Kakinada: A Coastal Surprise You Won't See Coming
so i landed in kakinada after a 12-hour train ride from hyderabad and my first thought was...what even IS this place? it's not on any "top 10" list i've ever seen, which is exactly why i came. the air smelled like salt and something sweet-maybe jaggery? i still don't know. it's 28.03Ā°c right now, feels like 29.17Ā°c, and the humidity is doing that clingy thing where your shirt sticks to your back before you even finish breakfast. i just checked and it's muggy there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
i stayed in a crumbling guesthouse near the beach road. the owner, an old man named ravi, told me in broken english that kakinada was once a dutch trading port. i believed him until i googled it later and found out he was half-right. anyway, he made me the best filter coffee i've ever had-thick, sweet, and served in a steel tumbler that burned my fingers.
*the beach is nothing like goa. no shacks, no parties, just fishermen hauling in nets at dawn while stray dogs trot along the shore. i rented a bicycle from a guy near the harbor for 50 rupees and almost got run over by a cow. classic. someone told me that the best seafood is at a place called sri srinivasa hotel on jagannaickpur road-no sign, just follow the smell of fried fish and the crowd of locals. it's true. i overate and napped under a tree for two hours.
the weather's been steady-pressure around 1010, humidity hovering near 57%. not ideal for hiking, but perfect for slow wandering. if you get bored, rajahmundry and vijayawada are just a short drive away, though honestly i'd rather stay here and eat more of those prawn cutlets.
random thing i noticed: everyone here is either starting a business or talking about starting one. a guy at the tea stall said he's opening a mobile repair shop next month. another woman at the bus stop was selling homemade pickles out of a basket. hustle culture, kakinada edition.
i overheard a drunk sailor at a bar (yes, there's one bar, and it's sketchy) say that the godavari bridge* at sunset is worth the trip. i went. he was right. the sky turned pink and gold and i felt like i was in a movie i didn't know the plot of.
random tip: don't trust google maps here. it sent me to a dead-end alley where a rooster chased me for three blocks. true story.
if you're the type who needs a plan, kakinada will frustrate you. if you're okay with getting a little lost, eating food you can't pronounce, and laughing when a cow blocks your path, you'll probably love it. i did.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/the-complete-guide-to-the-best-fulfillment-companies-in-europe-and-the-netherlands
- https://votoris.com/post/sprayin-the-streets-of-portland-a-latenight-journal
- https://votoris.com/post/5325738-a-strange-code-and-the-weather-that-follows
- https://votoris.com/post/why-grand-rapids-is-suddenly-a-headache-and-why-you-might-not-hate-it
- https://votoris.com/post/average-salary-in-kolkata-are-the-wages-worth-the-costs-and-probably-not