Our last post in India

Dinner on the seashore at Bay 15

We are rapidly approaching the end of our adventure and cant believe its been six weeks since we arrived in this warm and friendly place.

So what will we miss about India?

Warm comfortable weather – no arthritic knees or shoulders!

Warm friendly people, everyone wants to chat about any subject and they love a good joke.

Amazing contrasts of food.  Seafood & fish in the Andamans, Burning Dum Biryani in Bangalore, spicy, spicy food in Madras but never found a Madras curry anywhere, Portuguese food in Goa, South Indian and less spicy food in Kerela.

Wonderful South Indian Thali or 90p each with 10 dishes of the most wonderful vegetarian food, served on a banana leaf.

Gin at £1.75 a bottle and Kingfisher Lager at 45p a pint.

Cheap efficient flights and transport.

Smiling happy faces, they may not have much, but they are extremely proud people and love to share experiences and have a great sense of humour.  Himself was negotiating with a taxi driver last night as the fare changes all the time, and with a straight face said, that ok for tonight how much for Manchester tomorrow?  It took a few seconds then the typical Indian smile appeared and the driver said it would be free sir!

Now for a few bits we daren’t put in at the time-  remember himself and all the jokes about the Royal Enfield…… well here it is! Blasting round the Andamans was so much fun!

Pinky & Perky at Pig Corner

The pig that nearly bit us when we nipped over a piece of waste land when we almost ended up in a drainage ditch……

Himself sleep walking into  the mosquito net en route to the downstairs, outside loo at Emerald Gecko and nearly  going over the stairs, so much fun at 3 am in the morning!

The video clip is of the beach alive with moving shells on the eve of the full moon. We never saw them again.

Strange shuffling noises in the night at Emerald Gecko , no one brave enough to get out of the net/bed to have a look!

Near misses in autorickshaws, too numerous to mention

Mikey -
 our  vegetarian dog

Mikey the vegetarian dog who caught a whiff of a corned beef sandwich and was hooked- he loved us!

His owners are vegetarian too. whoops

Bartering over 2 rupees, then remembering its only 2p!

Catching sight of a huge black cockroach on the floor at the Driftwood Hotel.  I knew exactly what it was, it took me back to my days training at Bradford Uni for my Food Hygiene Diploma.  A fellow student let one loose in the classroom, it was called a Black Clock, and it shot across the room and under a skirting board much to the horror of the lecturer who said we had let a species lose that was never found in the UK. Poor old Bradford.  Anyway this nasty shot over to our open suitcase and I was nearly in orbit! My shrieks bought himself and the receptionist who was armed with a can of "I kill everything including you" which I insisted on keeping til the morning, in case it reappeared

The delights of the Indian WC at Chennai Museum, wot no doors!

Note to Ken, still have the snowman toilet roll, its well travelled, all around India!  And no Dehli belly - result!

People who have made our stay :-

Steve & Ann, who stay for 5 months each year in Goa.  Steve, thanks for the advice, oh  no sorry your suggestions!

Robin & Pete from Australia, you made us laugh so much!

Jean & Peter intrepid adventurers who drove to the Himalayas in a VW Camper van, thank you for your gift, I will swing in the hammock and think of you both x

John & his Dutch wife who bought up their children and lived in Anjuna for 29 years before the Indians made them get a visa! They live on a houseboat in Amsterdam and holiday every winter in Kovalum, Kerela.

Jay and the Canadian contingent, hope you are all still friends!!! Good luck with Cambodia, we look forward to recipe swaps.

To all the homestay owners, especially Colonel Roy, from the Gurkha regiment, it was our pleasure to stay,

and Lata & Raghu for the amazing cookery lessons. 

 Our love to you all, I'm sure we will be life long friends.