A brief moment of wonder as I wake up early in the morning. The weather is so warm and a gentle wind is blowing through my beach hut. It is nice to be finally back in the heat. But thrilling too – a whole new country, many strange looks when I tell that I will be traveling alone through India. But no matter. Arriving is the only important thing today. I hop out of my bed, stretch myself a bit and walk directly over to the beautiful restaurant overlooking the sea.
I’m not really hungry, so a coffee is enough for the moment. While I’m sipping it with pleasure, I notice that my stomach tweaks. Was it the airline food, the hummus full of garlic the night before, or perhaps simply the fact that I brush my teeth with tap water. Either way – I feel restricted and I do not want to move, while it is also getting hotter and I have to get used to this temperatures too. I decide to make it like my cats, and to take everything a bit slower.
Mimi and Musette were of course the most beautiful and greatest cat ever. Mimi the brave and Musette the more withdrawn, who always took a long time to gain confidence. When we drove with them for the first time in the cottage, we had two small panicking cats in the car. Once in the house, both have hidden under the bed at an incredible speed (amazing that they have found the bedroom so fast). Musette came only a day later out while Mimi explored already after a few hours the other room. And so it went, both at different tempos, making larger circles every day – until the day when Mimi ran away and came back only two days later – dishevelled and hungry.
I ‘m hiding myself not under the bed, but on the small, fine patio in front of my bungalow and spend the morning alternately reading and sleeping. For lunch, a banana lassi and a first swim in the sea and in the late afternoon I feel that I am ready explore the surrounding area a bit. Such a quiet, sleepy day at the beach is certainly not a bad way to start your travels.
Tips for arriving:
- Especially when you do not know a country, it is very pleasant to pre-book a hotel, at least for the first few nights. Many hotels also pick up their guests from the airport. This is a recommended option. Especially if you are bleary-eyed and disoriented, you can be an easy target for all sorts of scams.
- A slow start is always good. Anyone who is not tied to a tour group, has every opportunity to rest . Time and temperature change and another kitchen are a real challenge to the body.