Yesterday January 18

We awoke, readied and went to Kurinji-Resto Cafe for breakfast. This is where Jeff has been getting our breakfasts and the first restaurant we ate at here in Munnar. So I guess it is kismet that is was our last place to eat at. I had a bread omelet, which is a piece of bread surrounded and cooked in egg, shaped as an omelet. It's good and filling. Jeff had a dosa, called an 'onion roast'. It was a dosa with a lot of finely chopped red onion folded in the dosa, with four different “sauces” or “gravies” (I don't know if they were chutney or curries. They weren't listed on the menu.) Anyway, three of them were tomato sauce based and Jeff said they all tasted different (he liked the third one the best); the fourth one was the coconut chutney we have had. We had juices of lime mint for Jeff, and me watermelon.

Finished, we went back to our hotel, packed and checked-out by 11. We enjoyed JJ Cottage quite a bit, and highly recommend it!! We trekked with our bags to the Bus Depot, a whole 220 meters (720 feet)! Our hotel was very convenient for this, and in general convenient for what all we wanted to do and see here in Munnar. Anyway, our bus was for 1140 departure, but we all boarded about 1145, then bus did a small loop in Munnar, coming back to the bus station and leaving finally at 1205 (after picking up a couple of people in the loop excursion and one back at the station! That was weird to say in the least!). The bus ride underway… it was an experience! The bus takes over the road, because the road is narrow and very windy/switchbacked. But the drivers know the amount of room they need and definitely use it! Our bus is non ac (except to open windows), but it is called Super Air Bus. I think this is because how fast we go in it – we cause a super air stream!!  HA-HA  🙂  The only other thing to mention is we arrived safe back at Kochi. There was only one major brake slamming moment, from which the bus narrowly rear-ended a vehicle that pulled out in front of it. (Because that vehicle had then come to a complete stop.) On the bus, we all were sent into the seat in front us in some way. One little child hit the hardest, and let out a wail. Also the lady in front of Jeff slid out of her seat to the floor.

We arrived around 50 minutes late (430 pm) back at Kochi. Jeff hired a taxi through Ola, and we went to what was going to be a day use hotel… But once again, we could not have our reserved room. This time the person behind the check-in counter, told us were could not stay here because we were not Indian! WOW! Jeff has found this on websites when he has booked us places. But this place was through Booking.com! So Jeff had to do the headache of contacting Booking by an international phone call, so we would not be charged. This is one of the craziest things we have come across in India… hotels that only allow Indian people, not foreigners!!! QUESTIONS??? I was losing my cool, but God blessed me with some nature, I saw a number of eagle-type birds soaring on a breeze. Thank you, God!!! Amen!

So… we trekked to the train station, again thankfully closeby. Found a cloak room to store our luggage and set out for food (we have not eaten since 930). We hiked around- Google failed us twice – and came to Nasi and Mee Restaurant. It is Asian Fusion: Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese. So we ordered from their eclectic menu. We had Tom Yum (a Thai chicken, lemongrass, and mushroom soup); Som Tam (a Thai salad of unripe papaya with lime and chili dressing topped with peanuts); Spicy California (a Japanese Maki, veggie sushi of shiitake mushroom, cucumber,and avocado with some chili); and lastly Phad Krapao (a stir-fried Thai basil and tofu served with rice and some more Som Tam salad). Wow! Great meal!

By now it was 730 pm, so we slowly meandered back to train station and found a place to 'park'. Our train is scheduled for arrival at 2230 – train started elsewhere, so we'll see! I just killed time people watching. Jeff actually struck up a conversation with a young Indian man, who started with the usual – “which country are you from?” Indians always ask this, and that is how how some say hello, as in, “hello – where are you from?” Anyway, they talked quite a bit.  At one point I heard the young man tell Jeff of a different way to book a train. I could see possibilities open up in Jeff's eyes. Then before we knew it… it was ten. We went to the bathroom (you never know the condition of the bathroom on board the train). The train was just a couple minutes late – shocker. Jeff said goodbye to the Indian man, he is in a different part of the train and is actually taking the train until it ends in Delhi – supposed to be 38 more hrs! We boarded and had an uneventful train ride – this is fine with me  🙂 !  We paid a bit extra and are in a 2 tier this time, with ac . We were assigned together, and we both have bottom bunks! But I did not sleep well – did not get to sleep until nearly one and finally awoke at 540 am to go to bathroom, which was a squatter, but cleaner than the train station! Able to go back to sleep until 7ish.

     January 19

We arrived at Karwar Train Station and exited the train. It was thirty minutes late (930), but this did not cause any problemsfor us. From our platform, we had to take the stairs up and over the tracks to get to the station. It was all open and I was able to get pics of our train. It was already getting warmish. We tried to hire a tuk-tuk, but the guy said “not available” when there are twenty or so there, whatever. It is twenty miles away and in a different state – so I'll chalk it up to one of these. He said “taxi only” – the only one there. He quoted 1,000 rupees then 800. and Jeff took this to mean he had gone down to 800, and Jeff actually repeated 800 to the guy, who nodded. So we got in. Along the way, we cross into a different state and our driver put on his seat belt. At one point he pulled over to the shoulder, and said, “Sorry, one moment, compulsory.” He got out and got into the trunk. I heard a snap of cloth being flipped out. Jeff said he thought he was getting a blanket to pray, but he came back in the car quickly with a wrinkled white shirt buttoned in place. Within a few hundred yards there was police checkpoint, and he was waved through. He was not stopped. Interesting, 'not his first rodeo'.  Anyway, we arrived at Palolem, a little beach community, by ten thirty. Then the guy wanted 1,800 rupees ($22). Jeff was not happy, but paid.

We found our accommodation, Blue Mirage Guesthouse, and were welcomed in. Yeah! We were even a bit early, but was no problem – finally, again some Indian hospitality! We checked-in. We have a little sitting area/ porch. Our place is a bigger room and has two chairs and a little table! It is clean and kept up, not as nice as last place (I think JJ's will be our top tier to compare to), but better than the few before that. Also have our first hot pot in our room, ac, and a decent sized fridge. We unloaded our stuff, and set out to explore the beach. We found we could just go through a restaurant, and, voila! We are on the beach. (We will not not do this again unless we are going there to eat at the restaurant, as it is not tied in with the guest house.) 

We, of course, walked the beach some. It is a stunning smaller beach. Jeff went to check on a dive shop (which is scheduled for Monday – it's a “refresher course”, since it has been so long). I just stayed walking on the beach. There are many families here. This is nice, so may not be loud at night, for “party-ers”. I went back to our place and Jeff was close behind. We cooled off some and then took a long awaited shower. It is a cool shower, but has a nice rain head, and as always is a wet bathroom, meaning not an enclosed shower, and the whole bathroom gets wet. Clean and revived we went out for lunch. We have been having a craving for pizza. So we went to Baba's Little Italy, Seafood and Pizzeria. We had 'Local Sausages' wood oven pizza, which had fresh tomato sauce with Local Goan Sausage. (The area or state we are in is Goa, and Goan means of this area, as Kansan means of Kansas.) Anyway, we also had – alcohol! Jeff had a Kingfisher Beer and I had a glass of Big Banyan Merlot. They are both Indian made. My wine was considerably better than any we had. Finally! Now we can try others here. The state of Goa allows alcohol. Many expats come here, and this is one of the reasons why. We also did try Feni, an Indian fermented and distilled spirit, having the cashew varietal. It is very different – does not seem strong (but it is) and very smooth. 

Anyway, we finished and meandered up the 'main street' and on the next. I found two pairs of much needed shorts, (I only had one pair left.) Also bought some water, coke, and Jeff bought some Indian wine, and whiskey. We went back to our place unloaded and took a needed siesta! 

We went back out to the beach for sunset, walking the rest of the beach here. The sun was a big fireball, before it hit a low bank of clouds and disappeared until tomorrow. Still not entirely hungry we searched for fruit. Finding a guy roasting peanuts we bought these. Then found a little fruit stall, we bought two mandarins, an apple, and key limes. Then we went back to our place for a snack supper. We tried a different Indian wine, Sante Shiraz, but not as goog as the Big Banyan – don't need it again.

I blogged, Jeff read. Hopefully bed by ten!