Random thoughts in the Bay of Bengal

It has been a heavenly day, the 10th March, sailing slowly through the Bay of Bengal towards India and Chennai. I sat on our very warm balcony and remembered similar days, long past, when I sailed as a child and later an adult through calm tropical seas. There is such a feeling of oneness with the sea and sky, such peace and splendid isolation. I have spent much of today on my own or certainly with my own thoughts and I realise that although, as you all know, I am a sociable creature, the fact of being an only child has given me a high level of comfort with my own company. No need to do the expected social thing, no interruptions, just the total relaxation with no expectations that comes from being alone. Occasionally utter bliss!

Tomorrow we leave the ship to fly to Cochin from Chennai. We shall be met there and driven to the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, about 60 kms from Cochin, where we spend our first night. George will have a nature bird-spotting walk in the morning after which we drive to Munnar, a beautiful hill station at nearly 5000 feet where we spend 3 nights in a "British" bungalow (!) on a tea plantation, which I'm really looking forward to. Always wanted to do this since our days in India. We'll explore the area over the next two days before driving down to Kumarakum to spend a night on a house-boat sailing round the backwaters to Allopey from where on the 16th we return to the ship after a tour of Cochin. So we shall be very busy indeed and hence no blog for the nest 6 days but lots to write about on our return.

Just off now to sit for an hour and a half for a pre-port lecture and dancing by our Indian inter-port students who leave us in Chennai. These pre-ports are much longer than last year fellow SAS-mates.

Later....G and I managed to slip out of the back of the Union after the information part of the pre port was over, and after watching a hilarious sketch by the Improv. club on how not to behave in India. These students know themselves well: they acted two female students going into an Indian restaurant and asking for caramel lattes to a bemused waiter. They shout 'Caramel' at him until they realise he has no idea what they are asking for. They are showing both knees and shoulders in their dress (which we have been advised not to) and are loud and giggling and generally borish. When a friend enters the place they scream and jump up to welcome him in all too familiar student fashion. The funniest moment is when one of them says to the waiter "You may not realise this but we're American"!!?? It's good to know they can laugh at themselves...that goes for the rest of us too.

See you again in a week or so.