hello everyone,

ive got quite alot to write about so here i go!!

We spent a whole week in Varkarla by the sea in our bamboo hut and had a really great time. We got to know Michael from Sydney, and got on with him really well. So again the Matt and Hugo Duo was blessed by a third member! We spent most days together drinking fruit cocktails and lassi's at the juice shack, swimming in the sea and reading in hammocks. At night we would go out for meals and eat fresh marlin caught that day, and eaten straight from the tandoori oven. Then we would head over to 'The Funky Art Café' for our night of entertainment and cocktails. Local guys would put on ridiculous shows on the dance floor, doing summersaults and headstands. The funky art became the hub for meeting people and 'having a right old time in Vaaaarkarrrrla' as some guys we met in Negombo - Sri Lanka told us in their drunken Leeds accents!

Staying opposite us in the bamboo huts, were a couple from London called Mike and Laura. We got to know them and quickly became part of our group. We started dining with them and they joined us in the funky for cocktails as we shared stories. It was great to have this bigger group where conversations flowed as if we had been friends for years. One night we all went to a restaurant which had a huge tv screen where we all sat and watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' it was incredible to see the film in its country of origin, it added so much more atmosphere as everyone in the room were sharing the same experiences.

It was hard to leave Varkarla, but it was made easier when we agreed to leave with Michael, who will be traveling with us for the next part of our journey (probably around 2 weeks). We set off on the monday morning- the 9th of march I believe. We jumped onto the train and set off a short distance up the coast to a place called Kollam. The journey was quite uneventful, after a Indian gentleman offered for us to join him in his air conditioned carriage, as opposed to the hot and cramped corridor we were camped out in. We talked about lots of things and he showed us places to visit. It was a shame to get off so soon after only half an hour.

We soon found our hotel in Kollam with the help of the 'south testament' from our bible named 'India- The Lonely Planet'. We then set out for a cruise and some food. That night we had dinner in 'All Spice' the most incredible restaurant ever!! Like an Indian Pizza Express, serving great Indian dishes with interior furnishings similar style and quality to a pizza express at home!! And a bonus, it had air conditioning, unlike in here where there is a power cut so I am leant over the key board with the light from the monitor as my only aid to light the keys, I am fortunate that they had a back-up power supply otherwise all this would be gone!!! Anyway, I am defiantly dripping sweat onto the keyboard! Oops.

I'm side tracking. The next morning, we went on a canoe tour throught the canals of Munroe Island and across the Ashtamudi Lake. It was incredible! We saw string being made from coconut husk, and as you can imagine I was enthused by the crude yet effective loom like machines they used. We also saw prawn farms and boats being built. Afterwards we went for lunch with the other 4 people on the boat, from france, germany and italy. It was great.

The following day (Wednesday) we planned to get the 10.00am ferry to Alleppey. We boarded the ferry for an hour or two we were content with our plans and enjoyed the views of the backwaters between Kollam and Alleppey. Until we got a beeter idea. We realized that the ferry was stopping off at the Matha Amrithanandamayi mission, the place where one of India's very few female gurus works her magic. She is known as the hugging mother and the people call her 'Amma' (mother) and performs 'darshan' which is basically her hugging people in marathon sessions sometimes lasting as long as 24hrs. So we stopped here for the night and to continue our ferry jurney the following day as it came past at 13.30. It was 150 Rupees, for accommodation and 3 meals. We were given a room in the huge pink sky scrapper on the 14th floor.

As soon as we walked in, we knew we were in trouble. Everyone was wearing long white clothes and had that weird personality. Our room however strange it was (it had 3 posters of her on the walls) was simple yet effective - White walls and three army camp mattresses on the floor. We went on a 'familiarization tour' later… This was where we started to realize the true extent of her following and how weird this place really was. 4000 people stay in the amma residence complex. There is a bank, a launderette, a food shop, a swimming pool (although at the moment Amma doesn't want us swimming in the pool or the sea so 'We' don't) - everything you would need so that you have no reason to leave! By this point we were really quite baffled.

Anyway, we went for our hug later than evening. We waited for a long time, as a live band played strange music and hundreds of crossed legged people rocked about on the floor drifting in and out of deep meditation. We finally reached the front of the line and caught a glimpse of Amma on her throne through the mêlée of hysterical bodies. I felt really nervous as I moved closer on my knees towards her. Hugo got his hug first and them me. My hug was epic, as she let go of the girl opposite me she pulled me into her lap. It was a very strange feeling as she whispered chants into my ear and kissed my cheek. She was also talking to the girl who had just been hugged. She was crying and talking very quickly in mylam. So as she comforted the girl I remained buried in Ammas lap. As I stood up to leave she handed me a roll of brown paper. Inside was a round sweet and the brown paper turned out to be an envelope containing some ash. I felt very shaken and my heart was beating so fast. As far as hugs go, I would give it an 9/10 but I couldn't get me head around this strange following and the power she seems to hold over so many people. I have to admit I was glad to leave the gates the following day.

Our Escape to reality, however, didn't go as well as hoped. We arrived on the other side of the river for our ferry early, at 13.20 only to see that the bloody thing had already passed as we saw it cruise into the distance. So it was half an hour late the day we were on it and then half an hour early the following day!! We were ruined. Backpacks on baking in the midday sun, we watched from Ammas bridge as our ferry continued into the distance.

We got a tuk tuk with all 3 of us and our bags to the train station, where we found that there were no trains to Alleppey. We headed to the bus station where we jumped aboard and set off for alleppey. It was great, we arrived at our guesthouse yesturday by four o'clock when the ferry wasn't due to arrive until half six! And as it happened, it absolutely pouuuured with rain from 4 till 7 so we felt pretty glad not to be on a ferry with a canvas roof!

Tomorrow we are getting a house boat for 22 hours (11am-9am), which im sure will be amazing- updates will follow.

That's it for now!!