VENTURING OUT OF THE GROVE

After a few lazy days of swimming, yoga, reading, writing, swimming etc. we decided a day trip to visit the Golden Temple would be a good idea.

It took a whole day not to rent motorbikes, so we gave in and stayed in for yet another meal cooked by the incredibly talented Mote. He and his American wife Katherine are a lovely pair. The food he prepares is so gentle in flavours and absolutely delicious.

Ben and I have had some great walks and adventures. When he laughs he looks like a 5 year old and it's nice to have some Aussie humour amongst the crew. The guys are great fun, but they do break into long discussions in Hebrew. I have taken to wandering off into the hammock with great regularity and just reading and swinging and listening to music.

So after many phone calls by the ever-patient Rene, a guy showed up with the bikes. Matan has hardly ventured further from the roof than the beach, but he and Yanai decided to join Ben, Tomer, Ran and I on our mission. He positioned his significant size on the tiny scooter and Yanai jumped on behind. Tomer had found his legs and was confident to bring Ran on the back of the other scooter, while I held tight to Ben on a bigger bike and we all took off grinning and whooping.

We made it about 500 metres down the road when Matan and Yanai's bike just conked out. So we had to call the guy and get him to come and fix it. While the others went into town to get extra petrol, we sat in a cafe drinking chai and playing shithead.

After yet more waiting, we ended up just grabbing a quick thali in Varkala with Rene and Yan while the boys waited to get another bike. The roar of a loud engine and two very happy faces greeted us when we went outside. Matan had negotiated an Enfield for the day. Rene went back with Yan while we all really took off on our mission (it's probably around 2pm by now). It was such fun hooning along the bumpy roads, as we left Varkala behind we zoomed through little towns that were so quiet and lovely, probably what Varkala used to be before the tourists came. Young kids and old alike wave like mad at us as we pootled along.



After asking various people for directions, Ben and I stopped to take a quick look at the ocean and a few photos. We waved the others on and soon jumped back on the bike to catch up with them. As we neared the next village a gang of young boys were gesticulating wildly at us, we thought they were waving but as we rounded the bend we found Matan slumped on the side of the road and Yanai hopping about him, while ladies and kids stood by trying to help.

The bumper had hit the speed hump and sent them both flying off the Enfield. If Matan hadn't hurt himself, I would have laughed out loud as it was just such a comical scene. It was like walking onto a film set with everyone (mostly women and kids until the word got out) gathered around to point, giggle and help a bit.

Matan was in a bit of shock and it took most of the village to haul him around the corner into the shade. I sat down with him and poured water over his head and calmed him down, it turned out that they were both incredibly lucky. Yanai bounced off without a scratch, Matan hurt his shoulder a bit and scraped his knee and luckily the bike wasn't too badly damaged. Not ideal though.

After much pouring ("I was like a little flower that you were watering" he said later) and prodding from the women, (we were surrounded by a semi circle of about 50 women and children by now), we rang Rene and the boys found a rickshaw. With more waving, they went off to the hospital and he is absolutely fine. Ran and Yanai insisted on both going with him, so Ben, Tomer and I went on. We ended up at a dead end by the ocean, sitting on a pontoon of cement jumping jacks looking at the most beautiful endless beach you can imagine.






We decided to just hang out on the beach a bit further down. But in the very same village, Ben's bike decided to die. He had mentioned that the fuel gauge had gone right down, so I did suggest it could just need fuel, but he insisted he could hear it in there and that it was something else. So, we called Rene again and the motorbike guy came. Guess what, he filled it with fuel and it magically worked. However, it took at least another hour for all that to happen.

So, with some of my new lady friends and their children, I went down the beach where I spent the happiest hour of this trip. All the kids and I played games with the ocean, they did Katthakali dancing for me and taught me some Malayaalam. We laughed and I fell for a gorgeous little girl called Angel (of course). She had the most amazing smile and I gave her my earrings which she loved. I can't wait to develop all the photos.

We finally collapsed on a beach in time for a quick swim and sunset. It was a completely chaotic day, but we had such fun. On arrival back at The Grove we found Matan had decided it was his favourite day of all since he'd been in India (I think he got about half an hour on the bike by the way) and saying that he didn't want to buy a rickshaw anymore, but an Enfield.

It's all a bit like being in a very strange Woody Allen film crossed with Fellini.

So, I better get back to the ranch as Tomer and I are going to take the bike out and about and maybe find the Golden Temple after all. I did yoga this morning and did my first head stand in about 5 years!!

Sending you much love.
Lxxxx