So, we’re still in Varkala. We’ve had a very restful weekend with some rain and lots of power cuts. Today we are told that every shop in the area is on strike because of the price of everything is going up so quickly but all the shops here in the tourist zone still seem to be open.

On the subject of striking I want to declare that if I was still at home tomorrow I would definitely be joining all the other teachers and going out on strike for the day – “no ifs, no buts, no stupid pension cuts!!”

After a day of touring the many many rooms available to rent in this area we decided to stay where we were – the Haiwa Beach Residency. It is about a 5 minute walk from the cliff area where all the shops and bars are and has everything we could want. We have an air-conditioned room with wifi, a bath tub, a balcony and hot water. We got a good deal on the room and had breakfast thrown in for free! (tea/coffee, toast and marmalade and an omelette.) The manager has said we can borrow the hotel’s scooter whenever we want or he will take us on wherever we want to go for free. (we’ve not yet taken him up on that offer though.)

At the moment I’m sitting under a fan at Coffee Temple which defiantly does the best coffee in Varkala.  We’ve just had a non-Indian breakfast at The Chillout Lounge which was good. Henry had a sausage and bacon breakfast which he has been hankering after for a while which he enjoyed but the sausages were a slight disappointment – being about the size of a carrot baton. I had beans and scrambled egg on toast and a fruit smoothie. The smoothie and juices are all delicious here and cost about 40p.

We have had several meals out in the last few days, most of which have been great. I was a little disappointed with my grilled chicken at Caffe Italiano which was bland and tasteless though.  Perhaps we should have had an Italian meal at an Italain restaurant rather than an Indian. Last night we ate at The Chillout Lounge and it was all lovely – Henry’s tiger chicken was pretty hot but very tasty. I’m thinking that when we return to the UK nothing will ever really seem too hot and spicy again.

On Satuday night, after being out in the rain already in the daytime and with it continuing to hammer down we inquired about the possibility of getting a takeaway delivered to the hotel; it seems if you ask in India, someone somewhere will have a solution and be more than willing to help out. One of the manager’s friends, Prince, happened to work in the 5 star resort down the road from us and hurried out to sort it. An hour later we had a delicious meal on the balcony of the hotel with the rain in the background. Lovely.