lake on the back and the sea on the front, but I think the dogs were having more fun over there. No, I don't think Varkala dogs pose any threat to humanity.
If a regular pathway were to be built between North Cliff and the end of Edava/Kappil Beach, it would become the most visited promenade. But, of course, it would affect the rural set up amongst other things. I was able to explore this beauty of nature mainly because I like exploring things, and probably the most interesting things are reserved for the explorers only.
