Varkala to Amma's

Travelling North

(John) We have started to move north from the southern beaches of Kerala.  Trivandrum was a wonderful introduction to India and Kovalam with its purpose built resort was a great day out.  While the ocean was fun and the beach was sandy the best bit for me was the bus ride there and back and lunch.  I didn’t expect much from the  seaside restaurant especially when I picked it because it seemed to be the cheapest one out of many.  However, my Fish Byriani was excellent.  We caught the train the next day to Varkala where we got a taxi to the Helipad.  The Helipad is a large asphalt spot on a cliff top that probably does not see many helicopters but is where tourists enter the cliff top resorts of Varkala.  We spent three nights in very pleasant accommodation, spending our days lazing around, swimming, and walking, once into the town of Varkala, in a vain attempt to take money out of an ATM and then along the coast to other more secluded beachs.   The only downside was that our hotelier disputed the price of the hotel when we tried to pay.  He wanted double what we thought was the price.  It had been a misunderstanding because we were told that the price was 800 IR for both rooms and although we were sure we had stressed that 800 would be the total, it was clear from the reaction of the hotelier and his wife that that was not what he meant and in fact he had wanted 800 IR for ‘each’ room.   It led to a frustrating and sometimes comical negotiation that we eventually realised was not worth fighting over.  The hotelier’s brother and neighbours were conciliatory and understanding, while the hotelier was clearly incensed and his behaviour showed it.  He was pacing around the  courtyard, coming in and out of the picture, throwing in a comment or two to then be ushered out by a neighbour while we continued to negotiate calmly with the brother.  He created quite a scene by going up the street remonstrating with other people loudly defending himself.  We were trying to come to a compromise but in the end we decided that we would just pay what he was asking and put him out of his misery.  It was an expensive mistake on our part not to have got the price in writing.  Although we realised because we had been asked to fill out the long registration form ourselves that the hotelier had not written it down because he may not have been able to.   Still in dollar or sterling terms it was still a bargain for a weekend in paradise. 

We left early the next morning in good time to catch the 8.30 train to Kollam.  Lesley and Mhari queued for tickets while Sam and I went for snacks.  We casually got a cup of chai on the platform and then the train arrived, we boarded and it left at 8.15. 

In Kollam, a taxi driver introduced us to a British woman and suggested we share a cab, so we did.  We were all going to catch the ferry to an Ashram in Amritapuri where the guru is the hugging mother Mata Amritanandamayi Math.  Rose, the cab sharing Brit, was wonderful company and after we had all stowed our luggage on board the ferry, we walked a few steps into the town and went for breakfast.  In touristy Varkala at the resort we had been paying 350 – 400 IR for breakfast for all four of us - here we paid 106 IR. 

The ferry trip to the Ashram took 2 hours including a designated lunch stop.  Imagine Lake of the Woods on the hottest day of the summer.  The other differences were, the water was salty, the trees had coconuts, the canoes were made out of the trunks of trees, the house boats had thatched palm leaf roofs and the cottages on the shore line were much more humble.  It was absolutely gorgeous. On the Ferry we met some lovely people locals and travelers.  One woman was called Katherine from Ireland, she went to the Ashram too so we had lots of friends for our visit there.

As I write, Sam and I are in our room at the Ashram, hungrily waiting to hear the breakfast bell.  Lesley and Mhari have gone to Yoga – women only.   There is lots to do at the Ashram and lots of people to help you do it.  There is meditation twice day on the beach.  At 4.50 you can get up and go  chant the 1000 names of the divine mother for an hour.  Later in the day, the women can sing devotional songs in the temple while the men chant in the auditorium.   Traditional Indian meals are served three times a day and every one must sign up for Seva which is selfless service at least once a day.   Also, there are places to read spiritual material; there is a second hand clothes store, a gift store and an Internet room.  On the edge of the Ashram is a lovely swimming pool set in a shady garden.  Women and men have different designated times to swim and when we went it was surprisingly quiet.  People were obviously too busy with other pursuits.  For example, you can see an astrologist and get ayurvedic treatments and take yoga and martial arts classes. The Guru known to all as just Amma (mother) is currently not in residence.  We were shown a video describing her mission and listing her accomplishments which are vast. 

Our room is in a 17 storey high rise block on the 10^th floor.  It is spacious, breezy and comfortable.  We have an ocean view and an elevator to get here.  To be here we pay 200 IR each, which includes three meals a day.   There are strict rules to adhere to.  Clothing must be modest, no smoking, or alcohol is allowed.  We are asked to respect the Indian tradition and practice Brahmacharya.  This means that Ashram residents observe celibacy as part of their spiritual practice so we are asked to refrain from any public displays of affection or sexual contact anywhere in the Ashram.  We are not permitted to eat outside of the Ashram and must avoid contact with the villagers.  We cannot feed the animals, take photographs or swim in the sea.  There is a curfew of 11.00pm.  As a result of these rules it is clear that the Ashrams thousands of foreign visitors have a limited impact on local traditional village life while the schools and the hospital in the Ashram that serve the villagers are hugely beneficial. 

Visitors can come for one night or stay until their visas run out.  We have met people who have been here for years.  But many like us are here for just a couple of days.