Notes from Varkala Beach in Kerala, India

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From the cliffs of Varkala, I can see dozens of fishing boats. Eagles soar above me, in and out with the tide and the breeze. The beach is almost empty, and the weather is perfect.

During my stay at the ashram last week, I decided to take a day trip to the town of Varkala. Varkala's beach has become a tourist attraction for Westerners on the India circuit. My trip was during the monsoon months, so it was low season. 

Here are some notes that I wrote down on a napkin at Varkala Beach.

• The waiter at Sun Rise Restaurant is asking me about the movie A.T.L. He wants to know if we really have skating rinks in America where people congregate to ride around a large room in circles.
• A lot of Westerners at the ashram have taken up Indian guru names. My new roommate Chris prefers to be called Prabakash. I think it would be funny to give Indian people American celebrity names. Thus, I Christen my Nepalese waiter T.I.
• Juggling green lemons for a small audience.
• Big, early-breaking waves.
• Never being able to remember all the Hindi the waiter just taught me!
• Tibetans and Biharis work at the tourist shops and restaurants. Tourist towns as refugee camps?
• The two big live lobsters in that brown box. 1kg of fresh lobster with butter and garlic will cost about US$20.
• Zinder means "alive" in Hindi; attra means "How much?" in Malayalam.

If you felt that Goa was too crowded and too big, check out Varkala in Kerala state. I highly recommend it.