Monday, January 3, 2011

Can't figure out what day it is....

It’s January 2nd 2011 , I think it’s Tuesday but probably Monday. Feels like Tuesday.
Breakfast was more like dinner, this hot chilli sort of soup full of vegetables and various other foods, I have no idea what they were. I asked “what is this” to which he replied “mackablaghabanadhabu”, “sorry” I said to which he again replied  “mackablaghabanadhabu” a bit slower. So I left that alone and asked what the little puffy looking white things were, he said “lakhmasmakighakinalanda”. This time instead of asking again I simply said “oh !” Now I don’t ask anymore.
Today it’s to the beach for a swim, hope it’s not got pooh floating in the waves (which would remind me of Bondi !) but I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Sitting at reception writing this, unattractive man walks in with beautiful young wife. Arranged marriage ? I think so. They are on holiday, she looks miserable, walks behind him, he seems to think he is very important. Then there are all the guys walking around, they look relatively well off, they are here on vacation. They are around 30, their wives look to be no more than 15 or 16, maybe less. Either way, very very young.
One of the main reasons I booked this hotel was because it has a swimming pool. Unfortunately, from the “Only in India file” as you can see from the photo below, it has no water in it. Apparently been that way since forever, I understand it doesn’t hold water, which of course you need a pool to do.

 
Again, from the “Only in India file” (and there will be plenty of these) in order to get to the beach you have to walk down 125 steep steps, as per below. You can also notice that they go directly through a building site, OSH would have a field day wouldn’t they ? Just have to watch out for bits of concrete, bricks or steel reinforcing rods falling but other than that perfectly safe.


  The steps back up seem to number closer to 130 but this might be because in 600 plus degree heat, humidity somewhere close to 3000%, what‘s a few extra steps right ? You’ve heard of The Stairway to Heaven ? This is the same same, not so different, except it’s the stairway to air conditioning, and that’s heaven.
 

The beach was actually amazing, reminds me a bit of Noosa (in a couple of ways at least) They have life guards who do nothing but wave red flags and blow their whistles non-stop. I doubt they would be capable of actually saving anyone and would probably not want to get their feet wet. I think they have figured out that if they blow their whistles enough then people won’t go any deeper than about knee deep and it won’t be an issue. Funny to watch the Indians swimming, with their clothes on, mostly in groups…..