India Day 9

It was late when we got to our hotel last night. At almost midnight we finally checked in, said our good nights, and entered, like the Beatles in the Hard Days Night movie, our bedrooms next to each other along one corridor.

After rehydrating, I collapse on the cool sheets, confident of a good nights sleep, when the barking starts. A nearby dog is whining and yacking with a ferocity which I assure myself can’t be sustained. 15 minutes later I what’s app the rest of the gang… can you hear that fecking dog?
Yes!
Yep!
Yup!
Sure!

There’s a momentary silence in which I know we all breathe a sigh of relief before it starts up again.

‘Anyone got a gun?’ I ask.

Two minutes later, silence. This time it lasts. Ten minutes later Mir what’s apps the group:

I shot the dog!

As we are responding with our happy emojis the dog starts again, louder and more aggressive than ever. After a few seconds, my phone pings again.

Mir: Jesus Christ, I shot the wrong dog!

Despite the fact that I don’t get to sleep til after 3am, I keep chuckling away to myself and my mad companion.

We have a day of rest today (and it’s not even Sunday) so we have a lie in and meet for breakfast at ten before heading to the beach. We’ve been warned that the first section of the beach is busy with fishing boats, so after taking some photos, we walk on to the quieter sections, passing dozens of washed up blue fish.

The sea is inviting and the sand soft, but we are dubious about the cleanliness and the red flag is up for undercurrents so we decide to splash out and pay to use the pool at the Radisson. Getting access is an exercise in patience. Each question requires the staff seeking clarity from someone else, who in turn must check with their superior. We aren’t asking anything complicated, and we are by now rolling in sweat, so our tolerance is sorely tested:

– how much does it cost?

– can we get WiFi?

– can you do us a package for four people?

I want to cry with frustration when half an hour later, as one of the managers appears to process the payment, and again there are several steps to completing this straightforward task. My wonderful acupuncturist, Annette warned me to just go with the flow, and so far I have. but I’m too tired, too hot and the pool is too enticing!!!

James suggests it’ll be dark by the time we actually get to the pool, but our annoyance is forgotten within moments when we are collected by a golf buggy and brought to the poolside. Bliss!