Route From Kovalam to Varkala

February 01, 2015 
KOVALAM to VARKALA 78 km
Kaiya House 2500Rs ($40) including breakfast 


Searching for the Beachfront Lane

Dave is a little under the weather, a bit flu-ish. Luckily, we had planned a short distance today to Varkala. 

Another gorgeous ride where we opted for the maze of small backwater roads instead of the busier main road. At one point, where the map showed the road ending, and a ferry service, a large bridge was in process of being built. There was no ferry service to be found. We backtracked only a few km and were shown a shortcut by a local man of this Muslim dominated zone. The short cut got us to the main road and a different bridge which crossed from the long ocean front sandbar to the mainland.

More pretty Christian churches along the way to Varkala, Despite the denomination, they all had a towering pole out front that reminded Dave of German Maypoles. It is not May and these poles are permanent. All Christian churches here are dedicated to a particular Saint. And on that Saint's birthday, flags are flown from that pole to signify the annual celebration for that Saint.


There were a few more bodies of water we had to circumvent which kept us from having a straight ride along the ocean and the accompanying ocean views.    Still, it was a more serene ride verses taking the truck and bus route.
 

Debra Has a Wealth of Information

At 1:30, we arrived at our reserved Kaiya House and were warmly welcomed by Debra, the owner who is originally from Chicago, lived in England and settled here in Varkala 6 years ago. 

Her lovely little hotel gets high praise on Tripadvisor and she is #1 or #2 in the B&B category. She has 6 themed rooms. We got the small English room with a four poster bed. The bed is off the ground enough that we can store our stuff under it. We had opted for non AC, figuring that ocean air along with a fan would be sufficient. 

The top floor of Kaiya House is a covered terrace open on all four sides. It has an open floor space in the middle (which is large enough for a yoga class), a balcony (with more private places to sit) and a large communal dining table in the corner. Debra sat us down at the large communal table. She explained what we were to expect regarding her B&B, the layout of Varkala (what is where) and activities we might be interested in. Because Debra is an American expat, we felt she understood our needs and interests better and her suggestions could be trusted. Her restaurant recommendation proved to be spot on, great foreigner food in a lovely bluff top setting.

In the evening, it soon became apparent to me that just a fan was no match for the high humidity and heat. The sun was down but night air remained hot. We chatted with other guests in the evening as we played cards on the terrace.

 

February 02, 2015 - VARKALA FOODIES

The Heat Made us Crabbie

Debra, the owner of our hotel has been extremely attentive, a natural at trying to make her guests feel at home. The housekeeper prepares breakfasts to order. It was a feast and the filtered coffee a treat. It was the first 'good' coffee from Indian beans that we have had. Debra gets her beans from a special place in another city. The other guest, all non-Indians, were on whirlwind visits to India with just 10 day or two weeks to cram as much as India as possible. Their itineraries were full...... 

There were a few things about the place that, even with all Debra's charm, dampened our enthusiasm for the place. The wifi signal did not reach our room. Our small fan room was pretty stuffy. The fan on full blast merely circulated the hot and stifling air. We tried it with the window open too. The lack of storage space resulted in our lovely four poster-bed turning into a Chinese laundry. In spite of the fact that the house has lovely decorative touches, nowhere was there reprieve of the heat. I am of course comparing it to places that are able to provide comfort in this type of temperature, well placed fans and adjustable shades, for instance, would go a long way to achieving that. he lovely terrace had one family sized table built-in which was only comfortable briefly at 6 am for shady seats for an hour or so, until around 8 am. The center of the large open area had a fan we could pull a small table and chairs under. But moving to the fan would have pulled us away from the communal table and the contact with other guests which is often is so enjoyable. We concluded that place was overpriced and overrated (on tripadvisor & booking com) 

There are lots of accommodation options in Varkala and occupancy is down this year. The crash of the ruble is keeping the Russian away. I any case, we did not want to leave Debra and actually added an extra day after finding out more about upcoming Hindu Thaipusam festival. It is on the ninth full moon, the 3rd of February this year. It is the exotic piercing festival we had read about and watched in disbelief on travel shows and documentaries. 

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/thaipusam-be-held-feb-3-here-are-five-facts-about-the-hi

Debra teased us by showing the photos and videos she shot at the festival last year. We were stoked

  
More Restaurants Than You Can Shake a Stick At
 
The touristy beach area reminds us a bit of the shoreline area around West Beach in Santa Barbara, with the beach below the bluff at the bottom of a cliff. Here, a cliff top path is lined with inviting terraces, souvenir shops, hotels and guesthouses. We soon found a few favorite hangouts where we enjoyed fabulous familiar dishes like fajitas, fish tacos, hummus plates and fresh lemon sodas. There was an even mix of Indian and foreigners. The Indians seemed to be young couples or huge extended families. Parasailers ride the thermals up and down the cliffs like big birds. We occasionally walked the cliff path to the north. Nothing too strenuous in this heat. 
 
Cheap hotel options, a zillion food choices, a full range of activities, and a beautiful beach. It is obvious what attracts so many foreigners to Varkala and why it is a favorite place to return to for many.  
 

Psyched for Murugan
 
Back at Kaiya, Debra arranged for 5 rickshaws to pick us up at 6 am to take herself, us, and three other couples to the different villages for the day's events. Debra called it the "Murugan" festival. Thaipusam is the lunar event and Murgan is the name of the god to whom the Tamil's will show their devotion. Murugan is the embodiment of Shiva's light and wisdom.