Varkala Tales: Humans of Varkala

Varkala Tales is my new travel series based on my latest travel to Varkala in Kerala. This series will cover sunsets, teas, people, solo travelling and ofcourse places. Brace up for some poetry too. This is part three of Varkala Tales, Feedback welcome and highly appreciated.

I have said this earlier, I will say it again. One of the best things about travelling is the people you meet- some give you life goals, some lend a fresh perspective, some just make you smile and few more humble you down, the nice way. Here is my share of experiences from the humans I met in Varkala, may be also the humans who make Varkala what it is.

Meet Stephen.  Actually Stephen has a personality interesting enough that it will find you, even if you may not necessarily go looking for. In the last couple of days of my stay in Varkala, it almost became customary to halt by this small shop selling small artifacts carved out of marble and say hello to Stephen.  From London, Stephen is in Varkala to train as a yoga instructor. I first met Stephen at the marble artifacts shop, where he has been spending a couple of hours each day to learn how to shape marble pieces perfectly. Here he poses with his yoga instructor; the picture below is the shop is where he sharpens his artifacts skills.

At Varkala’s famous Coffee Temple I met Lovely, I approach her curious to know if she owns the place. Lovely does not own the coffee shop, but helps manage it and has been there for close to ten years. In a small chat we have, Lovely tells me before joining the tourism industry she worked as a software professional in one of the big cities. It is amazing what people do for the love of travel and tourism- from a big city to a beach destination with a creek- Lovely surely does not seem unhappy about the decision.

                                  I forgot to get a picture of Lovely, so here is  Coffee Temple for you instead.

I call him boat uncle, because my memory is of no aid as I try to recollect his name. I dare not name misname him. So yes, he is boat uncle. He was the boat man for my twenty minute ride to and fro Golden Island in Varkala. Though I do not remember his name, trust me I am a fan. What does one do if you are the only one in a boat and the only other person is the boatman-strike a conversation. I ask him about his family. “ Kids?” “One, adopted,” he says with a smile. I hope that is reason enough for you too to like him. If you still don’t, I don’t like you my reader.  Boat uncle talks very warmly about his school going son, where he adopted him from and about his wife who works as a nurse. “ We both earn enough to have a decent living,” says. Boat uncle understands and also speaks hindi. “ How come?” I ask. I have worked as a plumber in Dubai, fell three floors down in an accident, gave up the job and returned to Kerala,” he says. When in Kerala, be sure to meet a Middle-east return.

It is a tie between whom I like the most- the boatman uncle or this European couple. Both gave me life goals of different kind. Meet Ayesgul and her partner- Lorris. Ayesgul is Turkish and Lorris is Italian. Lorris met Aysegul in Turkey and they both later decided to go on a trip to Sri Lanka. Post the trip, Ayesgul returned to her office job and Lorris went ahead to explore India. At his last destination in India- Varkala, Lorris decided to start a new life in this beautiful beach destination.  “ Lorris told me I have found our future,” says Ayesgul as she narrates her story with a big smile. “ We did the maths and saw how much we have and decided we had enough to start a business in Varkala,” she says. I ask them how long they have known each other, “We celebrated our fourth anniversary on 7^th October, it is my lucky day,” says Ayesgul. You need to see that sweet smile to know how lucky. God bless the couple. You can know them personally by staying at keeratheram when you plan to travel to Varkala.

Give solo travel a try!

“What will you do alone,” was a frequent question when I first told anyone I am planning to travel solo. Once I returned, the question merely changed its tense to “What did you do alone.”

Good question. Honestly, I did not know what I will do alone and I still don’t know what one should do on a solo trip. To each his (read her) own may be. But here is why I wanted to give solo a try and I ain’t complaining.

               For solo travel either be good with selfies or you might click random pics like the above

First. I am on a life mission to be ferociously independent in this ever changing world. How sad it would be to not be able to travel to some nice place, for the simple reason of not having the right company. Rule one of solo travelling- your company is the best company.

Second. “Your parents aint accompanying you?” asked the boatman who rowed to Golden Island in Varkala. I wonder if he would have cared to ask a guy travelling alone the same question. So go travel to prove to the world and more to yourself that a girl/woman/young lady/old lady/lady in her thirties/ lady who does not care/ single lady/married lady/ divorced lady…I guess you got the point now, can and is normal to travel alone.

Third. Hey, its fun. Okay, it aint the kind of fun you would have with a group of crazy friends doing crazy stuff, but it is still fun. For starters, you are more inclined to make new friends and more aware of people and experiences around you. On this trip, I had a lovely dinner with a young medical professional who was also travelling solo. It is always nice to meet people of a different age, different work profile, different city and different thoughts.

Fourth. Just like you don’t learn to swim until pushed into the pool, same is the law with the intuition to know whom to trust and whom not to.  Solo travelling will help you be more confident about your sixth sense of danger and its absence.  

Fifth. I like strolling the beach for hours and then returning to my room and falling asleep instantly happy-tired of all the beach-walking. I am not sure how many of my friends really like that idea. Solo travelling is a good trip to do what exactly makes you feel nice-no one to judge and no one to compromise for. Choose a destination you like and you can also drop it last minute just because the sun isn’t shinning bright enough today. No one to answer and no one care.

If these are reasons enough for you to go solo or if you have found a sixth reason, go ahead. Here are some tips which might come handy- carry books, lets admit it – self company may get boring sometimes. Load your smart phone with a long playlist for the same reason.  If you have a pet project in mind which you wish to execute in solitude, stay back in one place for a longer period. In the instance of lack of a pet project, avoid longer stays at one location, keep moving, cover more locations in one trip, it will keep you entertained with new people, new sights and new experiences each day. Finally, be prepared for an emotional turmoil, whether you intend or not, soul-searching will come searching for you on a solo trip and then there is no escape. But there is always a brighter side- clarity at the end of the tunnel.

“Give solo a try” – is part of my new travel series from my first solo trip to Varkala in Kerala. Reach out with your solo travel experiences, queries and for any safety tips.