Arambol

I was still very tired from last night's late night. I resembled a slug as I slothed out of bed and slowly got dressed. Michael the taxi driver took us to the lake at Arambol. On the way Michael pulled over. On the side of the road was a cashew orchard. Neptune showed us how to eat the fruit.

First you twist the nut from the fruit.

Then you lean forward.

You then bite into the bigger end of the fruit and suck all the juice out.

Yum yum!!!

You can't eat the nut because it is too acidic and poisonous - you have to it roast first.

Neptune gathered a handful of the fruits before we left. 

 

As we walked down to the beach at Arambol, we passed a snake charmer. We found out later that snake charming is illegal. The guy doing the flute playing had to keep stopping because the cobra's kept on slithering out of their boxes (I stayed well away!) Abbey and I wondered why the man was not freaking out when the biggest snake tried to bite him, Mum told us that the snakes poison glands were probably removed. 

 

We went swimming and the waves were higher than Neptune! I remember seeing a huge wave just about the crash on Abbey when she looked up and saw Neptune riding the wave right above her (that made her scream!). 
 

Across the sand from the ocean there was the lake, a mass of luke warm still water. In the lake there were a few fish swimming and Abbey spent at least ten minutes trying to catch one. Abbey and I stayed in the lake for ages and ages – all afternoon. When we got out my hands were so wrinkled I looked like I was 100!!!! 
 

After Abbey and I got changed we walked to the Banyan tree. Sitting in a circle around a smouldering log. At the base of the tree, were a group of smoking hippies.

One man was so arrogant and rude that when a sweet Indian man began to sing “dancing queen' he laughed and copied the Indian in the rudest most horridly disgusting voice I have ever heard. He was so full of himself that we all gave a mental sigh of relief when he left and we were able to enjoy the tree.

One lady came over to us and asked us why we were looking so sad I told her I felt really sick, having been in the sun too much. 

Later when Abbey was climbing the banyan tree,
she came up to me again and was saying something to do with my sad face but I could not understand her because she kept on talking about other things while asking me what I wanted to do. She took me by the hand and pointed around as if she was saying which way (I think she wanted to show us around) but I hurriedly said I wanted to see Abbey climbing down the inside of the tree. 
 

By the time we left I felt really, really sick and hurried back to the beach, where we had a hot chocolate (and instantly felt better!). We went to dinner at a café that had a gig where any one from the crowd could perform. Dad of course jumped up and sang a few of his songs, he finished his performance with The Giddy-Up-Girlfriends theme song. Neptune joined him on his jews harp and then did some of his own. The crowd loved it! By the time the night was at an end, we were even more tired than ever. I fell asleep as soon as I collapsed into bed.

Frances