I woke up quite early to see the setting of the ‘super moon which had been in the sky all night and which set at around 6. 30 a.m. Then I went for a swim and MAC went to a yoga class. After this, we all went to breakfast in the outdoor café area.
After breakfast, we went for a walk down the hill from the hotel and into the small village at the foot of the hill, then on down to an adjacent beach which we traversed to a small lighthouse which is situated at the end of the beach on a small hill. From here we could see a larger lighthouse at the other end of the next bay.
On the way down from the hotel, we passed what was labeled as a Post Office and it occurred to me that we could mail the tea cozy which we had bought for Bill and Paivi to Spain from here. Thereby hangs a tale.
So, returning back across the beach and up the hill to the foot of the rapid up to the hotel, we stopped at the Post Office and asked if they were open. Despite it being a holiday (Pongala), they were open until 1 p.m. I walked quickly (as fast as the heat would allow!!) back to the hotel and picked up the tea cozy, told MAC where I was going and returned to the Post Office. It was soon evident that the man who was manning the Post Office was not too conversant with postal procedures, the reason for which I found out later. He had to call another office and get advice. There were several calls and then he said to me, “Could you go two kilometers up the hill to the next Post Office, please?” I demurred and told him that it was very hot to do that and maybe I would not bother. Then to my eternal surprise, he said, “Come”. He went outside, locked up this Post Office and got on his motorbike and gestured for me to get on the pillion, which I did. We zoomed off up the hill to the next Post Office where a very pleasant young lady packed up the tea cozy in a box strapped it all up with yards of tape, took the address with my return address and glued that on to the package. I was given the option of a number of types of mail and chose ‘SpeeedPost’ which cost RNI1,333 plus a further RNI50 for the box itself. The whole deal being completed, I thanked the lady very much for her great help. My helper from the ‘other’ Post Office carried me back to his office on the back of his Royal Enfield motorbike amid the light traffic on the short ride from one place to the other. When we arrived there and I dismounted, he told me that it was his sister who usually was the manager of this Post Office and that, as she was attending the Pongala festivities, he had taken over to watch the place during her absence but he really did not know much about the postal service and especially not strange English people who wanted to mail things to Spain!! Nevertheless the helpfulness and kindness of these people is way beyond anything we are used to.
I made my way the short distance back up the hill to the hotel, truly ‘Mission Accomplished’. By then, I was quite hot and soon changed for a dip in the pool.
At about 7.40 a.m. UK time (1.20 p.m. Indian Time), I called Milly to wish her a happy 18th birthday. This in UK makes her legal to vote and to drink so it is quite a milestone for her. I think I may have woken her up as she sounded a little drowsy but I was able to speak to her briefly and also to my daughter Helen who is recovering from a rather nasty cold which seems to have infected half of Britain.
I had a very light lunch of chilled cucumber soup and a small salad and then retired to the room for a post-Prandial nap. We will need to start preparing for our early departure in the morning for the airport and Mumbai.
When we returned to the room, we found the stuffed animals had been rearranged in military fashion with Ratly, of course, being in the van. The staff here have been very creative in the way they have arranged the animals each day when they clean the room. Even though I know this is an expensive hotel and we are foreign tourists, the staff are everlastingly polite, attentive and genial. In fact, it is true to say that almost everyone we have me this trip has been very kind and welcoming. I cannot think of a single person who has not been so.
After a short afternoon nap, MAC went down to high tea and I tried to sort our some clothes for the next three days. Then at about 6.15 p.m. we all repaired to the Club Room and most people drank the Pimms No 1 cup which Linda and Stevie had brought with them. It was mixed with 7-Up. The bottle finished and the small remaining amount of gin also meant that some weight was saved for the homeward journey.
I have been almost entirely alcohol-free on this trip and I have found myself to be able to cope with the hot weather and humidity in the south of India much more easily and with much less sweating and discomfort. Indeed my rush down and back to the Post Office in the morning despite being made at a quick pace did not result in too much over-heating at all. Although the temptation of a gin and tonic was very powerful on many an evening, the abstinence was worth it for the relative improvement in bodily comfort. However, when we get home and into the colder weather, I may be able to resume alcohol consumption which I will very much enjoy.
The sun set behind us in the room and gave a warm pink glow in the sky after it had set.
Then it was up the main restaurant in the reception building for a buffet or a la carte dinner. We both had the buffet which had an amazing amount of choices. The a la carte had even more with pizza, steak and other western style dishes. The buffet was more Indian dishes of every type with both meat and vegetable curries and rice dishes. There was also a very lovely salad bar.
Tomorrow morning, we will put our bags outside our rooms at 6 a.m., have a very quick breakfast to allow us to leave the hotel by bus to the airport by 6.20 a.m. The flight leaves at 8.20 a.m. and will take a little over two hours to reach Mumbai. We should be there late morning.
So with the final packing nearly complete, it was time for bed.
After breakfast, we went for a walk down the hill from the hotel and into the small village at the foot of the hill, then on down to an adjacent beach which we traversed to a small lighthouse which is situated at the end of the beach on a small hill. From here we could see a larger lighthouse at the other end of the next bay.
 |
| The next bay to our hotel |
 |
| The 'big' lighthouse |
 |
| ...and the smaller one. |
So, returning back across the beach and up the hill to the foot of the rapid up to the hotel, we stopped at the Post Office and asked if they were open. Despite it being a holiday (Pongala), they were open until 1 p.m. I walked quickly (as fast as the heat would allow!!) back to the hotel and picked up the tea cozy, told MAC where I was going and returned to the Post Office. It was soon evident that the man who was manning the Post Office was not too conversant with postal procedures, the reason for which I found out later. He had to call another office and get advice. There were several calls and then he said to me, “Could you go two kilometers up the hill to the next Post Office, please?” I demurred and told him that it was very hot to do that and maybe I would not bother. Then to my eternal surprise, he said, “Come”. He went outside, locked up this Post Office and got on his motorbike and gestured for me to get on the pillion, which I did. We zoomed off up the hill to the next Post Office where a very pleasant young lady packed up the tea cozy in a box strapped it all up with yards of tape, took the address with my return address and glued that on to the package. I was given the option of a number of types of mail and chose ‘SpeeedPost’ which cost RNI1,333 plus a further RNI50 for the box itself. The whole deal being completed, I thanked the lady very much for her great help. My helper from the ‘other’ Post Office carried me back to his office on the back of his Royal Enfield motorbike amid the light traffic on the short ride from one place to the other. When we arrived there and I dismounted, he told me that it was his sister who usually was the manager of this Post Office and that, as she was attending the Pongala festivities, he had taken over to watch the place during her absence but he really did not know much about the postal service and especially not strange English people who wanted to mail things to Spain!! Nevertheless the helpfulness and kindness of these people is way beyond anything we are used to.
 |
| The very kind and helpful substitute postman who with his wonderful Royal Enfield motorbike helped me mail a package to Spain. He is standing in front of his post office |
At about 7.40 a.m. UK time (1.20 p.m. Indian Time), I called Milly to wish her a happy 18th birthday. This in UK makes her legal to vote and to drink so it is quite a milestone for her. I think I may have woken her up as she sounded a little drowsy but I was able to speak to her briefly and also to my daughter Helen who is recovering from a rather nasty cold which seems to have infected half of Britain.
I had a very light lunch of chilled cucumber soup and a small salad and then retired to the room for a post-Prandial nap. We will need to start preparing for our early departure in the morning for the airport and Mumbai.
When we returned to the room, we found the stuffed animals had been rearranged in military fashion with Ratly, of course, being in the van. The staff here have been very creative in the way they have arranged the animals each day when they clean the room. Even though I know this is an expensive hotel and we are foreign tourists, the staff are everlastingly polite, attentive and genial. In fact, it is true to say that almost everyone we have me this trip has been very kind and welcoming. I cannot think of a single person who has not been so.
After a short afternoon nap, MAC went down to high tea and I tried to sort our some clothes for the next three days. Then at about 6.15 p.m. we all repaired to the Club Room and most people drank the Pimms No 1 cup which Linda and Stevie had brought with them. It was mixed with 7-Up. The bottle finished and the small remaining amount of gin also meant that some weight was saved for the homeward journey.
I have been almost entirely alcohol-free on this trip and I have found myself to be able to cope with the hot weather and humidity in the south of India much more easily and with much less sweating and discomfort. Indeed my rush down and back to the Post Office in the morning despite being made at a quick pace did not result in too much over-heating at all. Although the temptation of a gin and tonic was very powerful on many an evening, the abstinence was worth it for the relative improvement in bodily comfort. However, when we get home and into the colder weather, I may be able to resume alcohol consumption which I will very much enjoy.
The sun set behind us in the room and gave a warm pink glow in the sky after it had set.
Then it was up the main restaurant in the reception building for a buffet or a la carte dinner. We both had the buffet which had an amazing amount of choices. The a la carte had even more with pizza, steak and other western style dishes. The buffet was more Indian dishes of every type with both meat and vegetable curries and rice dishes. There was also a very lovely salad bar.
Tomorrow morning, we will put our bags outside our rooms at 6 a.m., have a very quick breakfast to allow us to leave the hotel by bus to the airport by 6.20 a.m. The flight leaves at 8.20 a.m. and will take a little over two hours to reach Mumbai. We should be there late morning.
So with the final packing nearly complete, it was time for bed.
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