Traveling has ended and VACATION has begun!!!

Another grueling train ride to get to our paradise, but we've left Hampi and have now made it to Varkala beach in the WAY south of India. 
I have to just say this: us girls have really had it backwards when it comes to expectations of what the actual traveling will BE.  The 47 hours of straight travel was actually pretty fun, but we were so worried about it being hard to manage!  Then we have an 8 hour train ride from Hampi into Bangalore and think "this will be CAKE!!"  It was an overnight train so ALL we had to do was walk onto the train, go to sleep, and wake up and get off at 6am.  But again, NOTHING is what it seems in India.  The 8 hours was some of the most trying travel we've come across.  People in India (and no offense to the culture, it's just different) have very little issue with spatial relations and keeping that invisible barrier of space between people.  People push, shove, trample, to get to where they need to go - even if they're not in a hurry.  On top of that, there is no socially acceptable decibal upon which a human being should be confined to speak in while on a train at 2am.  So we get on the train at 8pm and try to go to sleep, but people get on the train at a later stop at midnight - come into our bunk and turn ALL the lights on, open all the windows, and turn all three of the fans on (Mel and I had the top bunks, so the ceiling (upon which said fans and light were on) was maybe 12 inches from our eyeballs.  I looked over at Mel and her travel sheet was billowing in the wind so feverishly it looked like a ships' sail. 
And then now, of course, we arrive in paradise.  I know I've said this before but I think I will continue to say it throughout my trip:  India is a land of contradictions.  Our last day in Hampi I bought a pair of pants that I was really excited to get and decided to walk around in them that day.  The fabric was a bit itchy, but let's be realistic - in comparison to the lack of comfort you can have while traveling here, a little itchiness is practically nothing in India.  The day was wonderful and I spend some time alone drinking a masala chai in the restaurant at our guesthouse. I am taking in the beauty of the scenery (we look out upon the big river in Hampi and across the river are 5 ruins the size of Mt. Olympus) and I am reveling in the experience when my legs start itching so badly I can't stand it. I run into our room to change out of my pants when I decide to check the pants out - I turn them inside out and they are COVERED in fire ants.  And THAT, my friends, is India.  One minute you are basking in its beauty and the next minute you're being eaten alive by fire ants that have nested in your brand new pants. 
Okay, that is enough of that.  We arrived today in absolute paradise and it feels like the backpacking way of life has halted for the moment and our tropical vacation has begun.  We got a room super close to the beach and negotiated a great price for 3 nights, so again we get to kick it in one spot for a bit.  I will post more pictures when I get a chance to take some.  For now, I will let my camera take a needed break and I am going to blow up my floaty raft and get a tan.