February10, 2014. Varkala, India

Tomorrow we are back on the road but I have really enjoyed our six day vacation near the beach.

Due to the persuasiveness of the touts, I have had to throw out a pair of trousers and two shirts from home in order to get my pack closed. I knew I never should have bought that carpet!

Even the condiments on the table tonight made a photo.

Word picture: the touts

Every shop has a tout.

Some wear beautiful saris

And are covered in piercings and jewelry.

Some have tiny children

Who also encourage

"Please Mam just look in my shop"

"Looking is free, Mam"

Some touts are handsome young men.

"The first sale of the day brings you good luck."

"You promised yesterday that you would come back."

Now that we have walked the same clifftop path

Along the ocean, we have our own collection of touts.

We have our old waiter with one bad eye.

This morning he told us:

" I saved your table for you last night.

And you didn't come.

Just sit down now and I bring you coffee for free."

Coffee is kingfisher beer in a teapot.

He leans forward and kisses our heads.

We have our carpet/ jewelry tout

Who every day cajoles me into his shop

To admire a small handmade carpet

That is beautiful.

"But I will have to carry it everywhere

And my pack is already much too heavy." 

I keep telling him.

" I give you an excellent price."

"This carpet is made by hand."

"You will have it your whole life, mam."

Every day the carpet becomes cheaper and cheaper.

Now I own  that carpet and I will have to carry it

For the rest of this trip.

Jim has the drum maker.

Jim expressed interest in an Indian flag.

And the drum maker doesn't forget.

He wants to make that sale before we leave.

We will see who wins this one.

Thanks to Lakshmi who persuaded us

To come into her shop

Jim and I both have light cotton Indian clothing.

Lots of it.

She wouldn't tell us any prices

But kept saying how cheap it would be 

If we bought more things.

Her first price was so high.

We tried to leave.

Her second price was a little less.

"Tell me how much you pay?"

She kept encouraging.

When we tried to leave again,

Chairs were brought out for us.

We eventually left with the clothing.

Every time we walk by her

She tries her best to get us into her shop again.

In the evening, the restaurant touts smile and bow

And point to candle lit tables.

They pull out chairs.

They display the days catch,

A huge blue marlin, barracudas, enormous prawns,

All strewn with red magnolia flowers.

Some touts offer cheap drinks.

Anything to get you in for dinner.

February 9, Vakara, India

Yesterday, Jim and I went to the city of Vakara. We didn't last long until we were ready to head back to the beach. Even crossing the street is so difficult, as horns beep and everyone seems to be coming ever which way.  Guess I just don't cross too many busy streets in Portaupique.

Lots of colours, smells and sounds mix to make a sort of frantic energy in the city.

While where we are staying is very touristy, it is also quiet and beautiful and relaxed.

We had another great fish supper last night.

My new cane has been very useful. Yesterday I took it to a shoemaker to get a leather tip over the slippery brass one. Today, it is at the drum maker getting repaired as the brass part that joins the two pieces of the cane together is very wobbly.  I fear that it will no longer come apart and be packable but hopefully it will be secure to use.

Every morning we watch fishermen while we are having breakfast.

And this morning on the beach

We also saw some wonderful yoga.  Hopefully once I am walking better, I will be able to bend and stretch and stand on one foot again!

One more day of vacation, and then it's back to the hard work of seeing India!

February 7, 2914 varkela, India

What a wonderful day today. Usually I am filled with have to dos and want to dos but today finally I am having a great day off. Jim and I had a terrific breakfast and then I read for the morning., finishing Anne Tyler's The Beginner's Goodbye. Ever since I read her Accidental Tourist many years ago, I have enjoyed her writing.  Recently I figured out how to borrow ebooks fom the library. Now I always have ten holds ahead,( the maximum) and a couple of works waiting to be read on my bookshelf. On this trip so far, I have read sue Monk Kidds,  the Invention of Wings (excellent) and February and of course, today's The Beginners Goodbye.

Then Jim and I changed into our bathing suits and headed for the beach. The waves were spectacular

And a little nerve wracking as they knocked you off your feet. We weren't in long before we decided we were cooled off and perhaps it would be safer on shore. Parts of the beach had red flags, presumably indicating that the surf was too strong to be out in.  Jim said that I was making quite a fashion statement.  "Why?" I asked. Well he said you are the only female on the beach in a one piece bathing suit except for a few bikini wearers who just neglected the top part.

February 6, 2014 Varkala, India

This fellow joined us as breakfast this morning!

Later in the morning we stopped for beer. It comes in teapots this time of day to satisfy the police.

After our beer break we head to the beach for a swim.The water was warm and clear, the sand was white and perfect and the surf was huge! Eagles and para gliders were overhead. 

February 5 , 2014 Varkala, India

This morning Francis picked us up in Kollum and took us to his home.

We met his daughter Olive and his wife Jacquilin.

It was wonderful to see a real home and to have breakfast. This was definitely a highlight of my trip so far.

The we were off with Francis to see where he grew up.  Lots of boats and fishermen.

The boats here are sewn together with coconut rope, no nails.

I walked up to the top of a lighthouse.

And then we drove to Varkala and eventually we found the spot that Jim had booked on line. Unfortunately we first found a fantastic coconut village that I could imagind spending the rest of my trip at. Imagine when I found out that it wasn't our  coconut village but a cheap one! Of course our coconut village is not nearly the place that the other one was BUT it does have wifi and I can look and see the ocean, so all is good.

Francis took us to see the beach and to get beer before he left us. Suddenly we came across a snake charmer. I had grown up with a photo my Dad had taken in India during WWTwo of a snake charmer. This photo has now disappeared but now I have seen the real thing.

I have been admiring all the men in loungis. They continually seem to flip their skirts! One minute long, the next showing knees. Jim has joined the fraternity thanks to Francis.

February 4, 2014, Kollum, India

Yesterday, Jim and I took a five hour ferry from Alleppy down the inland waterway. It was a lovely trip.

More of the Chinese fishing nets: this time not on the shore but right in the channel.

Lots of fishing boats

and again, my favourite, the people.

I was quite excited to be going to stay at the Amrithanandamayi mission, Jim was skeptical. The ashram is enormous, more than two thousand people live there plus all the visitors. It's a huge pink edifice wedged between the inland water way and the Indian Ocean. The  site is spectacular. After checking in and getting our sheets, we made our way down to the ocean. Ama was leading some meditation. For the next hour, many people in plastic lawn chairs sat and breathed. 

Unfortunately, both Jim and I were appalled with the entire cult mentality. After the meditation, there was another service for two hours in a huge hall.  This was all songs in Hindi praising "AMA" the mother god. Ama was at this service too. By the time it ended, we were too disgruntled, and tired to eat so we were back to our bare room and drank rum and coke.  Absolutely against the rules, as is 

handholding, fratranizing with the villagers, taking photos and on and on and on.

Anyways, this morning before breakfast, we went and sat on the beach. I did two sketches and wrote this:

A flat cerulean sky

Meets the Indian Ocean

Far on the horizon.

The water is pale and calm

Until it reaches the rolling 

Beige and mauve sand.

Then the wave deepens 

To a dark blue green

And swells until it 

Can rise no more.

It collapses with

A booming, thunderous spray.

The white froth spills up the beech

And then recedes

Just before the next wave crests.

After a plate of rice, I returned to the beach where I sat and painted for four hours. it was glorious!

Then we checked out of the cult- freedom felt wonderful and we caught a tuk tuk to Kollan.

By the time we arrived, I was starving, no lunch or supper yesterday and some rice this morning and no lunch.  I was also totally scared to death because of the many near misses in the tuk tuk.  

As soon as we found a place to stay ( too expensive, but we were desperate) we got another tuk tuk to go to a hotel where they served beer and food. Jim and I ended up in the lounge called the glazier-- everything was stark white, walls, tables, chairs everything and of course the entire place was empty! It certainly seemed surreal.  Until this spot, I thought that vegetarian food was easy to get in India. Not at the glazier, Jim enjoyed spicey beef and beer and I settled for french fries! And so ends another day in India.