We had been ignoring this one for a very long time. The name somehow never really convinced me. What could a town named after a cuisine has to offer? And to add to my apprehensions, i figured out that it is a pilgrimage spot. And thus, there it lay on hold, for a long time.
But then finally one weekend we couldn't find any reservations to any other place but Udupi. So we decided to give it a try. An overnight journey in a sleeper bus from Bangalore, and behold, there we were.
Udupi is miles apart from any other place we had been. At the very first sight, as you enter the town, it fails to load you with excitement. The town is a little sleepy, little dusty. But then, once you get comfortable, things change dramatically.
Well, one distinct advantage here was that of finding a cheap and decent accommodation without much hassle. And that was a great relief, given the overnight journey through rough roads.
The first thing we did right after bath was to visit the so famous Udupi Shri Krishna Matha. Well, i am not a very religious guy. But when a million reviews put it as the top things to do in Udupi, you've gotta give it a try. The temple was a surprise for me. Udupi is in Karnataka, yet the temple is built in Kerela styled architecture. And it was beautiful, cause i had never been to a south Indian temple and thus there was so much to explore and feed into my hungry brain.
The kund
We spent a better half of the day admiring the brilliant wood work in the many temple complexes, watched the beautiful fishes swim by in the temple kund, took a stroll down the handicrafts market.
The fascinating woodwork
In the evening, we hopped onto a local bus and headed to the Malpe beach. Now, i have been to many city beaches. But this felt different. Despite being in such a small town, it was neat and well maintained. And to add to it, there was hardly any crowd. The water was clean. There is paragliding and jetskii for those seeking an adventure. We boarded a ferry right form the beach.
The evening by the Malpe beach
30 minutes of thrilling ride later, we were dropped on an inhabited island named St Mary's Island. If one wishes to run away form all that he knows, all the desires, all connections, and just live and breathe and watch the spectacle unfold, i bet this is where you need to go. The uneven rocks set up a rough terrain, the sea shells crushed under feet as you walk and sea gulls scream and hustle at a distant rock. Life in the most raw form. This was a paradise. Unfortunately, the boat leaves within 30 minutes leaving a fairly lesser time for taking in all that the place offers.
St. Mary's Island
The next day we boarded the local bus again, to a nearby village called Kapu. This was a lovely ride through the coastal countryside. We were dropped at a junction and had to board a private auto form there to the beach. By the time we reached the beach, it was already afternoon. And the sea was painted in the richest of the blue available. This was a beach that the world had forgotten about. It was the most beautiful place i set feet in. Miles and miles of sea, and hardly a soul to see. The rocks and the sea and the lighthouse, this was indeed a wonderful place to spend the afternoon, listening to the roar of the sea and watch it change its hues at different levels.
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The Kapu Beach
The trip that had started off as a compromise soon became the most soul soothing journey for us. This was how the life was meant to be. On the very last evening, we lay on the sand, watching the sun go down, and kept thinking, is this what life is supposed to be? Why do we complicate do we have to complicate it soo much. But we knew, that hours later, we would be miles away, back into the same city life that eventually wears us off and sparks desires to run away.
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