I love the beach

I went to Varkala Beach a couple weekends ago and it was oh so nice! I was meeting up with a friend who was spending her last week in India at the beach. Varkala is located about a 4-5 hour train ride south of Thrissur (1 hour north of Trivandrum). We stayed in an area called The Cliff and it's a bit like being in a bubble in India because it's so different than what I normally experience on a day-to-day basis. The atmosphere is relaxing, the view is gorgeous, and the food is delicious! Truly a nice get-away destination.

It was hot, humid, and simply wonderful being here. There is nothing like swimming in a warm ocean...surreal even since I grew up along side a cold ocean:) It is hands down one of my favorite things in the world. They call this part of the beach the Cliff. There's a path way that winds its way along the cliff with a beautiful view of the Arabian sea on one side and many quaint restaurants and shops on the other side.

This reminds me of home (minus the heat and humidity). Pretty, isn't it?

My friend rented a scooter and we went on a scooter ride for the day. It was so much fun. We rode along side the Arabian sea, passed a small fishing village, and enjoyed being on the open road with the warm wind brushing our faces. As cliche as that sounds, it really was quite fabulous :) Not to mention being on an open road here with few cars on the raod is an enjoyment in itself.

This is a section of the open road we rode on.

In the morning, the local people go fishing to make their catch for the day. This is one way they go fishing here. The men on the shore line up by the net to make sure the net is aligned and the net is then brought in to the ocean by a few boats that sit out from shore. At one point, when the fish must have started entering the net, birds starts circling. One of the men out in the boats was waving a stick around in the air to scare the birds away and some of the other men who were in the water helping to guide the nets were slapping the water to keep the birds away as well. The process involved at least 15-20 people including others who were helping to pull the nets in.