tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17219712317605101902011-04-22T03:38:45.263+05:30A quick dip into the monsoon-ridden south of India.Golabnoreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-23191397246312669842008-06-22T18:10:00.000+05:302008-06-24T12:25:17.546+05:30

Sunday 22nd JuneWell, the flight was about as exciting as I thought it would be. There was a baby in the row in front of us, fortunately, she was quite advanced for her age and liked waving back so we got on very well. At one point she waved at the entire plane and most of the passengers waved back.Didn't get much reading done. Mainly because I had two new books to speed me on my journey -

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-18829152663782798182008-06-22T03:55:00.000+05:302008-06-22T04:19:41.244+05:30

Saturday 21st JuneAh well, I knew it wouldn't be that simple. Having arrived too late last night to do the suit-fitting thing, we turned up at the tailor first thing this morning (11.30) (after yet another uninspiring breakfast at the Sepia Residency). Needs some fine-tuning, come back at four...Duly turned up at 4 (having done laps of MG Rd trying to get last-minute stuff for people, as my

Golabnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-82513728722238246112008-06-20T23:17:00.000+05:302008-06-21T00:11:59.680+05:30

Friday 20th JuneOk, now I'm not even sure what month it is.Went to check out - it had been raining since breakfast, and the place was steaming. Really. I'd been out of the aircon for about 10 mins and it was like I'd jumped into the swimming pool. And I really wished I could.Flight was at 1.30, so took the 11.30 resort shuttle to the airport, to arrive at 12.30, in good time. But Ganesh had other

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-26910595876811282132008-06-19T19:53:00.001+05:302008-06-21T18:34:46.113+05:30

Thursday 19th JuneSo, the electricity keeps going off for several seconds, then restarting. I believe this is due to the monsoon, cutting it off periodically. However, I'm not sure you should be able to see daylight via the power point... Light switchHaving considered the possibility of renting a car (and driver, haha!) to go see Panaji myself, I decided to continue my break from the thrills of

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-7221078576749999852008-06-19T19:50:00.001+05:302008-06-21T01:05:29.333+05:30

Wednesday 18th JuneThe day started off beautifully cool. Then it rained, very convincingly.Then it became amazingly hot - like being inside a sauna, but when you don't want to.Wandered down to the stormy sea, promising the guard not to go swimming.Went and sat under the fans in the lobby for a while, to read my book. Realised that it's not a picture of Henry VIII in the lobby, but in fact Vasco

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-82749333992791720252008-06-17T18:52:00.001+05:302008-06-17T18:52:29.964+05:30

  Tuesday, 17th June Sleep late. Eat. * Jump in pool. Sit by pool. Read book. Repeat from * until sunburned. Eat. Move to a potentially quieter and definitely more scenic room. Have decadent massage. Book next decadent massage. Eat. Sleep. More Scenic Room View Of The Day: Straight on to the beach

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-19204996293724940592008-06-17T18:51:00.001+05:302008-06-17T18:57:06.927+05:30

Monday, 16th JuneWell, where to start... I'm special!Kingfisher Air should come fly in Australia. Really. Flight from Cochin to Goa hopped via Calicut and Mangalore, those of us going straight through simply stayed on the flight.First leg, 25 mins. We got a lunchbox containing:A cheese and coleslaw sandwich, white bread, crusts cut off, halved diagonally, halves individually wrapped in

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-2179303787269512772008-06-15T16:03:00.000+05:302008-06-24T12:28:25.513+05:30

Sunday 15th JuneToday is Sunday. In a Syrianic Christian area. Thus much is closed.Went to Fort Cochin to look at...Mattancherry Palace - built by the Portuguese, renovated by the Dutch. Under reorganisation, so the portrait gallery was just empty walls. Interesting palanquins. Interesting because of how small they are (particularly the completely enclosed ones), and interesting because of how

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-80215655949588626092008-06-14T23:18:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:25:53.500+05:30

Saturday 14th JuneNo, really, please.Maybe it’s just a given that if you’re a female eating by yourself you must feel lonely / uncomfortable /unloved / something bad. And the job of the hotel staff is to make guests feel at ease. And they have always been fairly attentive when I’ve been in a group, so it’s not just me. And I guess they like Australians because of the cricket. And, inexplicably,

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-30039482116199714062008-06-14T22:31:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:36:32.802+05:30

Friday 13th JuneHeh. I’m writing this the day after, so I’ve only just noticed the date.So after a number of phone calls, we established that the houseboat would pick me up at midday at the resort, and drop me off at midday at the resort the next day. Part one was accomplished without error.Boat was nice enough, once again felt a little over‑staffed – three crew and just one of little ol’ me.

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-80015195330689139082008-06-14T22:13:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:26:42.688+05:30

Thursday 12th JuneThe drive to Kumarakom. 3 ½ hours at most. But then we got to a certain point, and my driver said “I live over there”. He lives in the region. Did I want to take a detour which wasn’t very long, and we would come into Kumarakom from the north rather than the south. Ok, why not? We had to go overland in a jeep to get to his house, which he had bought a few months ago, because the

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-89343348387309406592008-06-14T20:47:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:33:41.971+05:30

Wednesday 11th JuneReally not sure what day it is today. Had to check on my mobile several times.Being a bit lazy, I agreed to my driver’s suggestion of taking the 9.30 safari boat at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (I was fairly sure there was one at 6.30, it says so in the LP, and that there’s a better chance of seeing animals then, but, well, I was just feeling lazy). So he picked me up at 8.15

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-68547099393975904292008-06-14T20:30:00.001+05:302008-07-10T13:05:19.481+05:30

Tuesday 10th JuneToday I saw a bus called Sharon.I also saw a giant pink and purple bus heading straight towards me, and I have no idea how I didn’t see it until the last minute. The only explanation can be that I have become so inured to imminent death that I have ceased to notice it – either that, or its colours were so hideous that my mind blocked it out. Didn’t see its name, but let’s just

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-57263002819457228362008-06-14T19:43:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:32:27.719+05:30

Monday 9th JuneVery sad ad I’ve been seeing on TV lately – about a girl who lost the love of her life to someone with paler skin. Oh, if only she’d been using the Ponds skin lighteningerer.So, back to the day. Gave the tea museum a miss, mainly because it’s closed on Mondays. Apparently. Will try again tomorrow.India is a very noisy place, particularly my hotel room. Traffic noise – it goes away

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-59848749124403956072008-06-14T19:40:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:29:17.753+05:30

Sunday 8th June (addendum)Now there’s something you don’t see every day – and it’s a value‑add, they certainly didn’t mention it in the brochure… glow‑in‑the‑dark stars, planets and rockets on the ceiling of my room. And they glew all night.

Golabnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1721971231760510190.post-52021456844274411142008-06-14T19:23:00.000+05:302008-06-15T18:29:47.284+05:30

Sunday 8th JuneAfter an uninspiring breakfast, checked out of the Vintage Residency (actually 3km from MG Rd, as opposed to the advertised 1km), leaving my safari buddy to his own devices until his evening flight out. His own devices apparently involved teaming up with our driver to extract vouchers from expensive tourist shops – when a driver delivers you to a shop, they get a voucher, whether

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