I think I might be getting a taste of what it is like to be a celebrity. In the last few days I have felt like the Queen, and developed a wave! We went on a couple of boat trips from our island. The first day we went on a motor boat, and the second day on a row boat. Everyone wants to wave at me (and sometimes Graham too!) and say hello, and they are particularly pleased if you respond to them. I am guessing they do not get too many tourists down here, or maybe just not ones so white/pink/red as me!

Both boat trips were excellent. The motor boat driver was very quiet and just left us alone to relax and enjoy the amazing scenery, whereas the row boat driver on the second day was eager to show us things and take us to meet local people, which was great. We saw them unloading the cockels and met one of the divers. We went to see people making a boat. We saw the rice fields and went on a walk to see the island houses, and even got to go onto one of the islands to see the house, by crossing the bridge made froma tree trunk. We were given a Mango by a passing old lady, and stopped to buy a coconut. We also saw the Henna plant and a river snake, and lots of Kingfishers and an eagle. There is a great community feel on the rivers and on our island. They use the river in front of their houses to wash in, brush their teeth in, wash pots in, wash clothes in, children play in, and they even drink from it! We got so used to passing people taking their bath in the river that it started to seem normal!

The people on our island have been very friendly and kind to us. We me a teenage boy on the boat to the island one day,and he insisted that we stop by to meet his parents and brothers and see their home. The man who paddles the boat back and forth was also great. One day we were running late for our arranged rickshaw and he turned the boat around to come back for us when he saw we had been running, Graham went to give him a 20 rupee tip, but in his hurry took out a 50 by accident (about 72p) and the boat man thought all his Christmases had come at once. He was so happy!

In response to your question about beer Helen, we did manage to get some beer, but had to pretend it was water as some of the locals did not look too happy about the beer box Graham was carrying!

We decided that 4 nights however was enough on an island, particulrly as we were the only guests until our last night (when we had a Canadian couple, Frank and Gloria move in to one of the rooms, and they were great fun). Each other night a house boat would moor up near by us, but they were mainly Russians. Only one night a group of Australians moored up, and we spent some time with them. So, as much as we love each others company, we decided to move! We took a rickshaw to Marari Beach, which is often referred to in travellers terms as the 'Secret Beach' well there we go, I've let the cat out of the bag and told you all where it is! The beach is amazing, with lots of palm trees and clear water, and as it's a secret. there are few people there. The rickshaw driver who took us there was great, and took us to see a woman making rope (which she gave to me) and picked us some cashew nut fruits, with the nut on the top. Now I know why they are so expensive,as you only get one nut per fruit. He also pointed out the school run rickshaws, which parents can pay 400 rupees per month for their kids to be taken to and collected from school. They cram them in, getting about 10 in each, and hanging their school bags outside to fit more in. Again all the children wanted to wave to us and have their photos taken.

Our accomodation is with the same agent we were at before so they arranged everything for us, and it is fantastic. We are staying in a traditional Keralan house, which is a reconstruction of a 140 year old house. There are only 2 rooms and underneath the house is a table and chairs. There is a family living next door, who will cook us traditional Keralan food if we want them to and serve the food to us underneath the house. We had a great veg curry last night, and this morning we had egg curry and some pancakes made of rice and yeast for breakfast.

After spending yesterday on the beach, we decided to walk around a bit today. Our host suggested a temple 2 km up the road, so we headed there. When we got there we found that the Shivarathre Festival was just starting at the Marari Shiva Temple. We asked if we could enter and a man took us in. We paid 50 rupees so we could take photos. There were 5 elephants all dressed up, with men on their backs performing a ritualistic dance and moving around the temple. There was also a man dressed up, singing and dancing (Otta Thullal) on a stage (see photos). This was an amazing experience, and we think the man who showed us in was trying to tell us that he was praying for us to have a baby next year! His English was very limited though and he kept trying to tell us things. We were not sure if he wanted us to go to his home for lunch or if he wanted money from us for food, so we made a quick exit when he was not looking. Hopefully now he will reverse his prayer so we don't have a baby next year!

Bye for now,

Maggie x