Bell at Mount Abu

Bell at Mount Abu

Monday, 17 March 2014

STILL ALIVE!

Each day we get a bit stronger - despite not sleeping well.  Last night we went down to the beach at around 6:30 hoping to have steaks and chips but the restaurant was having problems - probably luckily considering our recent stomach problems.  Anyway we enjoyed the red snapper and chips in the next restaurant instead and the slight wafting of air on the beach was more pleasant than our hot, airless rooms.  We walked back in the dark and used our head torch to help a broken down tour bus!

This morning we walked along the beach in the cool at 7:00am and it was Goa at its best.  A few people had artistically striped their faces with colour for holi - but a few of the local teenagers had done it properly - all over.  We had poached eggs and orange juice again in Dinah's bar for breakfast and walked along the tatty market stalls - John bought a couple of cotton shirts for £2.50 each - big spender!

The sow who made the nest to have her babies in is still in it 2 days later - our guesthouse owner put her some water out and she drank some - we have seen 2 little piglets so far- but they all stay so silent because the area is full of wild packs of dogs who would take them.  It was amazing to see her building the nest with palm fronds and twigs until she was totally invisible and silent.

We are just starting to acclimatise to the heat here in time to leave!  We have to pack our bags tonight and leave for Mumbai tomorrow - I hope we can fit in another couple of swims in the sea before we leave.

Our guesthouse owner, Sunil got bitten by a tick off one of his cats today and his leg swelled up - at least we were able to help with Piriton and Antisan cream.  Generally the chemists here are very good and you don't need to bring a big first aid kit like we did.  If I came again I would bring the little fan and extension lead to tie to the bedpost inside the mosquito net - another idea from an inmate here so you can get an air flow within the net.  Luckily for us there have not been many biting insects around here yet so hopefully having to stop taking the anti-malarials won't matter.  Next time you can buy them here for a fraction of the cost and only have to take 2 tablets per week instead of one every day and 4 on the first day - lots of people have reported feeling ill with the tablets we are prescribed in Europe.

Moira was going to have her sore shoulder massaged today but Sunil's tick bite put a stop to that!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Loved the juxtaposition of your description of the holi painted people, immediately with eggs and orange juice. The vivid colour palette imprints with the smells and heat to form a 3d mind shot.

Off to a Roman Amphitheatre at Silchester today lol!

Have really loved following your trip on your blog. :) :)

PS my old tip for getting to sleep in heat without a/c, have a cold shower before bed, wet down your sheet and get in bed wet.

Yvonne said...

Hi Teens, Roman Amphitheatre sounds good. Remember JAW tapping the granite obelisk in Karnak to hear it ringing? Well we walked on granite slabs which were steps in Hampi and they made similar ringing sounds. Much more recent of course, Hampi temples are about 1500 AD . I thought of you when we stumbled on that.

Wet sheets to stay cool sounds a bit drastic but I have rechristened our room here as the black hole of Calcutta because it so airless, so we may resort to your tactics in the end!