After 7 hours and 4 local buses to travel 65km (and a drunk old Indian guy who found it hilarious to say "no problem" repeatedly) we arrived in Gokarna, a small coastal town in the state of Karnataka, Southern India. Probably the most serene place I have visited in India so far. We went by rickshaw along the rocky, twisty outcrop to Om Beach (shaped like the spirutual Hindu symbol, the Om) and found traditional thatch roof huts to stay in for 1 pound 30 a night with outdoor toilets and showers and the usual hard beds and pillows!!

After our Spanish friend Alba dropped her mobile phone down an Indian toilet and had to retrieve it with bare hands (!!) and I threw my dinner all over the table after a not-so-small rat jumped on my knee whilst I was eating, we settled in quite well!!!

Our second night found us trapped in a bar in the middle of a monsoon and having to cross the entire length of the beach back to our huts in complete darkness and torrential rain! Sounds easy I know, but when you find yourself having to dodge your way between rocks and sleeping cows (big ones with horns!!), crossing a fast flowing inlet that can easily sweep you off your feet and into the ocean, having a close encounter with sinking sand, being scared out of your wits by another drunk Indian guy who jumps out at you from behind some rocks - Let's say it was somewhat of a challenge!! Luckily a local guy with a torch must have noticed us making complete idiots of ourselves trying to make it home that he came to help - The next morning when the rain had cleared I headed back up the beach and as I passed the area where we were "rescued" I realised that I honestly don't know if we would have made it across, at least not in one piece, without the local guy's help!! Thanks go to him!!

So other than toilets, rats and rescue missions, Gokarna was mostly spent sunbathing and relaxing with good friends. Tess played the guitar on the beach and we all sat around singing and drinking like true hillbillies!!! Not forgetting the construction of the first sandcastle of the trip by our very own Italian incarnation of Mr Bean, the lovely Alessandro!

Between the group, our last night had us sharing our rooms with giant cockroaches and what can only be described as a tarantula (again, photo's to follow!)

To round up, Gokarna was a fantastic place to stop and catch our breath before we split as a group and 5 of the 8 headed to Hampi for some culture. First though, we had to survive the jeep journey there!! But that's another story!!! .........