Waiting for the Jetty at Karwar

Last month, I celebrated my first independent travel to the trio lands of Palolem- Karwar- Gokarna. I have undertaken many travels, but this one will remain etched in my memory for a long time, given the fact that it was my first independent adventure without family, friends or that matter @srinistuff tagging along.

I began my journey with a stay at Palolem and then went onward to Karwar. Karwar is a beautiful sea-town based in the northern district of Karnataka. Situated on the banks of Kali river, this sleepy spot is sandwiched between the border of Karnataka and Goa. With the wild sea on one side, Karwar bows down to the mighty green western ghats. Further off 4kms into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Karwar lies a secluded island with untouched national jewels. As I sat on my Jetty and looked at my new destination, a pale mass of land in the form of tortoise presented itself to me. As the Jetty rode further, the high wave of sea took swirls in my body. Butterflies went buzzing in my stomach.

The tortoise shaped Kurumgad Island

“Woah! This is really very far from the mainland and nobody will even realize if someone got killed on that island.” Bizarre thoughts ran in my mind. A little alarmed, I looked at people on the jetty with me. 3 more girls were off to the island along with me. Having been with them in Palolem, I took solace in the fact that I knew them, even if it was just for one day. The fact that these faces looked familiar made me give out a weak smile. After sailing over the wild waves of the sea for nearly 20 minutes (which BTW, felt like an eternity), we finally ended at our destination, only  to realize that we had to hike up to the only accommodation on the island- The Great Outdoors. I quickly juggled with my heavy backpack (ouch, the laptop in my bag!) and the camera in my hand (Oh! Come on, I love clicking pictures, who doesn’t? 😉 ) and read some quick reviews on TripAdvisor about the resort. A mixed bag of reactions popped in front of my screen. Harrowed, I decided to put my device away.

 

Many such beautiful vantage spots exist on the Island

On our way, there were some breathtaking views of the sea. There was silence all around, I could hear my own heartbeats. It was eerily beautiful. Miles long, I could see nothing but the sea. At one point, the horizon wavered and I couldn’t distinguish between the skies and the sea. A co-traveller remarked- “How scary could this be.” Another remarked- “What if a storm pulls up.” We chattered and cheered. We clicked each other. Eventually, we landed up at the resort. Beautiful white tents were rolled up. The tents are available on a single basis or twin basis. There are a couple of cottages as well. As I wandered across the place to explore more, I could see patches of multiple islands across the sea. Every spot looked a vantage point. A beautiful white & red light-house stood high right in the middle of sea. A hazy blue covered my eyes as I looked for stood standing with my new found friends.

 

My new  found companions on the island

A spell of silence fell upon us. Life looked unreal. I couldn’t believe I was out  in the middle of nowhere with nobody of my own. A blue blanket enveloped me from my work desk, far away. I felt scared. A little overjoyed. A little bizarre and a little mad to realize myself at peace. It felt surreal. I had survived two days into this trip all alone. May be finally, ” I could just take care of myself. I could explore alone. I could  sail alone and finally find new harbours of my life.

 

Lovely spots such as these keep you occupied

My home for a night 🙂