Today is my last day at Kudle Beach, Gokarna.
I'm heading back to Goa tomorrow, back to Vagator. It'll be strange, a lot happened in Goa and to go back and face the memories presents yet another challenge. Luckily I'm brave and a hell of a lot stronger than I imagined I could be so I don't think it will present too many difficulties. If it does, well that's just India.
On my way to Kudle beach 10 days ago I met a retired man called Paul who was from the same county as me in England. He was traveling alone and was heading to Goa to beach hop for a few weeks. We talked a lot about India and he said something that rang so perfectly true to me. India isn't supposed to be all great, all good, all wonderful and nor is it supposed to be completely the opposite. India isn't a holiday, it's an experience. You have to take the rough with the smooth and the bitter with the sweet. People and culture are so completely different and in spite of it's attempts in some places to become more Westernised, the mythos of the culture runs so deep that you only have to scratch the surface to realise that India is no where near as adapted to Western culture as it would like to be. The funny thing is that many people from India don't realise the beauty of what they have here; the simple life, the family life, the religious life. Of course Western culture is attractive to India, with all it's apparent riches but this is only money. It's the simple beauty of India that us Westerners come to seek. The grass is always greener.
Paul, incidentally, got very excited about what I was saying about Kudle Beach and how gorgeous Gokarna is and ditched his idea to go to Goa and came with me instead. His spur of the moment change was inspirational. Just the day before I'd been wanting to do the same thing but couldn't find the balls (could have been something to do with being a female - not just the ball thing, but the would I be safe? thing).
With Paul's words and actions I'm heading back to Goa strong and inspired. His words also offered me comfort, because no matter whether I feel happy, sad, content or completely pissed off it's all part of India and it's something that I will embrace and not be made to feel bad about. India is one hell of a learning experience and I won't beat myself up for feeling bad sometimes, nor will I let anyone else do the beating!
So, farewell Kudle and all of the wonderful people I have met here. You've been amazing!
I'm heading back to Goa tomorrow, back to Vagator. It'll be strange, a lot happened in Goa and to go back and face the memories presents yet another challenge. Luckily I'm brave and a hell of a lot stronger than I imagined I could be so I don't think it will present too many difficulties. If it does, well that's just India.
On my way to Kudle beach 10 days ago I met a retired man called Paul who was from the same county as me in England. He was traveling alone and was heading to Goa to beach hop for a few weeks. We talked a lot about India and he said something that rang so perfectly true to me. India isn't supposed to be all great, all good, all wonderful and nor is it supposed to be completely the opposite. India isn't a holiday, it's an experience. You have to take the rough with the smooth and the bitter with the sweet. People and culture are so completely different and in spite of it's attempts in some places to become more Westernised, the mythos of the culture runs so deep that you only have to scratch the surface to realise that India is no where near as adapted to Western culture as it would like to be. The funny thing is that many people from India don't realise the beauty of what they have here; the simple life, the family life, the religious life. Of course Western culture is attractive to India, with all it's apparent riches but this is only money. It's the simple beauty of India that us Westerners come to seek. The grass is always greener.
Paul, incidentally, got very excited about what I was saying about Kudle Beach and how gorgeous Gokarna is and ditched his idea to go to Goa and came with me instead. His spur of the moment change was inspirational. Just the day before I'd been wanting to do the same thing but couldn't find the balls (could have been something to do with being a female - not just the ball thing, but the would I be safe? thing).
With Paul's words and actions I'm heading back to Goa strong and inspired. His words also offered me comfort, because no matter whether I feel happy, sad, content or completely pissed off it's all part of India and it's something that I will embrace and not be made to feel bad about. India is one hell of a learning experience and I won't beat myself up for feeling bad sometimes, nor will I let anyone else do the beating!
So, farewell Kudle and all of the wonderful people I have met here. You've been amazing!
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