India: If I Were Young, Free And Single Again...

For many years I have wanted to visit India. I guess this is only natural considering the ongoing affair I have with yoga and all things yoga-related. 

When we first touched down in India - in Trivandrum - I felt an inexplicable inner peace. I felt at home and I hadn't even stepped off the plane. 

After clearing immigration and customs, I prepared myself for the mania that I thought would be waiting on just the other side of the doors - the exit from the airport and my entrance into Indian culture.

While Claude quickly changed some money, I meekly walked to the exit just to peek and really prepare myself. With that first glimpse I saw hundreds of Indian people waiting behind a low fence to collect their loved ones. I breathed in and thought to myself 'okay, I can handle this.'

So we walked out. Hmmm. No horrid smells to contend with. No ear-assaulting sounds. I wasn't instantly saturated with sweat from the heat. We didn't have a mob of people trying to sell us a taxi ride. It was all very civilised.

We had a prepaid taxi waiting for us and again the roads weren't crazy or bustling with tons of traffic. It felt quiet. Our driver never had to do any daring manoeuvres and he even pulled off to the side of the road to answer his phone.

I had to pinch myself. Was I really in India? Nothing about my first few hours in Kerala resembled anything that I was told to expect.

Upon arriving in Varkala, where we are staying, it was apparent that our destination was a bit of a tourist haven. Europeans where everywhere. 

After we settled into our very modest accommodation, we went for a saunter along the beach walkway. The one thought that hit me over and over again was how this would have been the perfect landing spot for me when I was a young, solo traveller.

Yoga and meditation classes, Ayurvedic services (massages and treatments), as well Ayurvedic cooking classes are abundantly available. Teacher-training courses in many of the healing/alternative therapies are widely available, too, not to mention there is stall after stall selling colourful garments that I would happily adorn myself with.

Now don't get me wrong, this is an excellent place as a family. But I do wonder what it would have been like being here as a twenty-something with nothing but time on my side. 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Sam]

When we there there, that pathway was a dirt path along the cliff top, and the restaurant where mostly wooden shacks... (all the europeans were there already though) Looks like it changes..
Sam

[Jamie]

We've been told by many how much it has changed! There are A LOT of Russians here and other Europeans here. Really lovely place and people though!

[Rahul]

very beautifully written.... whole kerala is enchanting...keep writing...

[Phyllis@Smartdestinations]

India is a wonderful experience as can be seen from the pictures you shot while travelling there. Like most other places in the world, it has its dark side with criminality, organ trafficking, drugs and prostitution. However, there are so many beautiful things to see. The Taj Mahal is an amazing sight and this is evidenced by the huge amount of postcards making use of its view. I agree with you that India is more suited to single travel than travelling with family.