We arrived in Chennai with a few days to spare to suss out the area so we knew where to take Reg (Jo's Dad). Out of all the big cities, Chennai was a city that made the least impression on us. There was not much of cultural significance, hence the top attraction was the second longest beach in the world.
After a loud banging on the door xmas day morning, Alex got up to answer with the thought of telling the over-friendly staff to bugger off and leave us in peace. Instead Reg bursts through the door unexpectedly, after 6 months apart, he gives Jo a big hug and kiss. It was really good to see him, he was buzzing that his adventure was about to start. We took him for a typical South Indian lunch at a veg place a few doors down and ordered a selection for us to tuck into. A tuk-tuk to the beach and he was like a lost kid wandering away from their parents looking at all things new. His first sign of abject poverty not long after was walking past a community that were living in houses that had been battered by the Asian Tsunami years back and the conditions were pretty squalid.
That evening was an all out fish fest at a restaurant called Fisherman's Fare. Crab, Tandoori Pomfret, Squid Curry and Jumbo Prawns were on the menu and not a morsel was left on the plate. This was topped off with a few draught beers at a bar to finish a very enjoyable but different xmas day. The one thing Reg couldn't get over was when we took him to a new mall that recently opened up that had everything from M & S to Dior with their fellow countrymen begging on the side of the road just outside.
There was plenty of banter flying around the days we spent with Reg, as you can imagine for those who know him! We parted ways on the 27th morning with Jo acting like a mothering wife checking he's got everything and bringing him water and cake for his journey. The guy running the tour must have thought she was nuts. The train to Mangalore was a horrible start to our cross country journey of 17 hours with a further 4 hours onto Gokarna an hour after arriving.
Once we got to Om beach in Gokarna, we could tell we were going to be happy here. Alex came on his travels 5 years ago for NYE and was unsure if our visit this time would spoil the memories after hearing it's becoming more commercial. We managed to find basic huts at the last place on the beach ran by a drunk guy that told us his name was Mr Nice and his nationality was international?? After not really drinking ourselves for most of the trip, we decided to go mad and have 5 big bottles of beer each. We sat on the beach from sunset, ending up pissed and stumbling back to our hut with no torch.
Luckily we booked a fancy room for NYE on the next beach over called Kudle so we had a lot more luxury to compliment our Havana 7 rum and billtong. Jo liked the idea of spending NYE on a beach called cuddle!! We started on the rum in the afternoon and slowly drank all day until we ran out at our beautiful dinner of tiger prawns and king fish, then we started on the beers!! We spent midnight on the beach watching fireworks and people setting off chinese laterns.
We reluctantly moved out of our expensive treat and went back to basics and stayed on Kudle for the next 6 nights. There were a few visits to Gokarna town itself and an 45 minute walk through paths and over rocks to reach Paradise and Half Moon beaches which completed the set of 4 beaches in close proximity. 10 days around Gokarna sunbathing, swimming, playing frisbee and going for walks was just what we needed after we were starting to get worn out from moving around so much. Jo did get a frisbee injury that took her out of action for a few days with a callous on the finger.
In Pondicherry at present after getting back across country from our few weeks in Kerala. Heading back to Chennai in the next few days where we fly to the Andaman Islands, I just hope we don't get lost and not find our way back home for a while!!
Alex & Jo xx
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