This week is a time of goodbyes and hellos!  Gloria leaves us tomorrow.  John and Sue on Thursday.  Sadly.  On the other hand, Chris and Joe Dunlop arrive on Thursday, then Penny and David on Friday morning.  We will miss Gloria very much.  She is such a staple part of our life here in Patnem.

We’ve enjoyed the last two days on the beach.  The weather is nigh on perfect.  Not humid.  Around 32C and cloudless all day and then about 24C at night.  Such great stars every night.  Not as good as it used to be.  There is far more light around now, both on the beach and on the roads.  I suppose it makes it safer but I mourn the loss of the whole Xmas pudding of stars visible in the sky.

Sunday at Salida means a ghastly club night they host there which starts at 4pm. The owners making a cheap buck to be honest.   We try and leave about the time it starts.  It’s the only time in the week when the clientele takes a major downturn.  Not being at all snobbish or grumpy old person about it, but honestly I can only describe the turnout as being like an invasion of the great unwashed but massively tattooed.  I can only feel pity for the staff who have to cope with the mess that these people make in the shack on a Sunday night for which they receive no extra money and very little in the way of tip.  Apparently the people who rock up for the Sunday night dj “do”, eat every little, drink a lot and leave no tip.  Not fair for the staff who have to stay up late and then have a massive clean up to do before normal service resumes at 8am on a Monday morning.  The poor boys look exhausted on a Monday morning having had about 4 hours sleep.

Tonight we had a last dinner with Gloria at Namaste on the beach.  We think it is the best all round beach food and drink this year.  Bob and I had 2 margaritas each, then I had prawn masala and Bob had chicken biryani.  All just delicious.  I had massive prawns in my dish.  Then we came back to Eves and Bob rigged his ipad up to the big screen tv and the chaps all watched the England rugby live.  We ladies 🙂 sat out in the restaurant, drank and put the world to rights.  The rugby ended in great cheers as England won.  Again.  This must be an omen for an all round victory in the tournament.

Tomorrow we are off to a spice farm for a tour.  Not the big tourist spice farm which we have been to before, but a smaller, more authentic experience, high in the hills above the coastal plain.  Look for a full report and pictures tomorrow plus an account of a special music night at our hotel.