I LOVE IT HERE!!

Varkala cliff, cant wait to go back!
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So im sorry for not writing for ages but heres me starting again! will hopefully get my story updated soon but will try and at least not get anymore behind!

Have just arrived in Trivandrum on the first of three days of essentially just getting from one state to India to another, via a few cities on the way! Varkala where we have just come from is a small beach town on the very southernmost of Indias western coast in the state of Kerala.  Its set along about 2 miles of cliff top along which are shops, restaurants and places to stay.  At the bottom of the cliff is a decent sized beach, and if you walk along for about 10/15 mins from the rickshaw stand you come to around 4/5 other small beaches.  And its so not crowded! Goa, which we loved, is apparently so crowded now that it resembles Ibiza, you cant see the sand.  Whereas Varkala has a nicer atmosphere and is way less crowded! Though not as stunning as Palolem (when its not full of people it is lovley) the sea is bluer and clearer, there are dolphins to watch while you sit on the cliff eating breakfast, and there were never more than 10 people on the smaller beach we chose.....it was perfect!

A fisherman collecting ...... erm, not sure, something of the shellfish variety!
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We stayed in a place called Jickys for 400Rs a night, which was really good except for the 8hr power cut on the last night, stopping all the fans!! (Its was hell!!SO HOT!) and was about 5mins walk to the main bit.  Very randomly on our first night bumped into a couple, Danni and Craig, who we met on the bus to Munnar.  Was so strange as we walked past all the restaurants and picked one of the very last ones, and then at the last minute decided to take the last available table downstairs, just as we started to the upstairs.  And who should be sat next to us but them! We then managed to see them on the beach two days running and in the next two places we ate - talk about coincidence!!Especially when you realise there must be 30 places to eat and 5-6 beaches to choose from.

Joe at our favourite brekky place - eggs, toast, juice, tea and fruit salad for 40Rs!!
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Anyway, so have spent the last few days here, sunning ourselves, swimming ALOT and eating so much fresh fish its untrue!Had our first pasta in 8 weeks(homemade aswel, fab!) and managed to read 3 books, much to Joes annoyance (im currently about 5 books ahead of him now, and he has to carry them all until he hurries up and reads them! poor thing).

The journey to Trivandrum was awful, managed to get to the station at 10 20 as the train was leaving, only to be told the 11.35 didnt run on a wednesday! So had to wait until 1.40 for the next one.  Then, because we are running out of rupees and dont wanna have to exchange anymore, we bought the cheapest tickets, 2nd class (i know it sounds better than it is!) Now we'e bought these before for shortish journeys and they've been ok - however when our train arrived there was only one 2nd class coach and it was full.  So we snuck down to sleeper (the next one up) and crossed our fingers that the ticket inspector wouldnt catch us....which luckily he didnt!

Me in our room, complete with our laundry drying
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But the train was so bad, the dirtiest we've been on yet! It had come all the way from New Delhi and Trivandrum was the last stop.  So after around 50hrs on the move the train was BAD! Bearing in mind most Indians just chuck their rubbish on the floor, and on Indian trains there is someone selling food/chai about every 10-15 mins there was ALOT of rubbish on the floor! So we were very glad that we had only paid 25Rs each and the journey only took 40mins! And no mice either (yes we have seen one on a train, not the most enjoyable experience iv ever had il tell you!)

The view from 'The Sea View' cafe
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Well anyway, arrived in Trivandrum expecting not to like it because so far havent really liked any Indian city, but its not too bad.  We are only here for one night, tomorrow we are going to Kanyakumari in a new state, Tamil Nadu.  Its Indias equivelent of Lands End so we will be the most southern iv ever been (i think anyway).  From there we get a 13hr night train to Chennai, in 3AC this time so should be slightly luxurious. And then maybe Pondicherry and Mamallapuram beore the light to Thailand..... ah a new country cant wait!!