Isolation in India

It was time for some relaxation but getting to the beach turned out to be quite problematic. When we did get settled into our very cheap and 'rustic' beach shack and could take a breather we realised we had chosen well in coming to Gokarna, Kootlee beach. It is extremely isolated with a limited accommodation choice and a few beach shack restaurants that are simple but served a good choice and quality of food. We did a few laps of the kilometre stretch of beach on Kootlee and made the 30 minute walk to see the beautiful Om beach, just across the headland. I made friends with a lovely young girl selling bracelets on the beach. She wasn't very good at her job as she didn't ask me once to look at her jewellery but we just sat and chatted for about an hour, I think she wanted to practice her English and to use the opportunity to moan about the influx of Russians into Goa. The majority of traffic on these beaches were not Russians but cows who wandered up and down the beach, pausing occasionally when somebody gave them a scratch and a stroke!

Gokarna still remains a largely 'undiscovered' town the beaches are very isolated, especially in comparison to the now highly developed Goa. We are pleased we stopped off here for a few days of peace and quiet and hope it stays as un-commercialised as it is now, it is a real gem and still close enough to the livelier Goa.