simple life filled with freedom - VARKALA, KERALA.
- Train rides, sunsets, beaches and temples.
ashram life - SHIVANANDA ASHRAM, KERALA.
For you guys who don't know what th heck I'm talking about.. Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Hindu cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction.
So while exploring Kerala with mum, we decided to visit one of the biggest ashrams and most known in south India as much as worldwide.
In the end we ended up spending less time than planned. There's so many different ashrams in India & outside of it too. So to just find the "right kind of" ashram for you is as hard at to find the right yoga teacher training if not ever harder. Shivananda was not our style but we're still grateful for trying it out.
Let me know if someone of you guys been to any ashrams before!
yoga in the morning & jam session at night - VARKALA, KERALA.
- Happyland was the first place I went for yoga at in India, the first place I got a job and started teaching yoga in India. It was also the place I met new friends, played drums in the night, gazing at the ocean before and after morning meditation, looking up at the sky filled with stars lighting up my gypsy eyes and making life long memories.
greeting the sea side - VARKALA, KERALA.
- Varkala beachcliff. The magazines says: quiet and peacefull beach.
If you compare with Goa, sure, anything is peacefull then. Even Mumbai! But compare to all the beaches I've been to in west India and around Kerala. The are much better.
But It was a good start on our trip to see how the tourist side looks like. And we still got close to the locals, avoiding being sorrunded by too many tourists.
There's heaps of restaurants at the cliff, markets for shopping and some yoga places.
50-60 rupees with a ricksaw from the local beach and you'll be in Varkala city. The city is like any other place in India. You'll cover your shoulders and knees. Avoid also too tight clothing. But at Varkala Beachcliff you can go loco and be in a bikini on the beach, wearing western style summer clothes ect. But be prepared that there will be (almost everyday) teen boys and old men walking on the beach spearing at you, taking photos, even without asking, spend the half day watching you or if you're a bit unlucky as I got one day, you might see someone jurking off while overlooking you and the other halfnaked foirgners.
The photos above from the beach at taking just after sunrise or sunset. So there will be much more people there depending on season.
Varkala, or any other place in Kerala is the best in the WORLD when it comes to Ayuverdic treatments. So get ready for that!
UPDATE:
A local friend of my just told me that his families restaurant, the tibetan market and 12 other places burned down last friday! No one got hurt! But I'm still so sorry for all the peoples loss. No homes, food, money or buisness... Sending them love and light. x
You can read more about it HERE.
A local friend of my just told me that his families restaurant, the tibetan market and 12 other places burned down last friday! No one got hurt! But I'm still so sorry for all the peoples loss. No homes, food, money or buisness... Sending them love and light. x
You can read more about it HERE.
train down south - KERALA.
- Traveling with trains is the biggest MUST DO while traveling around India. If you go only to north Goa for somephsycadelic parties and turisty shopping and feeling hard core taking the local bus to the airport instead of a ricksaw or eaven a fancy car, then I have to say that you haven't done India. You've been enjoying yourself alot in the more turistiest part of India. You've been to Goa, but you have'nt been to India.
Trains trough India is beautiful, magical, mad, crazy, and it will teach you more about India than a 400 dollar turist trip or any daily guided tours.
Buy the cheapest ticket at the railway staton (if you can manage it) or go spend a few extra bucks at a travel agency and then spend a few hours at the low class train with the locals.
cruising the backwaters - ALLEPPEY, KERALA.
At the ent of my four months in India, I visited the backwaters three times. Yeah, thats how good it is and it's the peak, the top of anything in south India.
street art & performance - FORT KOCHI, KERALA.
Not only this, but I also ran in to a lovely soul. One of my yoga teachers from Indonesia, an amazing girl from Japan. Oh how I love when the universe sometimes decides to let people cross the same path during different time of our lives and reconnect.
exploring the portuguese influence - FORT KOCHI, KERALA.
- Fort Kochi, old portuguese colony, art, culture, street art, delicious south Indian thali and entertainment. Some people don't like this place but for me it's on of my favourite big cities in India.
starting the adventure - CHERAI BEACH, KERALA.
- Decided to take a 3.5 weeks Mother-and-daughter-trip before my adventure. So we flew down to southwest of India, the richest state and birthplace of Ayurveda.
I wanted to introduce mum to the backpacker life and that includes trying all kind of accommodations.
Already at the first night we decided to do CS (couch surfing) and found a pretty rad place to stay at for free.
Just a bit north of Kochi was this private beach Cherai located.
