The last time I updated the blog was when Leanne left so it's time to stop being slack and type, type, type!
O.k, so, 3 weeks ago Leanne left and we headed to Varkala beach. A nice beach as far as Indian beaches go, at the bottom of a cliff.100 rock stairs lead to the beach which is good excercise and a nice walk-on the way down!Walking back up at the end of the day covered in sand,sun cream and sweat is another story!
Varkala is the hottest place we have been in India so far.It's 35 degrees,humid,no breeze and very sticky.If there was a breeze this place would be perfect but even on the beach the wind is non existent.The waves are massive so there's no way I'll be going for a dip unless I want to kill myself.
We found a really nice place to stay,seconds from the cliff staircase.A pink apartment block of 6 rooms with hammocks outside,a roof top and nice CLEAN rooms with cold showers-no washing out of a bucket!Yay!
The boys we met in Goa arrive the next day with a nice London girl so we have filled the apartment block nicely and make ourselves at home.
Basically the last 2 weeks were spent lazing on the beach, eating, smoking, drinking and having some good old british banter and listening to some new music .It's sooooo nice to hear new music!My 8gb,1000 song ipod is very depressing after 4 months of constant play!
Our lovely Indian landlord Arun tells us about a deep sea fishing boat trip for 10$ so we decide to do it considering in Australia it costs nearly 300$!
Get up at 6 am, half the boys and Sorcha are still pissed (I snook to bed well early!) and we head to the beach to meet the fishermen.
Now, I don't know wether it's just me,but,I imagined a huge boat, a safe looking boat, a boat that looks like one you take to Green Island. I should have known we are in India and everything is a million years old or about to fall apart.
A wooden boat appears in the distance bouncing up and down on the waves and washes up on the beach. We all climb in, I am shitting myself and decide to get off before we set sail.Peer pressure,the boys persuasion,Sorcha and a few strong arms keep me on the boat. WHY do I always do this!?!??! I am petrified of water,it's my biggest fear but I always try and push myself to over come my 16 year old fear!It never works! I always end up panicked,white,shaking and pulling fear faces everytime I get near water.I even lose my breath in the shower if I face the shower head and water goes in my face for godsake! I really wish there was a cure! I see everyone jumping, diving swimming in the sea and the pool but I just can't go under water.It's ok if its shallow but still I'm a bag of shite if I'm near or in water!
The engines are pumping and we head out into the ocean. Now, once agin I dont know wether it's just me but I imagined an island, some rocks, beach.something?! I did'nt think that we would be in the sea in the middle of the ocean. The sea is deep,deep deep, the engines are turned off and the boa rocks.he boys start jumping into the sea off the boat which makes it tip and rock even more and I am screaming everytime there is a movement!
Arun sits me by him and tells me it's all going to be ok and trie sto calm me down but once Im in panic mode that's it nobody or nothing can relax me only dry land!
The boys climb back in because the current is 'way too strong' which makes me more scared and Im now sitting at the top of the boat holding onto Arun and one of the boys fearing for my life!
A few dolphins swim past and everyone 'oooh's' and 'ahhhs' but to be honest it could be a rare white whale or a flying hippo I could'nt give a flying fuck I just want to get off. I knew I should'nt have got on this fucking boat!
It's been an hour and we have'nt even seen a rod or any fishing. The boys ask can we start fishing.Fuck me.Ou come the 'rod's'. A tile of polystyrene with fishing line,hooks and no bait are thrown into the water.There are 10 of us and 3 'rod's'.
Varkala is famous for it's fish which we see and eat every night at the numerouse seafood restaurants that line the cliff. Marlin,swordfish,salmon,tuna,squid and shark are all served with salad and vegetables for 6$ cooked fresh on the BBQ.
So we are all expecting to catch a massive marlin?It ain't gonna happen.Tiny gold fish size fish are being pulled into the boat-fish that in Australia we would'nt even use as bait.The boys are gutted,as am I, but I'm secretly a bit pleased as I know they will all want to get off now as there are no big fish.
Finally,an hour later we jump off the boat.I take half an hour out on the beach in shock.Shaking,white and fear faced I spend a few moments with myself and sware I will NEVER EVER do any water related activities again!Apart from getting a wash.
Next day we decide after 2 months in India the time had come to start daily yoga classes. We attend an ashtanga advanced yoga class. It's hot, sweaty, we are slipping off the mat wih sweat but at the same time enjoying it.We decide after the class we must do an hour every day-that's until we wake up in the morning and can't move our bones!Even our 100 daily sit up ritual cannot be completed.We are all in agony!
2 weeks is enough time lazing about in this freaking heat so we decide to head inland and uphill to the mountains of Munnar.
What an amazing place!The bus ride was a bit scary on cliff edges and high mountains whilst our bus speeds and squeezes past lorries and 4wd but the terrifying journey is worth it!
Green fields, tea plantations, hills, mountains, trees, rivers, lakes and pretty cottages are a welcoming sight, as is the 21 degrees temp and the nice COLD breeze! The smell of tea lingers in the air and smells amazing and I walk round with no coat on so I can appreciate what it feels like to shiver!!hahha
We spend 3 days here, trekking,visiing water falls, exploring, eating, drinking tea and on the last day I find a cook book in a local shop with Munnar's local cuisine in it. I buy the book and the guy at the shop tells me the auhor/chef lives close and takes me to her house. She shows me various magazine articles she is in, share food tips and she signs my recipe book. I am so annoyed I only meet her the day we are leaving or else I could have done a cooking course with her!Gutted.
Head to Kodicanal a place a bit similar to Munnar only there are no tea plantations. We go shopping, sightseeing and have a little trek. There is a nice lake which we hire a swan pedal boat-I know I said no more water...The boat was leaking when we pedalled but I made sure we stayed close to the bank,lol.
We have just arrived in Chennai after a 16 hour bus.The bus was meant to be an A/C sleeper bus but suprise,suprise as with all things in India it was not as we seen in the brochure!NO A/C, NO FANS, NOTHING! There was no such thing as sleep as every hour we stopped for food or loo stops.
Now, I'm not a rocket scientist but It's common sense if youa re going to be driving a bus for 16 hours you eat before you start work.No, not our driver.We have only been on the road for an hour and he has stopped for a curry and rice.Fucker.
I thought I had valium left from our last journey but it turns out they are anti hystemene pills and Sorcha has the only valium left-which she does not share! So, we get on the bus Sorcha is fast asleep and I am awake, sweating, listening to Indian men and women snoring and spitting out the window. We are sat at the front of the bus so every time there is a bus stop rude fucker indian's annoy me by squeezing my legs and tugging at me to move my legs out the way.About an hour before we are due to get off the 16 hour bus I fall asleep, bummer.
So, yeah. We have arrived in Chennai.We have been here half a day.I's hot, like 40 degrees hot,80 percent humidity,noisy,smelly,beep,beep,honk,honk,beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Just decided to sit under the fan for an hour or wo and write this blog before we head out when it gets dark and hopefully cool to hopefully find the english style bar that is in our guide book. We have no been to a bar for 7 weeks so I think we deserve a nice COLD drink!
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