Gokarna

---

So we struggled out of our hotel in the morning determined that there would be no more taxis, we would be proper travellers and get the train down to Gokarna. I was completely ruined from the night before and struggled not to be sick on myself on the way to the. I say train station in the nicest possible way but as everything is in India, this was a shack with a train platform attached. We were then informed that the train was late/possible not coming and faced with the prospect of five to ten hours waiting for it or a cab for 2.5 hours we gave in and champagne backpacked all the way to Gokarna, one of the most uncomfortable trips of my life, made less so by one of my newly purchased Alprozolam or Xanax over here. We arrived in Gokarna and headed straight round the coast to om beach for some valuable chill out time. Its just as well that we wanted a detox as there is absolutely nothing to do here. Gokarna is an important Hindu pilgrimage town where people come to worship. Om beach is a few kilometeres away so it is acceptable to wear a bikini on the beach, but come nightfall there is hardly any power and no bars restaurants or anything. We stayed in a place called Namaste and i think we truly realised we were in India when they led us to this wooden hut, no power, no proper windows with centipeded crawling everywhere and ants all ove rthe whole 'bathroom' if you could call it that. We immediately moved to another room but Catherine hated sleeping under the mosquito net. It didnt bother me, being completely whacked out on xanax the whole time but it was a bit dirty to be honest. After two nights here we moved to Gokarna town which is lovely. The whole place is quite spiritual and has a really laid back feel. It sfull of Indians going of to bathe and purify themselves and monks chant by the water at dusk. Us being westerners we had to wear long trousers and cover our shoulders. So i had to do the inevitable and but some stupid alladin pants and a shawl and walk around looking like a complete twatty traveller. It doea make a massive difference and i actallu had a conversation with some indian women who couldnt believe that Catherine and I werent married and travelling alone. Was a really nice day, topped off by chatting to a brahmin meditating by the bathing tanks. Things all went down hill come the evening when we realised there was nothing to do. Catherine realised that alcohol couldnt be found for love nor money and she would have to forgoe her daily nightcap of a pint of wine. I realised i had eaten something dodgy and would be suffering all night.
So here we are with 12 hours to kill before our night bus to Hampi, 9 hours inland where apparently its furnace hot. As we are already sweating like rapists in church we are looking forward to this with trepidation.

---