Hanging at the Cliff

After breakfast we packed our gear to leave for Varkala Beach. The fairy to the boat jetty was not scheduled to depart for more than an hour so we hired a canoe to take us across the channel. The thought of all our gear spilling into the water if we tipped concerned me but as it turns out we made it across without incident.



The taxi driver brought us south to this beach area. We have checked into a home stay that was recommended to us and we are now setup in a ground floor room with a view of the Arabian Sea.

As the posts were piling up we made our way to the first WiFi spot we found. We settled into a travel agency that sold internet time. We met a woman who we had breakfast with back in Fort Kochi. She informed us that we were in her travel agency and we spoke for some time about doing business in India.

Varkala Beach is at the bottom of a cliff and there are steep steps leading down to the beach every three hundred yards. On top of the cliff is what I have named the "gauntlet" where vendors try to coax you into their shops or restaurants. Before heading down to the beach we stopped in at the Kerala Coffee Shop and enjoyed a banana shake.

After going for a swim we walked back to our room to seek out shade. The sun is punishingly hot and we found it difficult to sit on the beach. While I haven't checked a map, we must be getting close to the equator.

As sunset approached we made our way back to the cliff to watch the sun drop into the sea. After the sun goes down the restaurants place the fresh seafood that they are offering for dinner. They lay the fish on tables in front of their restaurants and pack them with ice. They have an abundance to choose from and Sue opted for red snapper cooked in a banana leaf which she raved about while I settled on chicken tika.

We have decided that this will be our last stop in our north to south trip along India's west coast. We are about 40 km from the nearest airport and I have booked a flight back to Delhi for early Thursday morning.

It is 8:25 am and our hosts advised us that they will serve breakfast at 8:30 am so I should get ready. We continue to hope everyone is doing well at home and that Barry and Kim drive safely on their motorcycle trip down in the southern States.