Entries about food kuddle beach

Gear strapped on and ready to hit the road! Don't forget Heather!

We were nervous while driving our rented Royal Enfield through Goa’s back country and into Karnataka. The bike is unfamiliar to Eric, the gears and breaks are on opposite sides from the western syle motorbike, and the kick start sometimes gives us trouble. The locals in Goa advised us against the trip as it is illegal for a tourist to drive a rented motorcycle between provinces. The tourist motorbikes have special yellow plates and it is impossible to get across the border with them. We did our research and found a local who was willing to rent his personal bike to us and allow us to take it across the border. If we were to get caught it could be mean big trouble… or 200 Rupees ($4) of baksheesh (bribery). The adventure seemed worth the risk. So far we have been without any trouble from the police and are enjoying the ride.

sunset on Palolem Beach

Eric with the cows on Palolem Beach

dolphin spotting from Palolem Beach

a quick trip to the nearby beaches of Palolem

We started in Anjuna, Goa, drove south to Palolem for a few days of beach time, then further south into the province of Karnataka. The further south we drive the more traditional Indian lungies and dusty red rock landscape appear. It’s amazing how the culture can differ so much from one province to the next. Lack of development on the unspoiled beaches of Karnataka make for a pristine coastline and attract a unique vibe. The stars sparkle bright, like galaxies of diamonds in the sky. The amount of hippies here has doubled since Goa, it almost seems as though the hippies who use to dwell in Goa have manifested a different scene in Kuddle Beach, Gokarna. The foreign hippies all gather at night to juggle fire, play instruments and meditate on the beach. For many people this is a captivating scene and some people tend to stay longer then intended. I once made the mistake of asking a local hippie for directions, they wanted nothing to do with me. Perhaps it’s because I don’t smell of patchouli or have dreadlocks.

Kuddle Beach, Gokarna, Karnataka

When we arrived in Gokarna we headed straight for Om Beach where supposedly the network of guesthouses was situated. We were disappointed with the quality of rooms and decided to look elsewhere. After driving down some rough dirt roads for what seemed like forever, we found a resort that was currently under construction. They had a few rooms that were fairly upscale and we managed to stay in one of them for $20! The next morning Eric and I stumbled upon a rustic Yoga Retreat in Kuddle Beach and decided to take advantage. We stayed here for the next four nights. We started our mornings with Yoga and a beautiful homemade breakfast. Of course even a quiet beach like Kuddle wouldn’t be complete without a volleyball net. After spending the afternoons playing volleyball while watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean, we would head to our favorite restaurant on the beach Little Paradise Inn. We befriended the locals at the restaurant and had the cooks teach us how to make a killer Indian meal. This for me has been one of the highlights; being in a real Indian kitchen and watching them effortlessly whip up 3 of my favourite dishes. MMM tasty.

If you are in Kuddle and are looking for some killer food call Suresh Traloki and visit Little Paradise Inn.

The cooks at Little Paradise Inn hard at work.

Boy at Gokarna market selling spices

We somehow managed to stay in Kuddle for 3 days longer than anticipated. That is the great thing about having no rules or strict timeline; you can let time stand still when it wants to. Our parting point was watching a young Indian man drown on the beach. This was the second death we had seen in the past week. The tragedy makes such a beautiful thing seam so retched and evil, for me it was time to leave Kuddle and the horrific scene behind. We packed our bags and were on the road at 7am this morning in search of a holy town in the mountains called
Hampi.