#SwipeRightToTravel to Varkala

So this is of when I was getting bored and counting my last days in Chennai, I made a random plan of going on a trip to Kanyakumari-Trivandrum-Varkala. Then I just drafted out a rough itinerary of these places after researching about them on travel blogs and there local tourism websites. In a short span of time of 2 days, I could not get the train tickets , and flight tickets were pretty pricey, so best option was to book TNSRTC bus tickets though it’s time taking. Next important thing for a girl travelling solo is to stay at a safe place. So I booked Vedanta wake-up which is very comfortable dormitory in Kanyakumari and Varkala.

So I packed up my things in a backpack keeping IMPs like ‘POWERBANK’, ‘TORCH’ and ‘PEPPERSPRAY’.

Then headed to Kanyakumari. Due to some some last minute changes , I had to go through an indirect route to Kanyakumari. It was a challenging but a great trip there. Then I went to Trivandrum to see the richest temple of India. It’s magnificient. After this I slated for Varkala. Only 1 word popped out from my mouth when I landed there ‘HEAVEN’. Yeah, it’s heaven of Kerala. The glance of beach from Varkala North cliff , rooftop restaurants, massage centers and souvenir shops, authentic Kerala food ‘Puttu’ is great there. I saw many foreign tourists there. Also befriended many but the one with whom my friendship is till date is the best of all. When I was getting back to the Vedanta wake up , there was a foreigner there. I saw him while strolling on the beach. He was rigorously exercising and seemed too fit in his age. And I saw him again in the reception. He was looking interested , so he initiated the conversation. His name is Dawood and he is a 53 years old Swedish man. He asked me about my home town , work and how Varkala ? He had been living in Varkala for 6 months , so he knew pretty much about the place. I asked about the whereabouts of the place. He gave me a list of places, but because of time crunch I could not visit them all. As I was alone , I could not dare to roam late there . So I went to a restaurant there called ‘Sky lounge’ where we had glasses of beer on the clifftop sea shore. He asked me questions like ‘ why in India girls roam with girls and guys with guys ‘ and the animals roam on the streets . I answered him that it is called brotherhood and sisterhood. Well of animals , can’t do anything. Our conversation went on .

We had a plan for the next day. So woke up early the next day to see the sunrise. He took me around the beach. He know the best of Varkala. We went to the Black sand beach, clicked pictures and met many of his friends. I met many of his friends and they are now my friends too. Also the train station was quiet far from the town , so he took his friend’s car to drop me and he waved off until the distance increased. Then on we exchanged our mail IDs and we are still in touch . He used to ask my howabouts and send his pictures. Also there he told me if anytime I want to stay there, his friend would be ready to host me.

This is how I made a new friend at a new place and now Dawood is friend forever. I still my trip and the most importantly the company as in this whole solo trip, it’s only in Varkala that I actually made a lifelong buddy.