Settling into Cherai Beach

Days start early in India and Cherai Beach was no exception. 

By 6am the neighbours had been up for an hour at least, voices, throat clearing, morning ablutions as well as the aroma and clatter of cooking filled the air. 

By 7am the children of the house were fed, washed and dressed in crisply pressed uniforms ready for their rides to school. Ippy and I headed for the beach for an early morning walk enjoying the solitude of the deserted beach.

By 10am we were relaxing on the beach and swimming in the sea.

By 12 noon Ippy and I were showered and heading to La Cafe for lunch on the balcony! 

As the sun reached its zenith, pounding down upon the dust dry ground we happily sat in the shade looking out over the sea.

Food was served along with drinks and I once again ate my fill as Ippy relaxed beside me.

Although Ippy usually travels alone during the winter months, visiting her children and having adventures, this year, apart from myself, her long suffering partner, who for the past 7 years had been abandoned for the winter months, was going to join her with his two children. Eager for news but also aware of the 8 hour time difference, we opened up the laptop and signed into the internet.

“How's it going?” Ippy typed into Facebook.

“NO Visa's for the children yet!” Came the reply.

Ippy, being the ever organised one, had booked her ticket to India months in advance, she had also sent the visa applications for herself and Peter off in October receiving the approved stamp in both passports less than a week later. 

The children's passports were a bit more complicated requiring a letter proving custody etc and although they had been posted only a week after Ippy and Peter's, they still hadn't been returned when Ippy had left the country.

With only three days left before their flight, things were getting tight! Peter planned to make a few calls that day to find out what the delay was.

We agreed to call the next day for an update and then as the sun dropped slightly we headed back into town for another 2,000 rupees!

The next day there was still no news on the visa's!

We spent the day relaxing best we could, swimming in the rolling waves and chatting with Jomon who worked in La Cafe. Jomon was studying tourism in college while working in the Cafe to pay his way and to gain experience.

Ippy and myself were the only customers all afternoon and as we were only drinking water, we worried that business wasn't good.

“Wait until weekend,” he smiled,

“Everyone comes here on weekends!”

We ordered some food,

 and soon finished it!

So we following it with banana fritters complete with hot chocolate sauce and ice cream!

On Thursday while we sat in the cafe waiting for news Ippy asked Jomon if he could help her to get a coconut.

Each day as we had walked to La Cafe, Ippy and I had passed three ladies selling coconuts.

Each lady was in fierce competition with the other, not only guarding their ten foot space against each other but even going so far as to shout at customers who walked past them only to buy a coconut next door.

Ippy, although she wanted a coconut, had no idea who to order a coconut from without upsetting the other ladies. From the safety of the balcony and with Jomon help, we spent the afternoon dining on fresh coconut juice and flesh.

My first taste of fresh coconut was amazing!

By Friday Ippy was getting really worried.

Not about how quiet the restaurant was but because there was still no news on the Visa's.

As the day wore on we sat in the shade of the balcony was workmen bent steel and dug trenches by hand behind us.

Peter and the children were due to fly out in the early hours of the next morning but without the paperwork they wouldn't be allowed onto the plane let alone into the country!

We sat in the restaurant all day waiting for news. Mid afternoon the power went off throwing the entire area into silence.

In many of the rural areas of India a constant uninterrupted power supply is a rarity and normally Ippy embraced the power free moments as stereos and sound systems shut down leaving the sounds of life to filter through.

Today however she was desperate for news and no power meant no internet.

There was still no news as the sun headed down towards the sea. In the UK Peter and the children would need to leave for the airport in less that 4 hours and we still didn't know if they had visa's.

Jomon had been right about the weekend trade too as for the last two hours coach upon coach loads of people had been arriving from the city and surrounding area ready to enjoy a weekend of relaxation.

Even without power the tables soon filled up with people ordering food and drinks while the road outside turned into a traffic jam as everyone searched for somewhere to park up while they ate or swam.

Coast guard whistles could be heard as people fully dressed in bright coloured saris and fine dresses filled the waters, screaming with fear and excitement as the waves dragged at their feet or knocked them over with their friends.

Suddenly a text message came through. “Visa's just arrived, on our way!”

The smile on Ippys face was incredible! 'Lets go celebrate!' she announced swinging me up from my chair!

We had been sitting in or around La Cafe for two days waiting for news, although the food was amazing Ippy was ready for a change and together we headed up the beach to the Chill Out Cafe.

We walked along the beach past the newly erected beach stalls selling everything from fast food to shorts and flip flops.

The large open area beyond the beach wall was now totally full people spilling out of buses and coaches, laughing and calling to each other. Some called out to us as we walked and Ippy happily sat with a few while they took pictures of us all.

Knowing Peter and the children were on their way had taken a huge weight from Ippys shoulders and she was more than happy to share the happiness she felt.

The Chill Out Cafe, opened by a French man who met his wife in India while helping her to fix her shoe, boasts a totally Non Chilli menu!

They also had power!

Pizza, Pasta, burgers both vegetarian and meat adorned the menu, chips, toasted sandwiches, and desserts people can only usually dream of, have deservedly put this place on the Cherai Beach map.

We took a table overlooking the sea and ordered a pizza to share.

The sun set, casting the beach into shadows, while far down the beach the huge football stadium style spot lights shone like a huge beacon illuminating the large crowd enjoying the beaches night time activities.

Our pizza was truly amazing and after a week of being nearly dairy free, the four cheese overload hitting me half way through but I bravely battled on until an empty platter lay between Ippy and myself.

I rested, allowing the cheese to work its way through my body, until Ippy decided it was time to go home walking us back down to the now thinning crowds by the 'T' junction.

In 24 hours Peter and his children would arrive and a whole new adventure would begin!