The exceptional beauty, lush vegetation and continuous groves of coconut trees that line the west coast of India lulls me to unwind and breathe. I am trying different yoga classes and drenching myself in the sun and the sea. The ozone from the sea and wind relaxes my body all over.
Here we are in paradise, away from the bitter cold, snow and hustle of the big city with rush hour traffic that has turned into an all day affair.
We were barely getting by in Toronto, our birth place. So we packed up and left, for a more exotic place that is cheaper to live.
Here our senses are soothed but also shocked. The contrast of the utter beauty and the poverty assaults us. The shops along the cliff and tourists toss their garbage over the edge without a thought to the destruction of the earth. The smell in some places is sickening.
We are trying to keep to our budget of $50. a day. In order to have the sea at our front door we are cooking our own meals. Camp style, Rob has built a BBQ and we got supplies in town yesterday. As the sunset, wIth only a knife and a bowl we made a beautiful chicken dinner, with a cucumber, tomato and cabbage salad with a olive oil and lime ginger-garlic dressing. We roasted some vegetables and had a feast . The children, in the little shop next door, were fascinated by these interesting tourist and gladly joined us for dinner.
Today, Rob has set off to town to get some fish and tongs. He was using his hands.
Here he is, he's back! No fish or tongs but 2 more chickens.
The man at the poultry farm, which is at the side of the main road, was glad to see him again. He puts the organic, free range live chickens in a bucket on the scale. Determines their weight and charges Rs. 240 per kilo. ($2.00 a pound skinned and cut up)
It all startled like this.
Rob went out looking for charcoal yesterday, after he bought a 1x1 inch steel mesh grating for about $1.25.
I wondered where he was, he was gone for an hour and a half. He came running into the resort telling me he needed a little more money and the charcoal was being delivered.
He was walking along the road toward town, when he happened to see what appeared to be a charcoal delivery truck. He started running and followed the truck down narrow passageways toward the main beach, to the restaurants.
He finally caught to up to him at his first stop and Rob asked " how much for a sack?"
The driver said Rs. 1000. So he made a deal and the man deliver it to the Wood House resort.
When I saw the amount of charcoal he bought, I couldn't believe it. The security guard and Rob could hardly carry it to the hut.
The 100 kilos of charcoal he bought is the kind they use in the tandoori ovens. Now if he could only make some nann. I'm going to have to send him for lessons!
Everyone walking buy was watching him. These sweet kids from the clothing shop next door
have many questions for the crazy Canadians .
Camping in India, a little different than teaching 20 classes a week.
Tune in tomorrow for more adventures of Rob and Lisa, as we tell you how to purchase liquor in a state that frowns upon drinking. It is usually only sold at hotels.
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