Jan 15–21
Jan 15 Sleep ok, some noise before dawn. Wake 8:45, rise 9:10. Checkout RSN Homestay 10:10 — perfect wifi, no outages, but not soundproof and a bit dirty. Pai veg thali 120rs, found rock in sauce. Catch bus to train station right away 15rs. Walked 850m to Gokarna Rd station, guy said no 12:30 train. Train delayed til 3:20. Walked around station, no hotels. Walked back toward Madangeri, upstairs rest fish thali 130rs, wifi at photo studio downstairs, cut when shop closed. Back to station 2pm, ticket to udupi 90rs, train arrived 3:13. AC berth, nobody checked ticket, napped. Arrived Udupi 5:30. Walked 1km to highway, packed bus 10rs, smells, ticket attendant accid slapped me, told him off. Jumped off at mall, walked Udupi center. Hotel search friction: rude staff at first place, White Lotus 4200rs, dorm 350rs no wifi, bit desperate. Bus to Manipal 10rs, strip mall, ICICI withdraw 10k cost 164cad, cheapest. Mall fast food: BK 2 chicken burgers 104rs, Subway small sub 104rs with wifi. Walked Tiger Circle, hotels 3500rs, muscle gym, climbed fence to get off campus, Lakeview hotel total dive w no wifi. Downtown hotel no c‑form. Finally Varsha Hotel, negotiated 1000rs fan room with good wifi, checked in 10:20pm. 12hrs door‑to‑door grind. Shower, stretch, rest.
Jan 16 Wake 8, rise 8:40. Admin: paid visa, broker transfers. 10:40 masala dosa 40rs, construction dust. Walked Manipal lake, viewed Muscle Kingdom gym 250rs day pass. Dental school consult 150rs, deep clean 300rs. Scaling 15min, said bone loss but no calculus. Mission accomplished. Mango smoothie 70rs, chicken thali 110rs, barber 100rs cracked neck. Shower, rest. Evening egg chowmein 80rs, chicken pizza 200rs. Walked lake contemplative.
Jan 17 Sleep in til 10:15, best rest in awhile. Checkout Varsha 11:10. ATM Canara quirks: 500rs only, then 10k worked, cost 11cad+161cad. Pomegranate smoothie 70rs, BK 104rs. Student town vibe, gyms, food, no good hostels. Bus to Mulki 50rs. Arrived Mambo Jambo Surf Club, spoke with Neha. Checked other hostel 1500rs for dorm, said Varkala better for intermediates. Paid 6500rs cash for 3‑day surf + dorm. Brunch rice + dal. Hand wash laundry, try cold plunge 4x1min, extremities pain. Evening fish thali 140rs on leaf, snack 70rs.
Jan 18 Insomnia from ice bath. Wake 7:30, rise 8:20. Café, bananas. Surf 10am Sasihitlu beach. Instructor Kabir taught paddling, pop‑ups, turns. Got 3/10 pop‑ups, feel wiped. Brunch chicken + mushrooms with rice/dal, ate 2 plates. Moved to AC dorm. Do laundry again. Nap 1hr. Evening chowmein + chicken 185rs, snacks 100rs.
Jan 19 Wake 8:10. Surf 9:30, bigger waves from full moon. Fail early, then solid ride to beach. 2hrs total, less tired. Brunch. Washed clothes. Terrace laptop crowd. Afternoon coconut 60rs, fried rice 120rs. Played with 3 puppies, temple kid selfie. Evening Sichuan noodles 230rs. Chat with vegetarian Brahman ex‑wrestler.
Jan 20 Dorm full but quiet. Wake 6:30, rise 7:55. Surf 9:35, calmer waves. Over 10 pop‑ups, smoother. Chat with Spanish calisthenics guy not as advanced as me. Timex watch glitch. Photographer said last surf day for photos. Cold plunge 30s full body, 1min legs. Brunch egg masala. Nap 40min. Evening coconut 60rs, noodles 120rs. Dinner fish thali 150rs with Daniel american guy. Play with puppies again.
Jan 21 Wake 7:30, rise 8. Café. Surf 9:40, new instructor then Kabir. Caught ~10 pop‑ups, more success than fails. Kabir said almost ready solo. Photo guy corrected shoulder position. Cold plunge lower body 1–2min. Lunch watermelon + rice/lentils. Afternoon coconut 60rs, chowmein 120rs, buy crackers for 30rs to feed to stray dogs. Evening mackerel + sardine thali 150rs. Paid Neha balance 4300rs for 5‑day upgrade + photo session. Chill terrace, ate Daniel’s dark chocolate. Tried Copilot AI.