Rowan is so good to me. First of all, to bring me on this great Indian adventure and then to take this week (my birthday week) and come to my most favorite environment, the tropics, is just over the top. I am totally in my element when I am on the ocean surrounded by warm water, sand, palm trees, warm moist air and seafood. We got up early to take a long walk north up the beach before the 92 degree heat hits about noon. When we got to the water we noticed 2 huge wooden fishing boats anchored just off shore. As we walked that direction we then noticed a large group of fishermen on the beach getting ready to push another large boat from the beach out to the water. These were the fishermen who belonged to the boats on the sea. We figured they must have spent the night on the beach and were now going back to their boats to raise their nets.
We continued down the beach and spotted some dolphins swimming just off the shore. They seemed to follow us as we walked north. Then we saw the coolest thing, there, just at the surf line, we noticed a wave powered electrical generator that was generating electricity through the pounding of the surf against a metal drum on the shore. What a brilliant idea! The power line was going off into the jungle. Now, why aren’t we doing stuff like this in the US? Brilliant!
We walked further down the beach and ran into 4 of the most handsome teenage boys (maybe 17) making a mermaid in the sand. When they saw us they all waved and said hi so of course we went up to talk to them. They were so excited to hear us speak in English and have a conversation with us about where we were from. A photo was a must and then they just couldn’t stop hugging Rowan. It was hilarious! We can imagine the stories they will tell their friends about hugging the English woman.
Rowan with the boys in the background up the beach
The boys with the English madam
The mermaid with the perkiest breasts I've ever seen!
Jenni doing her Katherine Hepburn impression
We walked for about 3 hours and came back to the bungalow for a shower and nap. The afternoon is usually spent taking a nap as the heat and humidity is at its peak between 1-4.
At 3:30 we went off for massages (happy birthday to me!!!) The resort offers Ayurveda massages – tradition Indian medicine massage. http://www.goodspaguide.co.uk/treatments/wellbeing-treatments/55-Ayurvedic-massage.cfm
We chose to have the Uzhichil massage where the body is massaged in a special pattern, which improves blood circulation, vitalizes various organs and provides a new energy. It tones up the muscle and strengthens the body. We started off having a chat with a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine about our general health and medications, etc. Then we were taken into separate rooms, stripped down and dressed in just a loincloth (now I really do feel like a native :o). My masseuse was a woman named Parvathi. She was about a foot shorter than me but I could tell she was strong as an ox. She had the most wonderful, peaceful, knowing face. I have to tell you the different hot oils and gooz she slathered over me from head to toe sent me to another galaxy. She used my body’s weight as it slid around the table to dig into every muscle. Once she was finished with the massage, she put me in a full body steamer with herbs. That’s when Rowan and I saw each other with just our heads sticking out of our steamers. We could hardly speak. It was hilarious! When I came out of the steamer, barely able to walk, Parvathi took me in and washed my hair and gave me a bath. The whole thing was topped off with a small herbal pill that looked like a peppercorn and a shot glass full of an herbal tincture. She then bowed and had me bend down and she gave me a bindi.
Aaahhhhhhhhhh! I am soooooooo relaxed!
We stumbled back to our bungalow and could do nothing but sleep. Simply PERFECTION! We awoke just before sunset and went to the back porch to have a birthday bottle of wine before we went out to the beach to see the birthday sun go down in the west.
After a delicious Indian dinner, we went back to the bungalow to chill out on the back porch. Suddenly, the fireworks started. Rowan said, ‘oh, they must know it’s your birthday’! HA! There was some sort of celebration we noticed was happening all day across the lagoon. We never found out what it was. So, we sat there drinking our Kingfisher and enjoying the fireworks and drum beats.
The last thing I saw before going to bed was a Gecko in our room; the best good luck symbol of the tropics and my most favorite reptile. A perfect way to end a perfect day :o)
