Varkala cliff, another beach paradise

Trip Start Sep 03, 2006

Trip End Aug 15, 2007

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Flag of India Varkala, Kerala, India
Saturday, February 10, 2007

The most unique beach setting we have seen in a while : a crescent beach crowned by a golden cliff lined with restaurants and guest houses to suit every taste.
As the cliff is receding , some shops will soon get threatened and some restaurants will loose their front garden, so hurry to pay a visit there.
We also wonder how much longer the site will remain idyllic as the local businnesses undermine everyday the appeal of the cove by dumping their garbage right over the cliff , resulting in unplesant smells and sights ... Talk about sawing the branch you are sitting on.

Garbage disposal is an everyday issue with every single household given the failure of public collection, but the way Indians handle it simply defies common sense.

cliff top restaurants

A few more issues taint the place : the beach is a favorite spot for Indian tourists and locals to oggle at bikini clad Western females ( to be point where the beach is officially split in 2 areas : a white only and an Indian only zone , with a police officer sending back the Indian trespassers. Mind you, he ws very much him-self addicted to white flesh gazing. And so were the lifeguards). The sea is treacherous there with powerful waves that send you tumbling breathlessly over and over. I lost my prescription glassses this way. Also , nasty undertows claim lives regularly. Finally, a most unexpected danger on the beach come from the fishermen long-tail boats : day after day, we stared in disbelief at them riding the closest waves to the beach, litterally feet away for all swimmers, until we realized that this most peculiar behaviour could only be explained as a pathetic and persistent attempt to glimpse at girls' boobs as they are standing in the water.
We wonder how no swimmer has been chopped up by their propellor so far. Mind you the policeman on duty was dutyfully wistling at them every single time, but to no effect...

Anyways, Varkala is an enchanting place to discover and a pity to leave, one of those few sheltered havens of India where you escape, noise, pollution, hideous cities ans spicy food. A pancake and iced-coffee Eden.

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