Leaving Paradise

Jesus, does every Ayurvedic massage begin with a head beating? It is seriously my least favourite part. This massage included a Keralan traditional Ayurvedic massage, a facial and reflexology treatment. All of these things involved oils. And then she told me there was no shower. There was a bucket of warm water and a thin cotton neck scarf to dry myself with. It did diminish the luxury of a massage but only slightly. Golly but I do like being rubbed in goo.

As you can tell by the photos, the Arabian Sea is right in front of me and this morning I was finally able to make it down to play in the waves. They are panty snatchers, those waves, and that fine black sand was the extreme exfoliant in my massage.

It is sad to be leaving such a hot beautiful place. Even the hawkers along the cliff path have gotten to know my face and say hello instead of the initially ubiquitous "you come see my shop." I know the guys at my favourite restaurants and they are happy to see me. It's feeling a little homely, as they say.

Kait's Home Stay in the backwaters also felt like home. Josey and his family treated us so well and the surroundings were peaceful and inspiring.

Each place we have gone has had something special to show us, although it is always the people that make India so special to me. This is also the last time this particular group of travelling friends will be seeing India together which also makes it special for me.

India has a pull on me and, as I sit here drinking ginger lime juice and eating nutty cauliflower ($8 a head in Ottawa), listening to the call to prayer mixed it's the crash of the waves, I know I am getting my ass back here again.