Moving day, again! Onwards and further downwards to Varkala! Only 100km from the most southern part of India now, it's a shame that's it's so difficult to get there by bus and train, we would have made it there! I think another off putting reason is that for four days oat the end of the week we have to catch one train, three flights, one bus and a ferry to get to our Christmas destination; so another two days of long travelling this week will be a little exhausting!
We got to the bus station and asked the information booth where to wait for our bus, we sat on the step of the bus station where we were told the bus would be to Varkala. Right at the front so we could make a scramble on the bus and not be standing up or have nowhere to put our bags if the bus fills up before we get on! We spotted Claire at the bus stop, she was heading to Varkala also, so three of us annoying all of the bus conductors and the traffic control guy asking which one our bus was. The bus arrived 'Indian time' (ten minutes late) it was around the back of the bus station and lucky us... It was full! So we had to stand up, the bus conductor hushed the three of us to the back and we piled our bags up at the back in the isle because the luggage holders would not fit our bags! So Clair sat on hers and we piled ours against her whilst we were trying to mess about getting money out for the bus driver, the bus was not stopping to wait for me to get in my purse, balance today was a little off so I nearly fell into the conductor and knocked him down the stairs of the bus - whoops! That's what you get when you rush a white girl matey! Scott was holding on to me but he was wobbling around as well so it was a little bit of sweaty and clammy situation! Once if calmed down, I stopped profusely sweating and the wind was in my armpits coming from all angles through the gaps in the metal ( can't say they're windows because there isn't any plastic or glass!) haha.
After an hour or so we managed to get some seats, only problem was that after another hour or so the bus stopped at a bus station and the majority of people got off which to us was a great thing, only after about five minutes or nobody getting off and all except us and two others on the bus we found out through much confusion of the bus driver and some head wobbles that there was no oil in the bus so everyone had to get off and get another bus, thanks for letting us know guys!
We found our bus conductor in amongst the crowd and we jumped on another crowded bus but managed to get seats right at the back and put our bags in the isle... Great! Let's get going, on our way to Varkala!
(I get a little bored so google maps tracks where it am, good job I looked...)
We had passed Varkala and hadn't turned off the junction to get to it, so we start asking people is this bus going to Varkala, good job I looked when I did, within a matter of 2-3 minutes of us asking if the bus went to Varkala we had to jump off and catch another bus to Varkala from there! What an absolute palarva, all because some fruit cake didn't check his oil in his tin shed!
So we immediately get harassed by rickshaws drivers '250 rupees to Varkala' no chance mate!
We got a bus for 10 rupees instead haha!
This bus was revert empty and had loads of room for our luggage, how convenient!
After around 20 minutes we reached Varkala town, then a tuk tuk over to Varkala beach!
We thought it would be easier to get one rickshaw, because the rickshaws have been pretty spacey with decent sized boots in Kerala, nope not here in Varkala - of course! When you need something you can't get it, when you don't need it you get it! 'When in India'
So Scott's bag fitted in the boot just about and then mine went on both mine and Scott's lap and Claire's had her bad on her lap, how funny! We managed to get there though. So a three hour direct bus journey turned out to be three bus journeys and five and shall hours long, I dislike bus journeys!
Varkala town is pretty and seems very quiet and chilled out.
The cliff side is packed full with a mix of beach shacks, restaurants, massage businesses and shops and markets, and hotels and hostels.
We walked ages down the cliff side to find our hotel, we asked so many people and no one knew where it was but they all had rooms available! Some local guy phones the number that was provided for us and we eventually found it, we are in such a great spot!
*Rajams cliff resort*
For £5 each a night with a sea view, hot water and satellite tv we can't go wrong! And finally we are on a high level room! Woohoo, we gained some luck!

We went for a bite to eat in the evening and met up with A few people which turned out to be quite creakily coincidental as somehow out of 8 of us, most us had all met at some point in India! - such a small world!
We had a few beers tonight, much needed after that day of bus journeys here and not having a drink since Goa, 10 days ago! We are thirsty for some beer! It's a little more expensive here 160 rupees for a 650ml, because they have to pay tax on everything in Kerala and it's harder to get as the government are yet trying to make it illegal! Stupid government.