We finally made it to India! I think so anyway. This is not the India I was expecting. I thought it would be hard and difficult and dirty but so far it's great!! We are in the Kerala region in the south, specifically Varkala. It's a tiny town right on the Indian ocean. We arrived yesterday after a harrowing 1 hour taxi ride from the airport. I was so exhausted from 2 days of travel I fell asleep in the back of the taxi while the driver kept one solid hand on his horn and had 48 near head-on collisions.
We found a little hotel near the beach and set out for lunch and a large, cold beer. The food has turned out to be delicious. I just ask the waiters to bring me whatever they would eat and I've had great luck. The town is set on a large bluff above a huge, pristine beach and all the restaurants and shops are precariously close to the edge. (Clearly the Coastal Commission does not exist in India.) It is very hot but there is a wonderful breeze at all times. In the evening, the town comes to life and all the fishermen come in to sell their fresh fish to the restaurants. Last night we sat on the 2nd story of a little restaurant overlooking the ocean and fishing boats and watched a beautiful sunset.
Varkala is known for 'ayurveda', which is a practice that seeks to balance out the body and mind, primarily through massage. We decided we definitely needed some balancing out and after swimming in the ocean all morning. We found a doctor, who practices ayurveda and told him to work his magic. In Kerala, men are not allowed to massage women, which turned out to be a good thing. The nurse took me in a small room and I had to strip down to nothing and sit on a chair in the middle. Then she proceeded to pour a gallon of herbal oil on me and scrub me down. It was a massage like no other!!! I'm not sure how balanced I am but my skin does feel nice and moisturized.
It's our last night in Varkala and we're off to enjoy a BBQ of lovely curried coconut lobster. India is great!!!!
ps-I'd post some photos but this computer is about 20 years old and USP ports were not invented back then.
