KARNATAKA

Since the last post, we got an overnight bus to Karnataka-Gokarna(where we have been a week), which is an area of beaches south of Goa, yet very different to the beaches in Goa, somewhat less commercial, (no clubs and noisy bars, just shanti restaurants and cows) and beautiful. There are beautiful rocky beaches, long strip sand beaches, and a few Robinson Crusoe beaches, where there are very few people and like, one restaurant. You can get between all the beaches really easily by boat at 50 rupees, and you can also go to them by foot, though some are more like a hike (around rocks for the more adventurous) .The most reknown beach is the OM beach, which is in the shape of the word OM in Sanskrit(see 1st pic), so is considered to be a very special beach, and because of this is the most popular and busy.

When we arrived at about half 6 in the morning last week, we watched the sunrise, and enjoyed the orange light welcoming us on the sea, and walked to a beach very appropriately named Paradise Beach. We stayed there a couple of nights, and then as Peculiar Petulia felt a tad peculiar he and Margate headed to a nice clean comfort hotel to help him feel better.It was a really simple place we stayed in at only 50 rupees (no electricity or fan), up on the hill, with a beautiful view and it was away from anybody so we could be really really silly. Horatio Hornblower and Petal moved on at this point, and we were sad to lose them and King Arthur had left us in Hampi, so now we were 6, but without Winnie the Pooh. In the end we moved onto Om beach. And no I am not mentioning Gn'T and the chicken story to anybody, or the interviewing of all the hippies as to whether they knew why the old lady swallowed the fly. Its all Gerties fault-he has the evidence.

Now everyone has been heading in different directions (King Arthur is off to start a new life in NZ-Hail King Arthur!!!) and everyone else is off too the Backwaters on a boat in Kerela except me (as will be doing the trip with my Mum when she comes in Feb, plus is the opposite end of Kerela to where I am heading next). I must say it feels a bit strange (again I hear the Buddhist teachings of impermanance ringing in my ears) as we have all been this really well bonded group for just over a month now. ALL CHANGE! Just a note to you- group of mad chickens, I have loved our time together and will never forget it.

Please check out the beautiful baby I met in Gokarna, who was enjoying his biscuit and posing for the camera...

Am now on Kutly beach which is a lovely strip of sand with the view of palm trees behind and the red red earth on the hills behind, and will be here till Sunday, to have my next India experience-two weeks in an Ashram doing yoga and meditation. I don't think I will have email access during this time so there wont be any news or emails for a couple of weeks, but I will be back!