Currency:
Indian Rupee

Highlights:
The backwaters, chilling out on the beach in Varkala

Our Adventure:

Day 1 - Buses, Boats & Trains

It was a day of travelling that rivalled all others. It started off with a bus ride from Kumily to Kottyam - but this wasn't just any bus ride as there were only local buses that did this route. Given our terrifying experience with our private driver to get to Kumily, we figured it couldn't get much worse and so we decided to take our chances - plus we saved a lot of money as the bus was only Rs75 (GBP 1!). It was a 4 hour journey and although it did have its comical moments (especially some of the locals cuddling up to Shaun and me on our bench), it wasn't all that bad and we arrived on time into Kottyam.

We then felt like we were part of Amazing Race as we arrived at 1pm and the ferry we needed to catch to Alleppey was leaving at 1:30 so we jumped into some tuk tuks and headed for the lake - only to find out that the ferry had left early at 1pm. So we had to decide whether to catch a train and go straight to Varkala (our final destination) or to hire a private boat to take us across the lake. We really wanted to see the backwaters around the lake though so private boat it was and after much haggling, we jumped on an awesome little boat with another English couple who had also been stranded by the early ferry.

The backwaters are beautiful and definitely worthy of their reputation of being the number one tourist attraction in Kerala. They basically consist of a series of water canals that spill onto the vast watery highways of the region and are surrounded by palm trees. They fringe the coast and trickle inland for 900 km. Long before the advent of roads, these waters were the slippery highways of Kerala, and many villagers today still use the paddle-power as their main form of transport. It was really peaceful out on the water and we were a little sad that we couldn't stay overnight on a houseboat as we had originally planned but it would have meant less time in our next stop and we were all keen for some beach time.

Which took us to our next mode of transport - a 4-hour train from Alleppey to Varkala, a hippy beach town that has been heralded as the next Goa (we had been tempted to go to Goa but hadn't heard that many good reports). Once again we 'localled' it up and got nice and personal on the train as this train didn't have a 1st class AC compartment. It wasn't quite as bad as we expected though - we all got seats together and the views from the train, especially while the sun was setting, were spectacular. The only not-so-spectacular part was the smell that we had to deal with of a urinal at the back of our compartment - it was okay when the train was going but each time the train stopped, we just about died.

We finally arrived into Varkala and were taken with it immediately - it was dark so we couldn't see the view but we loved the set up - loads of restaurants, shops and guesthouses along the top of a cliff with just the sound of the waves breaking below. We had very disappointing meals that night as we made the mistake of veering away from Indian. And then we all promptly collapsed into bed in our cute huts (where you could really imagine garden gnomes living!).

You can view our photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=389320&id=713415257&l=099d476419

Day 2 - Falling in love with Varkala

We enjoyed our first sleep in for a while and woke up to the most beautiful view awaiting us from atop the cliffs - the colour of the ocean and the waves below were so stunning, enhanced by a line of palm trees along the sand. Sadly, there was so much rubbish on the side of the cliff though and the paradox really seemed to sum up a lot of what we have seen in India - so much beauty yet so much pollution also. The dolphins were also out to welcome us though and we all felt the most relaxed we'd been in a while breathing in the sea air again.

We then missioned to our new spot after breakfast that Sheeba (from our Kochi guesthouse) had recommended (except it ended up not being as good as the first place so we ended up back at the first place the next night!).

It was sweltering down here again so we spent most of the day relaxing in the shade playing cards or lying in our hammock - although we did have a quick dip in the sea in front of our place. That evening us girls ventured out to the beauty therapist, Reja. We were a little skeptical of the place but it was definitely a case of how we shouldn't have judged the book by its cover as Reja was fabulous and I survived my first eyebrow threading experience!

After that we met up with the boys to witness a sensational sunset over cocktails (finally - my first in a while!) before having an even more amazing meal at Kerala Coffee House - chicken tikka kebabs with garlic cheese naan. We were right next to the tandoori oven so we could see them preparing it - and it was so good we came back the following night! They were also playing some awesome reggae tunes in the background. This night was sadly the 'Last Supper' for us as it was the final night the 6 of us would be together (the others are heading to KL / Singapore / Bali for the last part of their trip). We have had so much fun together though and formed so many memories that I know we'll be laughing about them together for many years to come...

You can view our photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=389322&id=713415257&l=ac687f6c0b

Day 3 - Fully Chilled Out in Varkala

The Van Alvins left this morning so breakfast seemed a little lonely with just the 4 of us remaining. The guys' main intent thereafter was watching the India vs. South Africa cricket so after a swim in the beautiful beach we discovered the other side of the cliff, the guys headed back to the TV and V and I put in some beach time (albeit under an umbrella as even we couldn't handle the sun here enough to tan!).

That evening, we had a lovely relaxing dinner and reflected on some of our favourite memories from the trip… It will be even stranger for us to be apart from the Herriotts as we have been with them for 4 months now - but the thought of being roommates for a week back in London together made us feel better!

Next up was a long travelling day which would take us from Varkala by train to Trivandrum, from Trivandrum by plane to Mumbai and from Mumbai by plane to our final destination, Colombo.

You can view our photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=389324&id=713415257&l=88d98fd861

Cheers,
Lara + Leise