Gokarna: A Hippie's Paradise

As planned, I woke up early, at 5:30 and was ready by 6:15. Neha had arranged an auto rickshaw with the help of Zostel people. The driver was already waiting for us. The excitement to watch the sunrise was very evident. We headed to Belakan beach, which is about 8.5 km away. The early mornings are so pleasant here. The sound of wind hustling. a glimmer of light from the far-off street lights, the headlight of the auto rickshaw paving way for us- it was all very upbeat. We reached Belakan beach at 6:35. We walked past the beach to a man-made jetty-like structure, made out of stone and concrete. We decided to watch the sunrise from there. It was a very scenic view- water below, hill in the front, and the Arabian sea stretching as far as you can see. The sun came up the hill with an amazing array of colors and the rays portrayed a brilliant display as they illuminated the clouds around. We sat there for more than half hour, enjoying the beautiful view in front of us. We clicked a few pic...

After almost 10 hours of overnight journey, I reached Gokarna check post at around 8:00. This is the last stop for all the private buses. The place was really calm and the cool breeze touched my warm cheeks. The locals stared at us, fellow tourists, with cigarettes in their hands. Although, it was an everyday thing for them, the lifestyle seemed very calm and relaxed to me. I had booked a bed for two nights at Zostel Gokarna. People usually rent two-wheelers to hop around places, here. But I had a different plan. I wanted to walk to all the places on all three days and didn't want to hire a two-wheeler. I walked my way to Zostel, admiring the streets and the culture of this place. The streets were narrow with small temples on both sides. The spiritual significance of the place was very evident. The walls were brightly colored at several places, with well drawn graffiti on them. After seeking help from the locals, I managed to reach my destination at 8:30. Zostel Gokarna didn...

The plan of going solo was long overdue. I've always craved to go on one of those unplanned trips, where you feel the thrill, the mystery and the spontaneity. No expectations, whatsoever, of the kind of people you meet or the things you might experience. No judgement by anyone. Unlimited possibilities. Into the unknown. It was a Friday afternoon -3rd January 2020, when I decided to head to Gokarna. I knew it was a go-to destination for all the fellow first-time solo travelers. It was almost a whole year, since I went big on the travel aspect of my life. A bunch of my friends had made several plans for New Year's Eve, but they hadn't worked out for some reason. I needed a change. I had quit my job long ago. It was time, that I went on a getaway. So I decided to leave Bangalore on Sunday evening. Little did I know, the next three days were gonna be the best days in the recent past.