TRAVELMAN in VERKALA BEACH (KERALA), INDIA: I’ve been calling in sick from my trip the past few days.

I’ve spent the last four days in Verkala Beach, India. I’ve been calling in sick, playing hooky, from my see the world trip and I’m doing nothing instead. Well, not NOTHING. I’m drinking coconut lattes, eating curry, fresh fish, and drinking Kingfisher Beer, so that’s something.

It’s another vacation from my vacation. The last time this feeling hit me I spent eight days on Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. The travel started to seem like work. I had to remind myself and say to my self, I says, “Hey self! How’s it going... So, uh, this is NOT work. Take a second and remember what WORK is. ...Yeah, got it, you’re still on vacation, just go to the beach.”

Sounds more enviable than it feels...

The pic below is not Kerala. It’s the door to the Jodhpur Fort. I wanted to include it in a post. It really says, “Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want it.” I don’t even see a spot where you can knock. Maybe I can get an office door like that if I ever have an office...

This is a house I walked past (past or passed? I can never come across the truth) on the way to the beach in Verkala...

This is the Beach. I ate at the restaurant here...

For this pic you can choose your own joke. FYI, I did not stay there. Depending on your joke, that’s either fortunate or unfortunate...

I did stay here. It’s the Lost Hostel. Cool place but they didn’t have a/c. The room was like a sauna. I kept waking up soaked in sweat. I moved the next day to a room with a//c....

More beach...

This dog seemed to be posing at this table in an empty restaurant in the morning. The owners said the dog wasn’t feeling well...

This is the helipad. When you see hotel advertisements online they say, only 0.2 Km from the Helipad! The walkway (With almost no cars or motorbikes) along the cliff, where all the restaurants and shops are located, starts here....

This is a car on the helipad. I’m assuming it was driven rather than flown here...

This stuff is made from coconuts. The sign is outside some kind of government approved institute for it. They have tables everywhere where you can try it...

I wonder if they have unlimited breadsticks and salad!!