Whoa, whoa, whoa, I’m a little slack these days.  We’ve been full power busy in our little jungle bubble doing all kinds of home projects, art projects, construction projects, and just had visitors from America, UK, Germany, and Australia for the past three weeks.  Whew.  It’s been a whirlwind for sure.

To break up the energy, me and my Aussie friend, Trines, took a little 5 hour road trip down south to Gokarna, Karnataka.  It was super.  We got some great views on the drive down, stopped for Chai, and listened to an epic playlist, of course!

If you’re ever traveling in India and wondering about awesome beaches, this is an area to check out.  The town Gokarna itself is good for shopping. . .if that’s your thang. . .

You can find everything from silver goblets to a whole new wardrobe.  Some of the prices are better than in other tourist areas, too, but you still need to work on your bargaining skills.  It’s actually a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus so it’s a very holy, mystical, and magical area.  It’s also considered to be a bohemian destination for those seeking the “hippie trail” in India.  There are many beaches surrounding Gokarna itself and we decided to check out Half Moon Beach and Om Beach.

To get to Half Moon beach you either have to do a 30 minute hike from Om Beach or you can take a boat.  We got to Gokarna very late in the day so we opted to take a boat.  It cost 200 rupees per person.  Don’t let them charge you any more.  They told us it was 2000 rupees at first, for instance.  Yeah, yeah, always good price for me, my friend, right?!

Anyway, it was just about sunset while we waited for our boat to get ready and I enjoyed petting the baby cows.  I just love cows, as you know, if you’ve been following me awhile.  They really can be like dogs sometimes.

Magic Man and Trines enjoyed a lovely bench. . .probably watching me pet the cows. . .hahahah. . .

Then we got on our cute, little boat, and zoomed over to Half Moon Beach. . .

It only took about 5 minutes but I was surprised when we arrived that there wasn’t massive crowds and it looked pretty peaceful.  In India, especially going to tourist or well loved places, I never expect it to be quiet and under populated.  Half Moon beach was just that.  In fact, I think we were the only people around.  It was like our own private beach.

We stayed at the first place attached to the Half Moon Beach Cafe.  I’m not going to lie, it was not a “nice” room, but it was basic and cheap and the grounds were very special.  It was 350 (5 bucks) rupees for basically just a bed in a concrete box with outdoor shower and toilets.  It’s kinda like camping.  Oh yeah, you also have to come with your own bed sheets and towels.

The surrounding landscape looked like a postcard to me.  The birds chirping, the rolling fields, stacks of hay. . .It would be a nice place to stay if you are looking for a quiet, rustic, earthy experience to hang long term.  Also, everything we ate at the restaurant was super yummy.

The next morning, the three of us decided we wanted a little bit more stimulation and moved over to Om Beach. . .but this time we did the hike.  Btw, the hike takes only about 30 minutes and it’s a beautiful, easy path that anyone can do.  I highly recommend it.  One thing about living by the beach is I miss the mountains all the time, so for me, it was super nice to strap on my pack and hike all up in mother nature for a bit.

We taught Trines Rainbow songs on the hike and sang through the woods. . .

Tall trees, warm fire,

Strong wind, deep water.

I can feel it in my body,

I can feel it in my soul!

On the other side of the hill/mountain/cliff thingy, we finally got a view of Om Beach.  Wow.  Besides being actually shaped like an Om symbol, the view was utterly stunning.

Yep, this is called living the dream, folks.  Seeing that beach made me feel so glad I’m not stuck in Trump land in the cold winter.  Brrrrrr and yuck.  But, dang, now THAT. . .well. . .that’s a glorious sight.  Don’t you reckon?!

 

 

Isn’t he the sexiest man alive. . .even with all that gear wrapped around him?!  Hehe.  Okay, okay, I digress.

So, we found a cool spot on the beach to stay and for 700 rupees we got a really, really nice room with a great bed, clean bathroom, and a lovely front porch.  I could’ve stayed at this place for months.  The ceiling of our room was neatly lined with different colored sarees and I thought that was a cool touch.

Jungle Cafe is set up like a beach village with beautiful outdoor showers and toilets (for shack renters or whoever) so you can revel in the sounds and sights of nature, accompanied by cool shacks for rent alongside the mini house blocks.  Shacks went for 350 rupees and were very nice, too.

But, one of my favorite parts about this place was that the ground was maintained so well you could walk around barefoot and never step on anything ouchy.  There was a whole team of lovely ladies who meticulously swept the sand around all the houses and shacks, almost like a beach zen garden.

Another win: you can order from their restaurant and have it delivered to your house or shack.  Yessssss!  The food there was delicious.  Fruit salad and yogurt is always a go-to for me.  I love it!  We did try other food, too.  Sometimes I eat more than just fruit, but man, it’s hard for a faerie.

Swimming was about 2 minutes walking distance from our little zen garden home and it was glorious. . .

We were happily surprised that Om Beach wasn’t very populated either.  I have heard about this beach from so many people that I assumed it would be packed at this time in the season, but it was nice.  It seemed the only people who were there besides us was a whole tribe of Israelis.  It did feel a bit like the dominant culture on the beach and that was an interesting ambiance.

Our one night at Om Beach was a fun evening with a few other random travelers.  We drank vodka, listened to 90’s European Pop music, and ate dinner together.  It was the kind of night we all needed after the eerily quiet night on Half Moon beach.

In the morning, me and my Magic Man went for a quick swim, had breakfast with Trines, and then jumped back in Dinky-Doo and made the 5 hour trek back to our jungle paradise home.

If you’re in the mood for dreaming. . .

Dream of Gokarna.  Dream of Rainbows.  Dream of all of your favorite things.  It’s good for your heart and soul.

See you in 5!