Off to Kerala then.....

We spend our last night in Goa in Ajuna. The only hotel I've ever been in that doesnt supply locks on the doors!! Has anyone else ever had this? After we swap rooms because of frogs in the toilet (Sian has a problem with frogs like some people do with Spiders) we spend most of our time chilling out on the beech. I really need to get some sun, I'm starting to get a real farmers tan, the girls are doing ok though.

We have to suffer the discomfort of a night bus to Magalore, then change buses to get to into Kerala and head to Cochi on the coast.

One nasty night bus later, we arrived in Mangalore, not a place we will go to again. We have our first problem, we are tired after the journey, and getting any agreement on exactly what we are going to do to get to Kerala causes a bit of a barny in the rickshaw. So we get out, pay the driver and the girls have a cry in the street.

Once sorted we book a bus to Cochi at 6pm that night.

This time the bus is the worst yet, no suspension, twist roads, no reclining seat, and its packed. Nice. We wont miss these buses one bit. When we get there two hours late, the taxi we booked is nowhere, so after a long arguement with another driver we are on our way, trouble is he doesnt know where he is going and it seems to take forever, bearing in mind our lack of sleep I'm amazed we dont kill the turd and drive ourselves. We do eventually find the 'Kimansion inn' and check into the suite we have spolied ourselves with for Christmas. Its got air-con, a fridge, hot water and....a bath!!!!! Havent seen one for 2 months, and we love it. Its so hot here, the air con is lovely, but you get used to it and wish everywhere had it.

There are rows of Chinese fishing nets along the seafront and lots of little beech restaurants were you buy your own fish from the market and take it to them to cook for you, however you want. We be-friend some young Indian lads (whose names we have terrible trouble remembering) and they cook fish like I've never had before, we will come here again I think. This place is so nice, we knew we would like Kerala and everyone is so friendly and not as pushy as in most of India. It also Christmas day tomorrow, its grey and miserable at home, it 30 degrees during the day here!! We have also met Jennifer and Susan (Alex and Dave, dont know where Jen and Susan came from) and they are really good fun, so we hang out at the sunset point restaurant and drink brandy that we keep having to hide from the police!!

Its Christmas!!!! and we exchange presents and decide where to go for Christmas lunch. The ferry to the Taj Mallabar hotel gets the vote, they also have pool we can use afterwards. We have a buffett lunch which has turkey but no potatoes!! Christmas cake, but no sherry! Still it was good and we all were really stuffed and happy, especially after the two complementry glasses of champagne we guzzled! We chill out by the lovely pool overlooking the sea feeling warm inside but missing our absent friend Mauro. Knowing that his favourite drink was bourbon we decide to have a drink for him. We order three glasses of JackDaniels, pleased that they serve it. Luckily the bill comes with the drinks and they are 2400 rupees... 3 times as much as it would cost in London. They have added 90% tax on to the listed price. We are so embarrased and cannot afford it, so we have to send it back. We meet an American Lady called Patty, she sits and chats to us for a while. She is a writer and her husband it a doctor in Cochin. She lets us read her books whilst she called her driver and comes back spookily to Julia saying 'rings and 'wings'. It was most strange and we wondered where she had got these words from. Julia realised that she is wearing Mauro's ear rings around her wrist, and the tatoo she has of his name is Japaneese for wings. Seems that Mauro was with us for christmas afterall. And he was probably laughing at us not being able to afford the bourbon. After leaving the Taj we head back to Fort Cochin where we are staying. We hang out at the fish resturant we went to last night. Eating even more delicious fresh fish. Julia stays up late partying with theboys at the YMCA, whilst Sian and Steve enjoy the AC!