The House at Varkala

One of the recent posts was about my sudden change of plan at Munroe Island and how I ended up reaching Varkala a day before. After an action packed evening, worn out from the despair of the shower at the bathroom, not getting a cozy night’s sleep even being on a holiday, this small moss green house at Varkala was the happy hug I was looking forward to.

While my host from the green house went back to arrange my room, I, headed to the beach. Varkala has been one of the very close to my heart places in Kerala. The first visit here was with my parent quite a few years ago and this time it was my solo, I wanted to soak more of Varkala in me this time. Varkala is a small beach town, very close to Tiruvananthapuram city. Saturdays and Sundays are usually very busy here, as lot of locals come for weekend chill, and western tourists just love prolonging their stay in this town; going yoga classes, ayurvedic treatment, gorging on food or just going lazy by the beach. That’s what this place is all about. Likewise, beach is my comfort place, a chilled juice, some warm food, a corner table at a restaurant looking over the beach from the cliff, the typical sticky smell of the sea and the heat of late afternoon slightly brushing my face..  What’s life without such eloquent indulgence!

I was happily immersed in my food, the postcard view ahead, watching over the tourists at the beach, the bustle inside the restaurant, that a message flashed on my phone. It was from my host from the green house.

‘Hi Payel your room is ready, the keys are kept at the key holder at the left side of the drawing room. You can check in whenever you want. We will take care of the other formalities in the evening.’

 It was a small room, but very cool and cosy; there were few necessary furniture in the room, but quite thoughtful ones. That’s what I was looking for, simple, sedated and spotless. I wanted to sleep immediately but I went to take a tour of the house. There were two rooms at the ground floor and two at the first floor. The house was in the mid of a well bred garden; greenery, fresh air, so much of open space, designed with thoughtful touches and the reposed comfort, it was a superb find (Thankfully). However the best part of the house was the reasonably equipped spacious kitchen and the view of the garden from there. I had seen another lady in the house while I came. By the evening when all the residents (which were the ladies and our host) were in the house, our host had locked the main door and went inside.

My room was just beside the main door and facing the entrance of the house. Close to 9 in the night there was some knock at my window; when I went outside, the house had a new visitor.

‘Hi, I have my stay booked here.’ A blond young lady wearing a pink dress, with a heavy backpack at her back and another small one at the front and absolutely worn out with her journey for that moment was standing at the door.

‘Just a moment, please come inside, I will call the host.’

My host of the green house was sweeping the dining area at the garden, where I informed him about his new guest.

Coming back to my room, it was really cool, as by midnight I had to switch the fan off, and I slept so well. The house was peacefully quiet in the morning, might be I was the first one to wake up; I went to the kitchen to make some tea. My Tea was getting some colour that I saw the lady in pink dress came out from the outer cottage opposite to the kitchen, wearing the same dress of last night.

‘Good morning!’ finding me at the kitchen she came over

‘Good morning!’

‘This place is so quiet, how far is the beach?’

‘It’s about 5-7 minute walking from here.’

‘Ok, is there any restaurant close by?’

‘Plenty actually, so there are restaurants lined across the beach. Apart from that the nearest one is just opposite to the house.’

‘Oo, I didn’t notice last night.’

‘Hi Good morning!’ the other lady whom I had seen at my arrival joined us. She had her ingredients stored in the refrigerator, taking them out, she started making her breakfast.

‘So you all are travelling alone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh, you are also a tourist? I thought you are the host.’ Said the lady in pink dress

‘I can understand, I look very local, I am Indian, but not from this part of the country.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’

‘No no its fine.’

‘Where are you from?’ asked the third lady with very short hair and specs on her eyes to the lady in pink dress

‘I am from Russia. You are from?’

‘I am from Germany. How long has your tour been?’

‘My tour is for 3 weeks, I started with Mumbai, stayed there for a week, then I went to Benaras for another week, now in Varakala and then back home.’

‘Mine is about to finish actually. I have been travelling around Kerala for some days now.’

‘Wow, mine is for a month, but due to my shoulder injury I had to go slow, so I am staying here in Varkala for two weeks and then I will go back next week.’

‘So you both are travelling solo?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh, then we have 3 solo lady travellers in the house.’ Declared the German lady

‘So you are single?’ asked the lady in pink dress to both of us.

‘I am.’

‘Even me.’

‘How about you?’

‘I am married, but my husband had work so he couldn’t travel with me, I got some time off, so I planned this trip alone.’

‘Tell me one thing, don’t people get married early in India?’

‘First of all, it’s not with all families, moreover things are changing, and perception of society is changing now, so marrying later than the so called early age is not  quite dominating these days.’

‘You know what? It’s quite similar everywhere. I am from Germany, in my society as well, people ask that same typical question after a certain age, whether I’m married or seeing someone, even if not married, if not engaged to someone they become suspicious. Being single after an age is like they don’t consider it to be very good and they don’t take it with open heart.’

‘I didn’t know this!’

‘If I think more, even in Russia, after an age people will ask for your marriage plan. You are right.’

‘So what’s the plan? What you all doing today?’

In the evening the house had another guest, another solo lady traveller. For that night there were 4 solo lady travellers in the house, though the four of us didn’t get a chance to sit for our morning tea together, but all four rooms of a house occupied by four solo lady travellers was quite exciting to me.. We were #solotravelgirls .

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