Screams from the old plantation

Rudely awaken by the household waking at around 6.30am.... average. REAL average. Went for a 7am walk to Vajifa (the land that my Dad's Dad owned and Dad and his bros have now inherited) with some of the fam. Following this and some bfast at home we missioned it out to Dandi Beach. Breakfast here is SO good. Awesome smells in India and one of them is the smell of the (really really processed) bread here being toasted on a gas stove. Absolutely magic!

Grandad was a guest speaker at the opening of a new hostel at Dandi Beach High School. All 6 of us weren't gonna fit into a rickshaw so Maya and myself haille done down the road. Which was again quite an adventure.......... try 14 people in a 9-seater rickshaw. Pretty epic ride, I was half hanging out the side and all was sweet...untill we came up against some roadworks (you betcha, by hand). Turned out the detour wasn't very rickshaw-friendly so all 14 of us had to jump off and walk for 100 metres. Lots of speeches at the hostel opening so we walked the half kay to the historic Dandee Beach. Wearing boardies and packing a towel I was pretty keen for a dip but being there the water didnt look that flash. It was mid-tide but the beach is really wide and flat, took heaps of cool pics before heading back to the hostel opening for a feed. Another stock-standard communal feed. Always spicy. Always good.

Fell onto the couch and slept it all off as soon as we got home. Scored a rickshaw out to grandad's farm where we had been invited for bbq and drinks by the GC (see above!). Took us for a mean tour of the land' amongst Mango trees, coconut palms and rice plantation (plenty of screams from the old plantation) before heading back to the homestead. Had a shot at climbing a cocunut palm and felling some of the good stuff a-la locals but must admit I was quite shit. Found an old tennis ball and picked up a stick-cum-cricket bat for some BYC with one of the tenants kids. They all love cricket around here so it's a sure way to make friends. Before long Mum, Maya, Jaya and the GC himself got involved and it was a full-blowen one dayer. Play got called off for the day to poor lighting and we retired inside for some drinks. Treated to some Kingfisher beer and even a couple of big Fosters. All brewed by Bombay Breweries. Apparently Dad or my uncle had given them a heads-up and they'd managed to hook some up in the alcohol-free state. Again, Good Dudes. Need I say more? Mean feed, I got stuck into the curried chicken with roti. FRESH chicken as well, more than likely it had it's neck wrung just this morning...

Still questioning whether it's possible for me to 'adjust' to the food here. Its all bloody spicy and meal after meal I keep thinking that 'it wont be that bad this time'. Never works. It was all I could do was to try numb the burn with another Kingfisher

Nick