KERALA & VARKALA

15th - 20th May 2015

All in all, our 24 hour journey from Rishikesh to Varkala consisted of a short walk across the river, taxi, night bus, metro, airport bus, plane, tuk tuk, bus, smaller bus, tuk tuk. But let's start at the beginning... We hopped on the night bus from Rishikesh to Delhi and tried to get some sleep. At roughly two in the morning we were rudely awoken as our bus came to a halt surrounded by hundreds of other lorries and buses. People were wandering about in the road, then suddenly to our right a police man started to beat a lorry driver with a massive bamboo stick. It was all a bit surreal and in our docile state we hadn't a clue what was going on. We sat in the stagnant heat for nearly a hour until we saw the hold up. Two lorries had hit each-other head on in the middle of the bridge ahead. Over our time here we have admired India's skill and patience at queuing. The queuing was so good in fact that the police were now forcing drivers who were on the wrong side of the road back in line with force. We watched as several massive trucks carefully reversed back off the bridge making a path for the on coming traffic. My only thought at the time was we're going to miss our flight. 

We made it into Delhi bus station just as the sun was coming up. A sink wash, tooth brush and fresh hat put us back on track and we were off to catch the first metro. We made the airport in good time and were even lucky enough to bag two reclining bed style chairs by our gate. The only downside was that we had a song from the airport bus stuck in our heads. The only lyrics were "Hare Krishna", "Dom" and at points "Krishna Hare", excellent song writing I think you'll agree and it lasted the entire length of the bus trip. We slept for a bit then joined the clouds headed south.

As we flew low over Trivandrum City, it was clear Kerala was very different to the north. Palm trees and other tropical vegetation covered the landscape and the glistening back waters snaked their way through the trees away from the coastline. We made our way to the local bus station headed to Kallambalam where we could get a connecting bus to Varkala. We tuk tuked the final leg from Varkala to the cliff tops where most of the life and soul of the place is, arriving at 8pm.

We stayed in a little clean white room with a jungle mural taking over one of the walls. It was called Jiky's guest house and was set back in the woodland behind the cliffs, a lovely place but a bit pricy at £7.50. We have both been starved of fish since we left the UK, except one trout caught in the rivers around Manali. We headed straight for the cliff tops and stopped at the first restaurant with fresh fish outside. A large fresh squid and a handful of king prawns later and everything was brilliant, the long journey seeming like a distant memory.

This time of year Kerala is on the edge of monsoon, meaning it is pretty damn humid and is partial to the odd shower. We spent our first morning sheltering from the rain in a rickety coffee shop overlooking the beach. Every now and then the sky and sea would become indistinguishable. I noticed a turquoise coloured jeep stacked up with surfboards parked near by. A nice bloke called Sten said they were from a surf camp called Soul & Surf just up the beach and we should drop by later. We chatted to a nice Spanish couple for a while until the rain buggered off and we headed for the beach. 

THE WATER WAS WARM ! I have never set foot in a warm ocean, I couldn't get my head around it. I half expected to be standing in a pissy warm patch and was bracing myself for the cold water to follow. It never did. 

Soul & Surf is a picturesque little guest house perched on its own bit of cliff overlooking the surf. The room rate to stay was pretty ridiculous compared to what we have been paying but they were a nice bunch and happy with us just hanging out and tagging along. Within about ten minutes I was climbing down the rocky stairs with a battered old twin fin fish in hand (surfboard mum) to surf with the kitchen staff. Helen opted for a wander around the shops and ended up having lunch with our new Spanish friends. The waves were pretty good and surfing without a wet suit in warm water was bloody brilliant. Short head high rides were breaking in front of a dark red cliff and there was a total of six of us sharing the glassy shifting peaks. At one point the horizon disappeared as a storm rolled in. The sky merged with the sea making it impossible to see the approaching waves until it was breaking on your head. The heavens then opened bringing along some lightening. I asked one of the surf guides if it was okay to be in the water in a lighting storm. He shrugged and caught another wave, I followed suit and did the same. In the early evening we went boardie shopping for Helen as she had booked a surf lesson for half six the following morning. The guys at Soul & Surf invited us to a film screening later that evening. It was a called The Spirit of Ashaka; it was a pretty arty surf film with an awesome soundtrack. We ordered pizza and huddled in the surf camps lounge as a new storm started to gather.

(Soul & Surf photos by Adan De Miguel)

Up at first light, walking the stretch of sand between the cliff and the surf camp. We sat with the guides and other happy campers eating bananas washed down with coffee. A turquoise jeep whisked away Helen and the other folk who were booked on to the lesson whilst I remained behind with one of the surf guides called Andy. 

The wind was onshore turning the building waves in to crumbly walls of white. Great for learning the ropes but not particularly great for anything else. We decided to wait till the afternoon, fingers crossed the winds would swing round and lighten up in the evening. I walked back along the beach and saw Helen and the others trying to tame the white horses. It looked like the white horses were winning. I took the free time to check us out of our expensive room and checked us in to a rather twee bamboo hut, for less than half the price we had been paying.

In the afternoon the winds did drop off but the swell had increased causing a very strong rip along the cliffs. My first attempt to paddle out ended up with me having to paddle back in on the next beach further down the coast and climb back across the rocks. I switched to a smaller board and paddled back out. The kitchen staff were out in force as were some of the guides. No one was really catching much as the rip was strong and the shifting peaks were unreadable so eventually one by one we gave up and paddled in with a low wave count and achy arms and shoulders.

I found Helen asleep in our new hut, she had found the rip hard in the mornings lesson but had learnt a lot and had booked a slot the following morning. She had been surfing with a couple called Lesley and Peter from England, they were in their fifties and thought it would be fun to give surfing a go. After the lesson they all went for lunch together. We had dinner in Bohemian Masala art cafe, earlier in the day Helen had been talking to the artist / owner Joonas. It is a wicked place that seemed to go back from the cliff top forever. The walls were bamboo and the two story high ceiling draped in colourful saris. 

Apparently he built it with the help of his friends a few years back. In the garden behind is a big kitchen with a palm roof. 

We got talking to a couple of northerners called Paul and Sarah. They were on a few weeks holiday in Kerala and were heading down the coast. As night fell we had a message from Danni and Tim, Helen's friends from Leeds Uni. They were in town for a couple of nights so we arranged to meet them after dinner for a few catch up cocktails. After a shit hot coconut fish curry we walked along the cliff for cocktails and a catch up with Danni. It didn't take long for me to not remember much.

Six thirty AM, cocktails now seeming like a bad idea! We made it up to S&S in time for the banana coffee breakfast then Helen and the others were off again. The swell had dropped a little and the wind was non existent. Best of all the sun was out! Me, a guide called Sten and the surf camps photographer Adan jumped into the Soul & Surf tuk tuk and headed for some spots up the coast. All three of us at some point or another had been in London Surf Club and apparently there were a couple of other guys at the camp that too had spent a fair amount of time on the M3 and M4.

(Soul & Surf photos by Adan De Miguel)

We surfed a break that worked a bit like a left hand point break. A just over head high wave was breaking away from the rocks in the southern corner of the beach. The face was clean and glassy and including us three, there were only five guys out. Perfect! We must have surfed for three or four hours. It was a wicked session with everyone catching loads of waves. I saw a couple of guys get barrelled, which as much as I tried always ended the same way, a face full of sand and water.

(Soul & Surf photos by Adan De Miguel)

Unfortunately three days of solid surf and sun took its toll on my soft London skin, resulting in massive board rash and sun burn. The next day I could hardly move. This meant for the next couple of days poor Helen had to put up with my grumbling every time I caught sight of a breaking wave from the cliff. 

That evening we ate in a restaurant recommended by the surf folk. Danni, her boyfriend Tim and their three friends joined us for dinner and some beers. The fish was good but the lightning on the horizon was even better. 

The following day we lazed around all morning drinking tea and not really doing much. We killed a few hours at Bohemian Masala, their homemade muesli is amazing if ever you are near by.  

As surfing was off the cards we decided to book on to a cooking corse. Paul and Sarah from a few nights back were booked on too which gave the lesson a ready steady cook vibe. The chef was a friendly chap who said he would teach us...

1: The traditional Kerala fish curry

2: Pumpkin curry

3: Dal

4: Coconut rice

5: Masala dosa

6: Mint chutney

7: Coconut chutney

8: Vegetable pokhora

9: Chai tea

10: Putta

It was a lot of food so it only seemed fitting to get some beers and a bottle of red to wash it down with after class. At one point the power went off so we were cooking by candle light. 

The following day we packed up and headed up the coast. Our plan was to stop off in a town called Kollam and experience Kerala's famous back waters.