I looked up at the sky, and the thin slice of a new moon showed itself amongst a sea of stars. Hesitantly and nervously, I slinked into the water. We were told that if we swished our arms around a little, we'd see glowing plankton, and we did. And so, on a quiet beach in Gokarna, I squealed like a child as I watched shots of flourescent light appear all around me.
Two days earlier, we had arrived at Namaste Cafe on Om Beach. Yes I know, it could not sound more Lonely Planet-esque. But placing my cynicism in a little black box, I embraced Gokarna with open arms. The blazing May sun had kept many people away. But Om Beach still contained an eclectic mix of fully clothed families, bachelor parties, shy young couples and a few red-faced backpackers.
Enough to keep me entertained.
Over two days, I
...lay on my back in the sea,
...listened to a white sadhu explain his meditative journey around India for twenty five years,
...caught a glimpse of two dolphins,
..ate chilli chicken and nutella soaked banana fritters,
before I hitched a ride with a truly lovely new-found friend, back to Bangalore.
I sometimes wonder what it is about exploring new places in India that makes me feel so centred. After all, the stories that people tell me of travelling here rarely go without mention of the chaos and confusion that is such an inherent part of discovering this land. And of course its not that different for me- things are never straightforward and easy.
But I think part of the ease that I feel comes from the fact that the sights that I see seem so new, yet so familiar. There is a sense of knowing- about the people, the culture, the food - but also a curiosity about the unknown.
On my travels, I'm very rarely one of the families/bachelor parties/couples. And that's when I can happily play anthropologist, and imagine stories of the people and the places that embrace me during my journeys.
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