India 9.1.10 Verakala

India Kerala 9.1.10

Kerala! Gone, hello.....um...Verakala?

Train caught! Train disembarked at the right station.

This took some doing, as the stations weren't announced, and we didn't know how many stations there actually were. We tried asking a few people, but once you're out, you can't get back in, especially with 400 pound backpacks. Those things make you less dainty than you'd like if you're jumping from train to train.

We'd spent the day killing time in Kerela.

We sat in a very dank room watching movies in the afternoon and trying to sleep a little bit. I've now seen "girl interrupted". Woot. When we jumped trains and hit the station we we're thinking about logistics on how to get to the hotel...but wait...a dude with my name printed on a piece of paper.

Yaaaaaaaayyyyy. Into the car. Quick beer at our hotel to celebrate our success and we ventured down the street. We're right on a cliff top, next to a Helipad. If a helicopter has ever landed here may be debatable...Once we're on the cliff side there is a paved path that takes us for miles of nothing but shops, caves, bars and book shops. Very much like Bali. No cars, no cows.

Short walk to a nice looking place and suddenly I have a long island ice tea. Ok. I can stay here for a few days.

And now it's today.

I'll venture back out along the cliffs and find a bookshop and sit around. At some point I'll wander down the cliff to the beach for a walk.

Trying not to think about the trip being almost over. The stresses I left behind are starting to creep into my thoughts - so I have to shush them as soon as they bubble up. There have been people on my mind for the whole trip, and when I get home I'm going to have to do some decision making. Running away never works.
Right now I can hear distant waves, and feel a sea breeze while I have my coffee, so that should be enough to keep me distracted.

12:52 - after some walking and photos.
Tibet is the new black. It is on every t-shirt i can see...
This is a very westernized area, there is next to no begging, no cows (or they were here and they just fell of the side of the cliff...) even the sales guys are only half hearted in their spruking. In my last desperate bid to find dental floss I went to a cosmetic dentistry place and ended up getting a quote on getting the chip in my front teeth filled in.

I have a consultation at 6:15pm. I'd like to think it's why I don't smile - but it's really an excuse. We'll see how brave I am later today.

The prices are pretty crazy too.

This must be the first / only point off call for some tourists, so the prices are a bit steep. The shop guys get a bit snarky when you only want to pay an un-crazy price. I just bought a shirt for 275rp, the starting price 800.

The trick is still in the commitment you have to the walk away. If you start the walk away, you have to be willing to keep walking. They can tell if you're faking.

The best offers happen when you're already down the street. You get to "this is my own price, if I sell you this I make no profit." and you're almost there. Follow that up with a "no thank you" and walk. If they go to exactly your sale price, you kind of have to buy it at that stage.

I have a 7 dollar shirt now that I'd be ok with leaving here if I had too.I'm having a brochette right now in the café italliano.

Time for another drink while I wait for my friend....