Gokarna

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21st of Jan 2010... 4.30pm. Bus from Hospet leaves 6, journey from
Hampi to Hospet, 30mins... Daniela and Saskia. NOT READY!!!!!
Packed and on the right side of the river Daniela & I went to the tarlors we
had ordered some clothes from the day before, plan was, grab clothes then
jump in Auto to Hospet, oh how very misguided we were...
5.30pm finally in an Auto, after a little wrong, colour, size and
design problem at the tailors.
Just a typical Auto drive, overtaking, cows, trucks, buses and at a
point even a train! We managed to make it to the bus stop in one piece
and at 5.58pm just in time for our bus, or not as just after 9pm the
bus pulled up! Someone mummbeled something about a crash and fixing
the lights, but by this time me & the 24 others just wanted to get on
and to sleep, its not a very pleasant experience standing outside an
Indian restaurant for 3 hours on a busy road & even less pleasant when
said restaurant has the worest toilet in the whole world! Trust me on
this one i've been to many toilets, 5*- dump and this one just took
the bisket.

The bus was colder than usual although all the widows were closed this
was explained when we stopped for a toilet break, i jumped off for a
cigarette and did something i very much regret... walked to the front
of the bus, where to my horror i discovered no front windscreen or
grill, i was driving for 15hours in a bus that was very broken and
extremely dangerous! As the night went on the bus grow colder and
colder, Daniela and I would wake in unison and give each other and
knowing look, have a quick chat or at some very cheeky desperate times
have a naughty smoke out the window together.

Thrown off almost as harshly as on, again outside a random restaurant
in the middle of no where, mumbled words of a mini van coming to take
us to Gokarna town, from the driver before he left us, 24 tired,
hungry backpackers dumped in the street, its becoming almost a past
time of mine, being dumped, not sure if i enjoy very much, but during
this next 3 hour wait i met and befriended a few people. After
1.30hours we all became to be frustrated, cows, dogs and staring
Indian men began to get the better of us and slowly one by one
people began to lose it, the first to crack was an German lady in her
late 20s after telling anyone who would listen that she had gone to
Hampi when her 7year boyfriend had broken up with her on Paradise
beach and she was now going back to find out what would happen with
him, she began running up and down the road trying to flag down a
truck in a luminess green and pink salwa set. She happily got into a
800r taxi and almost an hour later an Italian women started to lose it
too, the midday sun began to boil our blood and convinced the next bus
wasn’t coming like a pack of dogs, we went in seach of a way to
Gokarna, we flagged down a truck and promised 100r per head for the
30km drive to Gokarna, the angry restaurant owner waved them on and
told us to sit and wait for the bus was coming. After 3 hours it did
and 24 bodies pilled into a 15man bus until every inch was touching a
person or object….

Fanily in Gokarna Daniela and I began collecting supplies for the 3
day stint ahead. Candles, toilet paper, incense. Then off to the beach
to grab a boat to Paradise, the sea was to rough, so along with Kurtis
a guy we met on the bus we grabbed an Auto, a 30 minute drive then a
30 minute hike, up a hill, though a bull field, though some private
shoot on site farmers land, another quick hike up though forest then
scaleling a vertical cliff down to the beach. Finally on the beach we
found a bamboo hut for 100r, mattress on the floor, no electric, a
toilet and shower in a dark scorpion infested hut, our door had a
2metre space in front before rolling off down a cliff. A beautiful
view but Daniela and I were terrified of the critters inside.

The first night on Paradise some French guys had brought a whole
kingfish and set up a BBQ on the beach. They built a moat in a square
and put candles all around on the walls with the fire at the centre.
The food was amazing and the company was great, after dinner, an
American guy played the guitar and we all sang along and danced a bit.
At 12 we formed a Om circle and chanted into the night 😊

After two nights in Paradise, Daniela and I headed to Om beach to
continue our beach journey. On the second day in Paradise I checked my
email to find a surprise. One of the troubles I had last year was
rearing its ugly head again… The guy Dan from Dalston, who had been
with Matt and I in Goa and Hampi, whom Matt had gone off traveling
with and someone I had many talk with helping him get over his ex
girlfriend had sent me a rather provocative email, it implied that we
would met in Kochin without Matt and very ‘kindly’ he offered to buy
us a nice hotel for a few nights for some “memory foam action and
maybe some sight seeing” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was horrified by
this email, after speaking though his relationship and my own, I felt
I had a firm friend. But almost a mirror of last year, the trust and
bond was gone in a second. Why is it that men seem to get this idea of
me, I suppose traveling you loosen up and become closer quicker so
its even more of a shock when someone’s true colours show. I can maybe
understand and man getting confused with a girl traveling alone… But I
wasn’t alone. So time to reevaluate and reboot…

Of to Kochin …

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