Destination Kannur in Kerala ….No trains, buses diverted half way round India because of landslide damage to roads - We hired a car and driver and set off through curved roads in a forest reserve, the scenery was lovely . When we neared our accommodation, the driver phoned for final directions ----- these took us well off the beaten track and the driver was getting visibly worried as we went down a lane touching the hedge at both sides. We finally arrived at the end of the lane, there was just enough room to turn the car but nothing else, only jungle.

After a few minutes, two guys turned up and took our big rucksacks and with a brusque "follow me" set off into the jungle ….. after about 10 minutes walking along a single jungle track and down a steep hillside, we arrived on a beach and about 8 feet from the beach, was the hut that would be our home for the next 2 nights.

The remoteness of this location limited the level of exploration in the area, we only hired one tuk-tuk during our stay to visit the Fort in the next town and witness a religious dance ceremony to the gods of the river. The remainder of the stay was spent walking on the beach (no swimming in monsoon), reading, talking to passing locals, watching the local fishermen and waiting for our food to be brought to us - The food was excellent and it was presented with some ceremony to our front porch together with a candle and a mosquito coil. We ate happily watching the waves roll in and the sun sink into the horizon ……. A very lazy couple of days.