After three sweaty, windy buses south from Goa, I landed in Gokarna. The medeival, buildings and narrow, dusty streets match the deteriorating temples and many pilgrims this holy town attracts. The streets ring with mantras, bells and topless Indian men in long black skirts. Once the streets end at the beach, all is in peace aside from the few families cleansing themselves in the Arabian Sea and the many fishing boats clinging to the shore.
I picked my way over the nearest hill past two Hindu temples until I overlooked Kuddle Beach – a solitary bay sprinkled with travellers and rustic beach huts.
The whole scene is somewhat surreal: on the first full moon of 2009, one bay in Gokarna is full of pilgrims cleansing and chanting; the next bay over has westerners dancing around a bonfire, ringing with singing and drums. Needless to say, I’m staying on the beach for a while.
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| From Gokarna, India |
