Arrived at Karwar Station at 5.30am, happy that the train was late, it was due in at 4.30. It was an enjoyable trip, and got some sleep, but had my alarm set for the early arrival time, just in case. Some stations it is very hard to know where you are, because there is no announcement, just have to keep you eye open. The station staff told me there was a bus to Ancola at 6.00, and had to walk down the road to the bus stop, where a few Indian people were waiting, and also a fellow I had seen in my carriage. He introduced himself, Colm from Ireland, very chatty, but he had been to Gokarna 6 yrs ago, and sort of knew the way to get there - my travel angels working for me again, because as time progressed, I realised that it would have been very difficult for me to find my way to the beach I had planned to stay at, Kudlee Beach, a half hour walk up some very steep steps, across a rocky flat hilltop, and down a very rough path to the beach and accommodation. We had had to change buses at Ancola for the bus to Gokarna, and arrived there about 7.30 - 8ish, I watched the sun rise as we travelled along, lighting up the purple hills and grey rivers into rich gold and blue, it was very beautiful,and the little villages we passed through were slowly coming to life.
When we arrived in Gokarna village, we had some breakfast of Idli and chai before the walk to Kudlee - at that stage I didn't know just how difficult it was going to be with a backpack. The village appears to be very old, with falling down buildings, and temples, its a Brahman village, and there are many temples around. As we walked we saw the men washing at the Ghats and the women at the fruit and vegetable markets, selling all their produce, and people start to open their shops, and children all dressed up in their uniforms on the way to school. Of course the cows had a part in all this!
We walked over the hill, it was a bit of a struggle for me, because Colm is tall and really strides out, then arrived at Kudlee to look for accommodation. The beach is quite pretty, not large, and not a lot of beach accommodation, so after looking at a few places and finding they were full, I looked after the bags sitting on the beach while Colm did the leg work. He found a place that he was happy to stay in, a family place on a piece of land behind the main beach places with some small rooms scattered around - no bathroom attached, no natural light and a long walk to the toilets and shower (bucket) area. So he booked in and I decided to go to the first part of the beach to check out behind the restaurants there, and found a room with no bathroom but natural light, and the facilities quite close, so that is where I stayed. The restaurant was good as well, great lassies!
I met up with the family who had gone to Hampi on the bus, it was lovely to see them again. They told me that after the weekend, everybody had left Hampi and it was like a ghost town in comparison to the way we saw it. They were leaving in a couple of days to go home to the UK, having spent 7 weeks in India, mainly Gokarna and taking trips from there. They did see a lot of Kerala as well.
The main beach at Gokarna (Town Beach) is quite long, but is known for a lot of litter all over it, it really spoils it, so that is why I had chosen Kudlee, on the advice of people I had met. I walked over the hills further to Om Beach, which is quite well known as a beautiful, peaceful place. There are a string of beaches going south, and its possible to walk to the furtherest, Paradise Beach and get a ferry back, which saves another 2 or 3 hours walking.
I did like Om Beach - it was quite deserted, although got busier as I was leaving, but there were signs up on the walking path saying to be careful swimming, it could be dangerous. The Beach is actually 2 semi-circles, separated by a rocky outcrop, and is considered to be a Holy place by the Indian people - so please be respectful!
After doing the usual swimming and walking for a couple of days, decided to move on to Palolem, as I didn't feel the people at Kudlee were particularly friendly - about 80% had the usual uniform of dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings, with the addition of children, and the remainder were families with small children. The beach is ideal for them as its very safe, and as the sun starts to go down the drums, fire-jugglers etc come out for the evening, so its quite a nice atmosphere. Oh, and the beach becomes lined with people sitting meditating and doing yoga. Very relaxing, but not for me.
I headed to Gokarna Road station on the Monday morning - a week ago tomorrow in fact. The rickshaws were asking 250 rupees. but I decided to go to the local bus station and spend 5 rupees to get me there, and only 20 mins after the big walk back over the hill. Then there is a very pleasant 1km walk to the station. I stopped and chatted to the road gang- men and women who were tarsealing parts of the road, with their barrels of hot bitmumen and spades - they were happy for me to take photos and spend a bit of time with them. It was so nice to be at a train station again, having railway chai (delicious) waiting for the train at the small station. I had been told 2 different times, 10.45 and 11.30, but as it was heading from Trivindrum to Mumbai and this was halfway, was prepared for any time. The UK family Will and Jess and their baby and 2 young boys arrived, on the way to get their flight, so we said a final goodbye as I was going to head to the back of the train, thought there might be more chance of a seat there: 16 rupees for me to get to Canacona, the nearest station to Palolem, and took 1 and half hours.
Arrived at 12.15, couldn't decide whether I wanted to go to Agonda, Patnem or Palolem and asked the rickshaw driver what he thought. After Gokarna, I didn't want anything else quiet, or too busy, and he recommended Palolem - took me to his neighbour's Guest House and beach shacks right on the beach. I got a room for a reasonable price, and was sitting at their small restaurant overlooking the beach when I got invited to a music evening at one of the places further down the beach by an English lady and her daughter. Well this was a nice change!
So is Palolem Beach - I fell in love with it and decided to stay as long as I could before going back to Arambol to pick up my stuff and head home. The beach has a long gentle curve, and at each end are some rocky headlands. There are restaurants and beach huts all the way in between, but best of all, the coconut palms haven't been cleared away, everything is built amongst them, they come up through roofs, amongst the huts and restaurants, and it's the only beach I've been to that I can lie on the sand and look up at the coconut palms! Always being careful of course not to lie directly underneath them and get knocked out by a falling coconut, which I hear does happen - some people have been badly injured. Behind the beach are hills rising back into the hinterland, so it is a lovely sight, and I have spent many an hour on the beach alternating between reading, swimming, walking and just looking at the beautiful scenery. Before the sun sets, many people come onto the beach and play cricket or kick a ball around, its very friendly. I have seen a man, his son and a beach dog (there are lots on the beaches) play with a frisbee together. The dog would race and try and get it - and if he did, he would race to the man or boy who was trying to catch it and drop it at their feet, then race after it after they threw it to try and deliver it back. They were having a lot of fun and so was I!
So for me, this is the perfect beach, and the people are friendly, the water just beautiful, I am even swimming the proper way, over-arm crawl, for the first time in years, head under the water. The sunsets are gorgeous as well, and the walk to Patnem is around the beach over a little hill, and through another little village and couple of small coves, that look beautiful, on to Patnem beach. It is quite nice and some people prefer it, as its quieter, but I absolutely love Palolem, so no contest! Have been here for 6 days now, and have to leave tomorrow, but not happy!
The English lady who invited me to the music night with her daughter has a husband who 3 years ago on one of their trips to Palolem started writing and singing his own songs. I was able to go with them each night to some of the beach restaurants "open mike" nights and see performers who happened to be in Palolem strut their stuff. It was a lot of fun, because there were also people who wouldn't have the courage to perform professionally that felt they were in a safe environment to indulge in their singing or playing.
So after saying an almost teary goodbye, left this morning to catch 4 buses back to Arambol - another nice adventure, it took about 4 hours, but had a break in between for samosa and a great lassi at Panjim, sort of halfway. Its strange being the only westerner still on most forms of transport I use, but I feel quite comfortable amongst all the locals. I am always amazed, but now used to it, how efficient the buses are. They all seem to connect very well, there is never any real waiting, and sometimes I get out of one bus and the one I want next is just about to leave.
So the next part will be me saying I'm on my way home. I take the overnight train from Pernem, not too far from here, at 7.30pm and 12 hours later arrive in Mumbai, where I have to fill in about 12 hours before heading to the airport, depending on how late the train is of course! Will keep you posted - au revoir, and adios etc xx
