Built Like A Mud Shit House

There are many differences between the states and india....some more obvious than others. For instance... in the states i'm quite certain there is some sort of food safety regulation barring one from constructing a food service establishment from animal excrement. Not so in India! We are now staying on the idylic beach of Kudle (or Kootle), Gokarn and our restaurant, and hut for that matter, is constructed entirely of mud and cow dung. We didn't realize this untill we awoke on our third day to find the women mixing up fresh bowls of it to repair cracks in the walls and the flooring of the court yard. It's much more pleasant than one would imagine...either that or we've been in india long enough for everytrhing to become relative. Hell....we haven't even had power the whole week we've been here and I don't think anyone is really missing it. The food is prepared on burners fueled by gas brought in by boat from the town of gokarn and candles work just fine in the evening. It's a small price to pay for near total isolation and solitude. The beach is about 2000 meters of white sand hemmed in by rocky headlands at each end. A thirty minute walk down the beach, up the rocky path, across the sun baked bluff at the top and down the other side brings you to Om Beach, so named because of it's twin crescent beaches that form the part of the sanskrit symbol for Om that lookes like the number 3. Om beach was the private playground of rugged travellers untill the rickshaw mafia carved a dodgey dirt road from gakarn town around and through the hills. Now it is the site for a new hotel under construction. Kudle, however, remains safely tucked away from all but the most hardy willing to make the trek and do without certain (most) amenities. Our day here usually begins with a refreshing dip in the Arabian Sea followed by breakfast at our favourite sea side chai shack. ... a fresh omlett or parota (a karnatakan dish resembeling a pie type pastry filled with fruits or vegees) and chai. Then it is time for work. We hang our wet suits out to dry and head down the beach to the fresh water spring we discovered. Two five litre "mineral water" (realy just ozonized tap water) jugs purchased in town are now filled with real mineral water for free. The middle of the day is spent retreating from the sun's scorching rays and waiting around for lunch to be put together (and you think the french and italians take a long time with meals). As the sun begins to fade, Radka takes off in search of rare shells while I try and catch fish in the tide pools...or even better swim out to the small fishing boats and climb aboard to help them pull in the nets. It's a beautiful sight to see...the setting sun reflecting off the slippery, silvery catch being hauled over the side of the boat in home made nets. Laying in my hamock (my big investment at 150 rupees) reading or maybe a game of cricket occupy the last hours of light. Not a bad way to spend a day (or 8). Udupi lays a few hours south by train and is where we will be headed at this time tomorrow but for anyone looking for perfect solitude, come to Kudle! The accomodations are shit and it's paradise ...or something like that.