Leaving the Ashram

One night at the ashram, in the health hut also known as the ‘club’, the topic of traveling after the Ashram came up and I quickly came to realized that I had only a month left to see the rest of India. I had loved my time at the Ashram but knew that if I didn’t go to northern India now it would be something I would forever regret; with that I decided it was time to take with me all I had learnt and continue on my journey.

Kovalam, which notoriously holds the title for India’s most developed resort, was my first stop. Originally I planned to stay only one night here and take the next train to Bangalore but when I tried to book I found out there were no trains available until Monday. I went out in search of a new room, with hopes of honing my bargaining skills, as the one I was staying in was cheap but falling apart (I was paying 300rs per night for a double room with attached bathroom). A guest house less than a minute walk away was my first stop; they had slightly better rooms for 300rs, but I wasn’t sure if it was worth the effort of moving. After seeing two more rooms and knowing that they needed the business I asked to see their nicest room. It was amazing, a spacious room with cable tv, soft double bed, a mini fridge, private balcony, huge bathroom with a hot water shower, and stairs that lead above my room to a little personal rooftop space; only problem was they wanted 500-600rs per night for it. I offered 300rs per night, what I was paying at my current hotel, at which point they kindly rejected. I thanked them and started to walk away when she shouted “wait, wait.. best offer?”. I knew they weren’t going to get someone to fill the room for the night so I offered 1,000rs($20) for three nights (the first night free then 500rs for both the other nights), and with that I checked into the nicest cheap room I’ve found yet.

Side note to the picture: When I was leaving Kovalam I decided that it was time I threw away a large portion of what I was carrying with me. I’ve accumulated a lot of things, especially clothing, since I first arrived to India. So with the advice I had received from a Swami (similar to a monk) at the ashram I gave away roughly half of what I was carrying to children and anyone else who could use what I no longer needed. There is also an eight kilogram parcel on its way home, but it could be a while before it actually arrives.