26/feb gokarna's fauna & om beach
Gokarna. Holly city for hindus, that attracts a potpourri of hindu pilgrims, Sanskrit scholars, tourists from India, from abroad, hippies and western hindus, quite young, and that are dressing even more ‘hindu’ than the sadhus, with the longest dreadlocks, with ‘om’ tattoos, lots of necklaces made by rudratx around their necks, with huge balls of rudratx. Everything is ‘supersized’ in them, even the last technology nokia that they keep on their sadhu bag. I describe these group of people with a little bit of irony because it’s a bit shocking to see all these transformation, or partial transformation, but I must admit that I’ve never talked with any of them, and I’m possibly affected for the dreadlocks fashion that reigns in Barcelona, or any other fashion. Anyway, thay make this place even more interesting. Gokarna has lots of temples, and it’s the city of shiva. There’s also a lot of merchandizing with all the possible religious stuff. Images, sandal, bracelets and necklaces, flowers, coconuts… lots of things! Also lots of things for the western tourist, cloths, percussions, handicrafts…
To reach the beaches area, there are 2 options; either take a boat that takes 15 minutes and pay 150 RS (2 nights) or cross a few mountains, walking 20 to 30 minutes. There are 4 beaches, separated by these mountains, sometimes easy to cross, sometimes a little bit more difficult. The first beach after gokarna is kudle beach, After this one om, half moon and paradise. I decided to walk to om beach, and it was almost 50 minutes, and it was very hot!! But I remembered again the travelers of the beginning og the XX century, where there were no regular boats or buses…
Was quite interesting to walk through all these unknown paths, deciding at every crossing which way to go, sometimes choosing the right one, but not always.
Kudle beach is very beautiful, but with 6 or 7 restaurants, quite integrated with the landscape. But I was told that om beach was great, a little bit more peaceful and with a nicer scenary. There is also young people, backpackers, of course, and it’s in the middle of everything. Far enough from the crowd of gokarna.
And yes, there are 3 small rocky bays drawing the om, this very nice mantra that you can se anywhere in India. The sand is white, and behind palmtrees and a few restaurants made by bamboo and palm leaves. It’s so beautiful!!!
I chose the sangam lodge, with a nice restaurant close to the sand, but not menacing the beach, and I got the last hut available, a very luxurious one with electricity and mosquito net. RS 70!!! The others, made entirely by palm leaves, have no electricity nor mosquito net, and you sleep on the floor. They cost RS 60. The food was a bit more expensive, but they have to take it here, and accepting that, it’s still a good price.
These small bays, creates by the cliffs and rocks, frame a very nice image of this Arabian sea. Water is clean, calm, but not crystal clear!! What a problem, I know! Showers have no roof. The roof is a palm tree, and the walls separating the 2 showers are low enough to see the one that takes the shower next to you. There’s a quite powerful nature inside this place, with different palmtrees, trees, plants, and dirt tracks following random directions. And, yes, I cannot avoid remembering butterfly valley in turkey… maybe I shouldn’t resuscitate this word and all its meanings…
I spent a few hours on the beach, surrounded by cows! One of them ate my newspaper… I met I girl from Israel, very hippie. In the afternoon Claudia, a girl from italy, from alto alice, that speaks exactly like heike, and now, I’m sitting a lonely palm that’s hanging on a cliff that’s closing om beach. I’m surrounded by sea, and… there are dolphins!!! This place is incredible. I’ve seen 7 different (I would say) dolphins when the sun is losing power and is becoming orange/reddish. The breeze started blowing, hard enough to reach the perfect temperature, and yes, all these things only for me…
Dinner with 2 israelis, plus a german man after a while, and a woman from Belgium and another man from germany. We spent a few hours chating on the beach, with an almost full moon, that starts getting smaller. Peaceful atmosphere and nice people.
Not bad!
13/3/05
To reach the beaches area, there are 2 options; either take a boat that takes 15 minutes and pay 150 RS (2 nights) or cross a few mountains, walking 20 to 30 minutes. There are 4 beaches, separated by these mountains, sometimes easy to cross, sometimes a little bit more difficult. The first beach after gokarna is kudle beach, After this one om, half moon and paradise. I decided to walk to om beach, and it was almost 50 minutes, and it was very hot!! But I remembered again the travelers of the beginning og the XX century, where there were no regular boats or buses…
Was quite interesting to walk through all these unknown paths, deciding at every crossing which way to go, sometimes choosing the right one, but not always.
Kudle beach is very beautiful, but with 6 or 7 restaurants, quite integrated with the landscape. But I was told that om beach was great, a little bit more peaceful and with a nicer scenary. There is also young people, backpackers, of course, and it’s in the middle of everything. Far enough from the crowd of gokarna.
And yes, there are 3 small rocky bays drawing the om, this very nice mantra that you can se anywhere in India. The sand is white, and behind palmtrees and a few restaurants made by bamboo and palm leaves. It’s so beautiful!!!
I chose the sangam lodge, with a nice restaurant close to the sand, but not menacing the beach, and I got the last hut available, a very luxurious one with electricity and mosquito net. RS 70!!! The others, made entirely by palm leaves, have no electricity nor mosquito net, and you sleep on the floor. They cost RS 60. The food was a bit more expensive, but they have to take it here, and accepting that, it’s still a good price.
These small bays, creates by the cliffs and rocks, frame a very nice image of this Arabian sea. Water is clean, calm, but not crystal clear!! What a problem, I know! Showers have no roof. The roof is a palm tree, and the walls separating the 2 showers are low enough to see the one that takes the shower next to you. There’s a quite powerful nature inside this place, with different palmtrees, trees, plants, and dirt tracks following random directions. And, yes, I cannot avoid remembering butterfly valley in turkey… maybe I shouldn’t resuscitate this word and all its meanings…
I spent a few hours on the beach, surrounded by cows! One of them ate my newspaper… I met I girl from Israel, very hippie. In the afternoon Claudia, a girl from italy, from alto alice, that speaks exactly like heike, and now, I’m sitting a lonely palm that’s hanging on a cliff that’s closing om beach. I’m surrounded by sea, and… there are dolphins!!! This place is incredible. I’ve seen 7 different (I would say) dolphins when the sun is losing power and is becoming orange/reddish. The breeze started blowing, hard enough to reach the perfect temperature, and yes, all these things only for me…
Dinner with 2 israelis, plus a german man after a while, and a woman from Belgium and another man from germany. We spent a few hours chating on the beach, with an almost full moon, that starts getting smaller. Peaceful atmosphere and nice people.
Not bad!
13/3/05
posted by Unknown at 13:50
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