After a quick shower, pack, and charge at Goan Corner, I set off on foot across the island as the colors of dusk set in. Ran into a friend who gave me a motorbike ride part of the way! I got to the pick-up spot early so I split some snacks with the rickshaw driver and got some quick calls in to the parents.

We drove to Hospet (I say "we" because this driver also let me operate the rickshaw for a beat haha) and boarded the sleeper bus. I opted to save a couple bucks by sleeping in a reclining chair as opposed to the beds, but surprisingly I still got some solid rest. We transferred at about 4am to a minibus and got into Gokarna town about 45 min later. The minibus driver was offering to take folks the extra 6km to Om Beach for 100 rupees each, which was a good deal compared to the 200-250 the tuktuks would charge. Unfortunately no one else wanted in on this deal so the driver wasn't game to take only me, and after some failed pleading, I was out on the dark streets.

But some good fortune struck, about 10 steps later I asked a young Indian guy on a motorbike if he could give me a ride to Om Beach and he instantly agreed. As we rode there and talked, I learned he was from Hampi and was related to a local climber I had met just days before! Such a sweet coincidence, and immediately affirmed this spontaneous transportation choice. My new friend explained he was taking a couple weeks to travel around Karnataka by bike before heading home to Hampi. We arrived at Om Beach and I kept trying to thank him for the ride, and he kept thanking me for keeping him company. We walked down the steps to the beach and hopped around on some rocks before settling for some snacks and the sunrise.

After checking out some tide pools, I figured it was light enough to head down the beach and look for a chai or a guesthouse. Again the chai came first, and I sat taking in the peace and quiet and waves. And cows.

Hi.

After checking out a few different places, I settled on a simple spot at the end of the beach called Rasta Cafe where I negotiated a simple room for Rs.250. I promptly took a nice long nap to make up for any sleep I'd lost overnight.

By noon I was sunscreened up setting out on my first adventure. I hiked up and over the south end of the beach along a cool little jungle trail with some spectacular ocean vistas.

I came down first to Half Moon Beach which to my surprise was clean and void of any other people! I took a refreshing first dip in the Indian Ocean and let the warm salt water hold me. 

I was tempted to stay here for lunch, but I met a couple returning to Om Beach from Paradise Beach and they gave me some pointers, so I followed their instructions to what I discovered to actually be Paradise!

A beach accessible only by hiking or boat attracts rustic backpackers from all over the world to set up camp in tents and hammocks among the shady palm trees. In the past couple years, some locals have begun coming here during the day to make food and sell fruit to the travelers and daytrippers. I enjoyed a yummy thali lunch plate provided by three sweet sisters from Gokarna, and their delicious chai, for less than I would have paid for a lunch anywhere else in the area. Plus having interesting conversations and learning from interesting travelers was a lovely bonus. 

Exploring around Paradise I found my friend and roommate from vipassana, Carmen, nestled into a nice camp just above the beach! Another sweet surprise and we-couldn't-have-planned-this-better coincidence! 

Not a bad place to live off the beaten path... Carmen told me about a natural spring within short walking distance for refilling bottles, making this beach even more livable for extended periods of time. The last couple places I've stayed haven't had filtered water available for the guest to refill bottles, and it's actually been paining me to my core to have to buy bottled water. Partially because I feel like such a fool for losing my camelbak bottle for purifying water (mentioned in a previous post), and mainly because there's too much damn plastic polluting our poor planet and it's completely unnecessary. So I have been seeking out any way possible to refill my bottles instead of buying water.

Afterwards Carmen and some of her friends were going for a swim and I joined in. The sea was getting more rough than earlier, and in an attempt to body surf into the shore, the ocean decided she would body surf me IN to the shore... Dragging me along the sand and tumbling me around in the break :(

OUCH. That event kind of ended my dreams of relaxing ocean swims... I rinsed it with clean water and joked with Carmen about impermanence (the theme of our vipassana course) and felt really glad to have a friend at that moment. She gave me some iodine for the wounds and her friend have me a hit of a joint and then I laughed my way back to Om Beach. I washed up and a nice woman who I'd met earlier at my guesthouse helped play nurse on my stillverymuchso open wound. She poured some kind of disinfecting liquid on a pad and cleaned it out and holy hell nothing has ever felt more painful! I would have screamed if I wasn't already biting into a tshirt with all my might. But slowly the thing has been healing with no signs of infection so I have to believe it was worth it.

The next day I hiked back over to Paradise for another delicious thali, chai, and chillin. 

Common Paradise Beach scene! Carmen and her girlfriend met traveling a couple years ago and have spent their time together backpacking around the world, funding themselves by selling macrame jewelry. And they are so sweet and seem so simply happy... it's inspiring :) 

I made it back before sunset and found a seat among the rocks to meditate and wish the sun goodnight.

The next morning was the day that three of my friends from our Goan Corner adventures were arriving! Shortly after 6am I started walking down the beach to try to find them, and at the exact same time they were heading up the beach having just arrived after their overnight travels. As soon as we recognized each other we began running towards each other and embraced and spun around and laughed and hugged some more! Like a magic movie moment! 😂

The day before I had scoped out a better guesthouse and they were even kind enough to check in us weary travelers at 6:30am. Rooms were only 400, so Evie and I split one and Ralph and Matt split another to save some rupes. They went for a morning swim while I did yoga then we all had breakfast at the guesthouse beachfront restaurant. It was very conducive to relaxing, reading, chatting, napping, but eventually we moved out to the beach. To do more of the same. But with a beach around us.

I haggled a fruit seller for a pineapple to share and finished a book and taught the crew how to play my favorite card game. I realized how I rarely allow myself to "do nothing" during the day. If it wasn't for my friends having a rest day, I probably would have pushed myself to do more activity for the day. Between getting that scrape and traveling around more, part of me was asking for a laidback, low-activity day. And it was sooo good for the soul!

After more yoga and a shower, I climbed around on some rocks to find a spot to meditate for the sunset. The police saw me out on this far left steep rock and beckoned me back down so I had to settle for this average view.. ;)

That night we all shared and devoured a big family-style meal of Indian food and quite a few Kingfishers... My last night with them together being the excuse, and it was a blast. I was feelin silly. After the restaurant closed, I still had a lot of energy. I explained to the crew how I'd skinny dipped in every country is been in expect India, and you can guess where that led! We all went skinny dipping out in the ocean and became instantly mesmerized by the bioluminescent plankton illuminating our every motion! With the lights below and the stars above and the friends all around, I was completely blissed out! It was a absolutely magical way to end my time in Gokarna. 

The next morning we all had a final meal together before I had to head out for Goa.

Evie, Ralph, Matt... If you're reading this, I miss you loads and thanks for showing me a brill time!

I shared a tuktuk to the train station with another couple from the guesthouse. Even though I didn't get to say bye to her, I saw Carmen on the road a ways out of town, walking alongside a cow and talking to it casually. I like to hold this image as the last one I'll have of her :)

I booked the train for a cheeeap Rs. 25 and waited for the hour-delayed train on the platform.

It finally pulled up and I loaded up with my eyes and heart set on Goa! The journey continues!