tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48370984286384122322024-03-13T05:44:33.913+05:30Ed Would Gothe inane ramblings of a neophyte surferEd Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-36904480992456538562011-01-31T10:55:00.003+05:302011-01-31T10:59:35.932+05:30Catch a WaveMy blog, covering surfing in Varkal, Kerala, is now at:<br />http://www.edtempleton.net/<br />Find out more about surf in india at my site:<br />http://www.soulandsurf.com<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TUZIHFxTbyI/AAAAAAAAAzk/Qe0OdfduFlc/s1600/Soul%2526Surf.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TUZIHFxTbyI/AAAAAAAAAzk/Qe0OdfduFlc/s400/Soul%2526Surf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568217275935452962" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-15032977669947935782010-10-31T09:34:00.001+05:302010-10-31T09:35:50.407+05:30From home... to home.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TMzrFKOUgbI/AAAAAAAAAzY/IB9r2sLN8p4/s1600/Home+%3E+India+%2816%29.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TMzrFKOUgbI/AAAAAAAAAzY/IB9r2sLN8p4/s400/Home+%3E+India+%2816%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534056516007788978" border="0" /></a><br />The next post can be found at <a href="http://www.edtempleton.net/">www.edtempleton.net</a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-29032620338164585282010-08-01T21:54:00.001+05:302010-08-01T21:56:27.051+05:30The Saviour!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TFWf6g5O1FI/AAAAAAAAAzI/jfCkGZpR5rY/s1600/EdTempleton_600px.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TFWf6g5O1FI/AAAAAAAAAzI/jfCkGZpR5rY/s400/EdTempleton_600px.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500478347514139730" border="0" /></a><br />Contrary to some mis-interpretations of my recent irony-laden post on El Salvador, it was one of the surprise highlights of the trip. Surprise because of the bad-wrap El Salvador receives from all and sundry, a deep-rooted prejudice I played-up with all the subtlety of a pantomime dame in ‘that’ post in the hope that readers could see both sides of the coin. Perhaps irony and blogging are mutually exclusive or perhaps we’re are so used to hearing El Salvador maligned that negative asssumptions were made — making an ass out of u and me.<br /><br />I write this in a high-back Chesterfield chair in the heart of the astoundingly beautiful Sussex countryside as I try (and so far fail) to acclimatise to the voracious consumption-driven society of modern Britain — if you’re not spending then you’re asleep — and The Saviour’s absence makes the heart grow even fonder. God, I’m missing those waves, those people, those avocados and the most valuable commodity of all, that delicious, engulfing, luxuriant time. Precious time. Even though this is, in essence, is just the UK leg of the trip before we head back to post-monsoon India to open the <a href="http://www.soulandsurf.com">Soul&Surf House </a>in Kerala, and I’m not at work there is something about this society that rips the hours and minutes from your grasp, never to be regained. How on earth I managed to hold down a job aswell as jumping through all of the hoops it takes to exist here I will never know.<br /><br />Oh for the simple life — Simple pleasures.<br />Good food.<br />Good company.<br />Good health.<br />Good heart.<br />Good waves.<br /><br />Now how do I integrate that into life back home?<br />Answers on a postcard please.<br />(Or by mail to hello@edtempleton.net)<br /><br />Please Note:<br />This blog is slowly moving over to my site at:<br /><a href="http://www.edtempleton.net">www.edtempleton.net</a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-31164276759624870352010-07-17T17:04:00.002+05:302010-07-17T17:06:47.198+05:30Give us a break.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvkCJ5zI/AAAAAAAAAy8/pmBWWiQnMo8/s1600/Guatemala.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvkCJ5zI/AAAAAAAAAy8/pmBWWiQnMo8/s400/Guatemala.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494837664727820082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvcvMXOI/AAAAAAAAAy0/UBKYGs3NFmw/s1600/Guatemala+%286%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvcvMXOI/AAAAAAAAAy0/UBKYGs3NFmw/s400/Guatemala+%286%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494837662769241314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvAjFG3I/AAAAAAAAAys/vv9TW1pN6Lk/s1600/Guatemala+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVvAjFG3I/AAAAAAAAAys/vv9TW1pN6Lk/s400/Guatemala+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494837655202241394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVuvUQ6xI/AAAAAAAAAyk/NO9WGXZoztQ/s1600/Guatemala+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVuvUQ6xI/AAAAAAAAAyk/NO9WGXZoztQ/s400/Guatemala+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494837650576698130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVufqanHI/AAAAAAAAAyc/OLEbwcmNhxA/s1600/Guatemala+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TEGVufqanHI/AAAAAAAAAyc/OLEbwcmNhxA/s400/Guatemala+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494837646374640754" border="0" /></a><br />Everybody needs a break.<br />Even those of us already on a ten month break.<br />We needed a break from the break.<br /><br />With three surfboards and and the associated paraphernalia in tow we’re not exactly nimble travellers so we’ve tended to find a nice spot near the coast and stay put for a while. But, we’ve learned, there’s more to life than the beach so we take the occasional mini-break from our break. We leave our cumbersome baggage with trustworthy coastal dwellers and skip, fleet-footed inland with only daypacks to hold us down. Our trip has been punctuated throughout with these weekenders and because of their contrast to surf-life they remain some of our strongest memories in a trip brimming over with highlights. The long weekend in Fort Cochin, northern Kerala and a spring-break in Ubud and the central highlands mark indelibly on my otherwise moribund memory.<br /><br />Leaving our boards and travel-bag with the wonderfully sweet Jani at our hotel in El Tunco we drank down the last drops of farewell with our newfound international surf-family and took a shuttle west for a bit of culture(innit). Guatemala is the only Central American country which genuinely retains some indigenous culture. Mayan villages, peoples, language, dress and customs remain surprisingly intact, particularly in the highlands, uncorrupted by the inexorable Yank-ification which, via CIA militia-funding and corporate colonialism, has already consumed most surrounding countries. It was this American colonial defiance which drew us first to Antigua, ironically to see a well—preserved Spanish colonial-town, then to Lake Atitlan for the real deal.<br /><br />Despite the hordes of tourists that both of these ‘authentic’ sites attract their inherent beauty remained and enough real life weaved around the tourist-focused attractions for us to gain a sense that these were still living, thriving communities. Now they just have a $ boost from the gringo.<br /><br />Hours after our departure from El Tunco a flash-flood consumed our hotel, sweeping cars and cattle down the street and out to sea. The river rose three metres within 30 minutes engulfing the ground floor in a swirling, swampy broth. Our bag had been stored in the ground-floor office of the hotel so we returned to a bag full of mud-drenched clothes, books, travel documents, notebooks, medical kit, toiletries and all the aide-memoirs we’ve been lugging around the world with us for nearly a year. As we sifted through our soiled, sorry possessions our heads and hearts dropped. The flood, and subsequent storms had scared off most itinerant surfers, the place was empty, the locals were rebuilding and repairing and our spirits were low. That evening we chatted, laboriously via google translate, with our still smiling, gun-toting, effusive night guard. He and his family of four lived a little further up stream and they, along with their neighbours, had lost pretty much everything. Their clothes, furniture TV, cooking equipment… everything. Only minutes after the water first crept under their door their two young boys were up to their necks and scrambling and swimming for their lives in the pitch darkness as the water continued to rise. Thankfully everyone in the area survived, but it put our measly inconvenience into perspective and shook us from our self-indulgent bourgeois despair.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />PLEASE NOTE: This blog is moving to my own page here: </span><a href="http://www.edtempleton.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.edtempleton.net</span></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-55482583206257795162010-07-05T22:20:00.003+05:302010-07-05T22:31:17.864+05:30D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-don’t do it… baby.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZyBclVI/AAAAAAAAAyM/xEhyBVCP8F4/s1600/El+Tunco+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZyBclVI/AAAAAAAAAyM/xEhyBVCP8F4/s400/El+Tunco+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490466731805414738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZsGTUSI/AAAAAAAAAyE/8KDG6hNNaL8/s1600/El+Tunco+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZsGTUSI/AAAAAAAAAyE/8KDG6hNNaL8/s400/El+Tunco+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490466730215166242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZWflKTI/AAAAAAAAAx8/FpLHeihRKSk/s1600/El+Tunco+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZWflKTI/AAAAAAAAAx8/FpLHeihRKSk/s400/El+Tunco+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490466724415613234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZBqOYmI/AAAAAAAAAx0/nrwvoUEbL_g/s1600/El+Tunco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIOZBqOYmI/AAAAAAAAAx0/nrwvoUEbL_g/s400/El+Tunco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490466718823113314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIPAdiVPQI/AAAAAAAAAyU/5GEg96jEGP8/s1600/El+Tunco+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TDIPAdiVPQI/AAAAAAAAAyU/5GEg96jEGP8/s400/El+Tunco+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490467396321099010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />El Salvador. The most dangerous, god-forsaken hell-hole in all of Christendom. What in Beelzebub’s name were we thinking coming to a place with such a bad reputation. Even in the badlands of Nicaragua people would lean in, speaking in hushed tones, as they told tales of hapless surf-travellers being accosted on the beach, a line being drawn in the sand over which they were forced to lie face down with their heads on one side of the line their bodies on the other as the prelude to an horrific, yet reassuringly accurate beheading. The cheery old yank on Ometepe joyfully assured us our bus would be stopped and ransacked by gangsters with AK47’s as soon as we crossed the border from Honduras, and you know he was right, damn him. Travel is mind numbingly slow in this country as you negotiate one set of gangsters after another, one step forwards two steps back, each gang taking a little more of your stuff and a little more of your time until the A23/Croydon route into London with it’s intricately mistimed traffic lights seems like a breeze.<br /><br />Arriving in the La Libertad area, the beginning of the Ruta del Surf, penniless, possesion-less, naked and late is disappointing beyond comprehension. The succession of famed, long, clean right hand point-break waves are a mere fabrication — Give me ‘hotpipes’, the Power station outlet pipe near Shoreham harbour, any day.<br /><br />Sunzal point is an inconsistent, short right that’s hardly worth the three mile paddle out and it doesn’t hold any size at all — I don’t remember witnessing a succession of double-overhead days in the space of a fortnight. Punta Roca, the jewel in Central America’s pointbreaks is worse. A muddy dribble of an excuse. It wasn’t fast, shallow or remotely exhilarating and the chance of getting there and back with your board and shorts are pretty slim in this crime-ridden area. KM59? Don’t even bother. Ugly, dull and lifeless with locals who’ll stab you in the back as soon as look at you.<br /><br />We stayed in a dreary, drab hotel on the El Tunco riverbank. With no swimming pool, no wifi and no kitchen the $15 a night we paid was extortionate. We stayed for a month.<br /><br />And the people! Don’t get me started on the people. There was never a good atmosphere in the water, the locals never smiled, never waved ‘Hola’ as you paddled out, they never gave you a wave or beamed ‘No problem’ if you accidently dropped in. The travelling surfers were worse, the Brazilians were mean and unsmiling, the Aussie’s and NZ’ers their usual dour-faced misery-guts, the Canadians lived up to their billing of the most unpleasant, hostile people on Earth and the Americans, particularly those from Utah, were closed-minded, humourless people. We didn’t hang out with any of them and we certainly didn’t have a really good party one night with Vinny, Luis, Jay & Eric involving tequila and swimming pools.<br /><br />Papusas? Poo-poo-sas more like. The 35¢ maize flour patties filled with combinations of pollo, cheese, frijoles, an unidentified green vegetable and pork, made to order and griddled on road-side stoves were only marginally better than the burritos we were forced to endure. Packed with ripe avocados, beans, rice and chicken forcing one down was a real strength of will over wisdom.<br /><br />So if you’re planning a surf trip to El Salvador, do yourself a favour, don’t do it.<br />Honestly. ; )<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PLEASE NOTE: This blog is moving to my own page here: </span><a href="http://www.edtempleton.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.edtempleton.net</span><br /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-65814006602092684082010-06-12T00:04:00.004+05:302010-06-12T02:59:04.601+05:30Blog ChangeFrom now on I'll be blogging on my own website;<br /><a href="http://www.edtempleton.net">www.edtempleton.net</a><br />I'll still this page for a while and for archives but please note the change of address.<br />Thanks,<br />EdEd Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-3473187318895794212010-06-11T23:59:00.003+05:302010-06-12T00:04:05.780+05:30Mana-Gwa, Nica-Ragwa with a Jag-wa.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBDqxHqcI/AAAAAAAAAxE/v03pSC83fP4/s1600/Popoyo+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBDqxHqcI/AAAAAAAAAxE/v03pSC83fP4/s400/Popoyo+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481585596483217858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBFl6GNrI/AAAAAAAAAxc/jaWg7FexnAc/s1600/Ometepe+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBFl6GNrI/AAAAAAAAAxc/jaWg7FexnAc/s400/Ometepe+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481585629538432690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBHS6T5jI/AAAAAAAAAxk/l9whdNMDH5g/s1600/Popoyo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBHS6T5jI/AAAAAAAAAxk/l9whdNMDH5g/s400/Popoyo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481585658798794290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBFMiAmaI/AAAAAAAAAxU/VshZezf4NK0/s1600/Ometepe+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBFMiAmaI/AAAAAAAAAxU/VshZezf4NK0/s400/Ometepe+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481585622726515106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBEyH3CKI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ENFx-SLoMIg/s1600/Ometepe+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/TBKBEyH3CKI/AAAAAAAAAxM/ENFx-SLoMIg/s400/Ometepe+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481585615637514402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The trouble with these remote access Central American point breaks is that you can’t take a camera. To get to Lance’s Left near El Astillero, Nicaragua we took a bone-rattling ride in Johnny’s pint-sized hire-car to the fishing village. We then walked for half an hour North up the beach, fording rivers and scrambling over high-tide storm debris until we reached the headland which forms the point-break. We then had to inch our way around the rocky headland, making a dash for it between sets to avoid being dashed upon the rocks before finally reaching the paddle out spot. Even if I wanted to risk bringing my D200 on that trip I wouldn’t have like to hide it in the bushes whilst we surfed… So in nearly 3 weeks of Nica-Surfing I’ve not got a single photograph. Which begs a peculiarly 21st Century question ‘If I didn’t photograph it, did it really happen?’. With almost every appliance we own, bar the toaster, boasting a 11.1 Mega-pixel digital camera red, green and blue pixels have replaced memory and story-telling as our primary means of recounting our experiences.<br /><br />So let me tell you this.<br />The waves in the Popoyo area are good. Popoyo reef, the areas main attraction is great but too crowded, if you aren’t local and you don’t rip then expect to bob more than you surf. Lance’s left was huge, scary and with regular clean-up sets, long hold downs, murky brown water and a rip-from-hell it doesn’t sound much like fun - but it was. I survived, I caught some great waves and the rides were 100m+ leg-burners.<br />The rocks are sharp and often shallow and took chunks out of my board, costing $15 in excellent ding repair.<br />The weather was often stormy as we caught the periphery of Agatha, the tropical storm that wreaked havoc on Guatamala, turning the ocean into frothing chocolate milk.<br />The isolated surf outpost of Popoyo —a 30 minute low-tide wade through a mangrove estuary and across salt flats to the nearest shop, a 2 hour odyssey to the nearest super-mercado — was galvanized by a blitz-spirit community. The power failed regularly and toward the end of our stay we were left sans-electricity for a day or more, so the few surf devotees dotted around the river-mouth congregated at the place we called home, Vaca Loca, a guest-house and pizza/pasta joint run by a wonderful Italian couple. Chess was played, guitars were strummed, rum was produced, ice was found, beers were cooled so by the time the power returned after dusk we were primed and raring to go, culminating in a midnight mass skinny-dip, which only Sofie and I translated as a ‘skinny’ dip.<br /><br />But the waves are lefts and I’m a regular foot surfer and we’ve been surfing lefts, lefts and more lefts since November so the draw of El Salvadors right points within spitting distance to the North was too much for me. So we packed, again, and lugged our boards, bags and gadgets first to Ometepe, a magical island formed from two volcanoes peeking out of Lago de Nicaragua for a few days of culture, fresh-spring dips, some hiking, some bug-battling and some monkey wrangling. Then back to the featurelss, grim and downright dangerous city of Managua for our cross-border ride to San Salvador, and the rights, the rights, the rights….Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-53171032865986166382010-05-25T20:43:00.004+05:302010-05-25T21:11:04.023+05:30Money makes you go round the world<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq8ThoqaI/AAAAAAAAAw8/BK6O0nQC2r8/s1600/Aus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq8ThoqaI/AAAAAAAAAw8/BK6O0nQC2r8/s400/Aus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475228093753371042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7_xab9I/AAAAAAAAAw0/S_m4LtYRcjc/s1600/Aus+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7_xab9I/AAAAAAAAAw0/S_m4LtYRcjc/s400/Aus+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475228088450838482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7p_j7MI/AAAAAAAAAws/p5Qed3zrkgk/s1600/Aus+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7p_j7MI/AAAAAAAAAws/p5Qed3zrkgk/s400/Aus+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475228082604600514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7N1GIfI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rFMBVTUtmRk/s1600/Aus+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq7N1GIfI/AAAAAAAAAwk/rFMBVTUtmRk/s400/Aus+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475228075044512242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq65bkWDI/AAAAAAAAAwc/sUmQkicAjN8/s1600/Aus+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_vq65bkWDI/AAAAAAAAAwc/sUmQkicAjN8/s400/Aus+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475228069568731186" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">The</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">benefits</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">have</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">been</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">exploiting</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">of</span> global <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">differences</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">currency</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">values</span> — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">the</span> £10k <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">saved</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">in</span> 8 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">months</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">UK</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">work</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">would</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">last</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">scant</span> 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">months</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">UK</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">living</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">yet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">translated</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">into</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Rupees</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Rupiahs</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Cordobas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">it</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">yields</span> 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">months</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">good</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">life</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">and</span> global <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">travel</span> — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">throughout</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">this</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">trip</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">played</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">reverse</span> once <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">set</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">foot</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">on</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">the</span> ‘<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">developed</span>’ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">soil</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">of</span> Australia, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">New</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">Zealand</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">even</span> Tonga <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">in</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">budget</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">crushing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">three</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">week</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">spell</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">Sterling</span> has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">traditionally</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">been</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68">one</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71">World</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72">strongest</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_73">currencies</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_74">rendering</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_75">most</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_76">of</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_77">the</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_78">rest</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_79">of</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_80">the</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_81">world</span> as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_82">bargain</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_83">destinations</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_84">The</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_85">descent</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_86">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_87">the</span> £ as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_88">result</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_89">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_90">the</span> global <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_91">Financial</span> fiasco has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_92">reversed</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_93">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_94">trend</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_95">with</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_96">vengeance</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_97">Our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_98">daily</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_99">budget</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_100">which</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_101">in</span> more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_102">exotic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_103">climes</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_104">would</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_105">give</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_106">us</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_107">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_108">own</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_109">luxurious</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_110">bungalow</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_111">large</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_112">terrace</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_113">overlooking</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_114">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_115">shared</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_116">pool</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_117">breakfast</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_118">lunch</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_119">dinner</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_120">scooter</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_121">rental</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_122">few</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_123">drinks</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_124">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_125">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_126">odd</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_127">treat</span> t’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_128">boot</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_129">barely</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_130">got</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_131">us</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_132">lunch</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_133">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_134">coffees</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_135">in</span> Australia. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_136">Sure</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_137">it</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_138">becoming</span> more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_139">expensive</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_140">down</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_141">under</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_142">anyway</span> — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_143">is</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_144">there</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_145">really</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_146">any</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_147">need</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_148">for</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_149">bottle</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_150">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_151">Samuel</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_152">Smith</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_153">bitter</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_154">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_155">cost</span> £15 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_156">in</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_157">Melbourne</span> bar? — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_158">but</span> combine <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_159">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_160">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_161">sterling</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_162">plummet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_163">made</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_164">living</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_165">unaided</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_166">here</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_167">impossible</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_168">for</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_169">us</span>. As <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_170">we</span>’ve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_171">meandered</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_172">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_173">globe</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_174">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_175">tumble</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_176">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_177">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_178">pound</span> has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_179">been</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_180">constant</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_181">companion</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_182">When</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_183">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_184">arrived</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_185">in</span> India <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_186">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_187">got</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_188">Rs</span>.75 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_189">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_190">the</span> £, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_191">by</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_192">the</span> time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_193">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_194">left</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_195">it</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_196">was</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_197">under</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_198">Rs</span>.70. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_199">We</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_200">kicked</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_201">off</span> Indo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_202">with</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_203">whopping</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_204">Rs</span>15,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_205">to</span> a single £ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_206">but</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_207">eft</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_208">with</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_209">meagre</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_210">Rs</span>.13,000 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_211">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_212">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_213">pockets</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_214">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_215">exchange</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_216">for</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_217">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_218">golden</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_219">nugget</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_220">Month</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_221">by</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_222">month</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_223">country</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_224">by</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_225">country</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_226">treat</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_227">by</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_228">treat</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_229">we</span>’ve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_230">had</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_231">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_232">cut</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_233">out</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_234">chai</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_235">day</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_236">here</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_237">Beng</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_238">Beng</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_239">there</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_240">packet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_241">of</span> (chocolate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_242">enrobed</span>) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_243">Chikys</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_244">over</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_245">there</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_246">until</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_247">eventually</span> I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_248">guess</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_249">we</span>’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_250">ll</span> be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_251">reduced</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_252">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_253">drinking</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_254">from</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_255">puddles</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_256">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_257">sleeping</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_258">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_259">hedges</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_260">The</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> £3 Global </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_261">Lunch</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_262">Equation</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 2009/2010</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_263">United</span> = 1x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_264">limp</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_265">soggy</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_266">plastic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_267">wrappered</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_268">prawn</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_269">sandwich</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_270">France</span> = 1x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_271">jambon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_272">et</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_273">fromage</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_274">croissant</span><br />India = 6x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_275">all</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_276">you</span>-can-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_277">eat</span> sublime <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_278">vegetarian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_279">Thalis</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_280">incl</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_281">pickles</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_282">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_283">drink</span><br />Indonesia = 3x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_284">delicious</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_285">Nasi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_286">Campur</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_287">incl</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_288">tempe</span> & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_289">sambal</span><br />Australia = 1x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_290">microwaved</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_291">meat</span> pie<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_292">New</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_293">Zealand</span> = 1x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_294">Lamb</span> Pide <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_295">sandwich</span><br />Tonga = 1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_296">tiny</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_297">sandwich</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_298">incl</span>. 1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_299">soggy</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_300">tomato</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_301">slice</span> & 1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_302">fluro</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_303">cheese</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_304">slice</span><br />Nicaragua = 2x <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_305">Fish</span> Casados <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_306">incl</span>. rice, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_307">beans</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_308">plantain</span> & salad.<br />El Salvador = <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_309">tbc</span>.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_310">In</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_311">Aus</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_312">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_313">were</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_314">staying</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_315">for</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_316">free</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_317">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_318">family</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_319">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_320">friends</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_321">who</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_322">over</span>)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_323">fed</span>, (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_324">over</span>)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_325">watered</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_326">clothed</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_327">and</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_328">over</span>)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_329">indulged</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_330">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_331">every</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_332">whim</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_333">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_334">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_335">still</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_336">blew</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_337">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_338">budget</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_339">on</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_340">few</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_341">coffees</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_342">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_343">odd</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_344">lunch</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_345">few</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_346">drinks</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_347">and</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_348">missed</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_349">internal</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_350">flight</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_351">My</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_352">family</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_353">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_354">Sofie</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_355">friends</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_356">were</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_357">generous</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_358">happy</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_359">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_360">willing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_361">hosts</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_362">yet</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_363">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_364">poverty</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_365">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_366">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_367">sense</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_368">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_369">impotency</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_370">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_371">accompanies</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_372">it</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_373">made</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_374">us</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_375">little</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_376">uncomfortable</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_377">The</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_378">feeling</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_379">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_380">even</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_381">if</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_382">they</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_383">had</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_384">let</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_385">us</span> — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_386">which</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_387">they</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_388">probably</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_389">wouldn</span>’t — <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_390">we</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_391">couldn</span>’t <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_392">contribute</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_393">was</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_394">unnerving</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_395">Providing</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_396">momentarily</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_397">tiny</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_398">peek</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_399">via</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_400">miniscule</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_401">crack</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_402">through</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_403">door</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_404">into</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_405">true</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_406">genuine</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_407">poverty</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_408">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_409">how</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_410">debilitating</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_411">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_412">humiliating</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_413">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_414">must</span> be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_415">on</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_416">top</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_417">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_418">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_419">physical</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_420">hardships</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_421">that</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_422">it</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_423">inevitably</span> produces.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_424">For</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_425">all</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_426">my</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_427">miserly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_428">griping</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_429">our</span> Australia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_430">visit</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_431">was</span> sublime. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_432">The</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_433">Brisbanians</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_434">were</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_435">great</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_436">company</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_437">great</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_438">entertainers</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_439">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_440">truly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_441">wonderful</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_442">hosts</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_443">all</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_444">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_445">them</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_446">from</span> 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_447">year</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_448">old</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_449">Bubba</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_450">to</span> 49 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_451">year</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_452">old</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_453">Pappa</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_454">The</span> simple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_455">pleasures</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_456">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_457">being</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_458">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_459">family</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_460">conversation</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_461">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_462">beach</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_463">football</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_464">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_465">cricket</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_466">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_467">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_468">kids</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_469">was</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_470">highlight</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_471">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_472">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_473">trip</span>, so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_474">much</span> so I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_475">didn</span>’t <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_476">even</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_477">notice</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_478">there</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_479">was</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_480">good</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_481">swell</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_482">running</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_483">on</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_484">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_485">Gold</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_486">Coast</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_487">points</span>. My brother even arranged a radio interview for me to talk about India and our <a href="http://www.soulandsurf.com/">Soul&Surf</a> venture. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_488">And</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_489">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_490">Melbourneans</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_491">matched</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_492">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_493">Queenslanders</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_494">generosity</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_495">throwing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_496">bike</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_497">rides</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_498">booze</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_499">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_500">bands</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_501">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_502">way</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_503">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_504">gay</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_505">abandon</span>! Tonga <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_506">was</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_507">grey</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_508">flat</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_509">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_510">expensive</span>.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_511">We</span>’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_512">re</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_513">back</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_514">on</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_515">an</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_516">even</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_517">keel</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_518">now</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_519">thanks</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_520">to</span> Nicaragua! Once more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_521">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_522">budget</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_523">stretches</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_524">to</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_525">large</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_526">room</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_527">with</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_528">an</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_529">equally</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_530">large</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_531">balcony</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_532">huge</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_533">four</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_534">poster</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_535">bed</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_536">swing</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_537">yes</span>), a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_538">hammock</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_539">view</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_540">through</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_541">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_542">tree</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_543">tops</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_544">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_545">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_546">pounding</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_547">Pacific</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_548">surf</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_549">wifi</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_550">breakfast</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_551">lunch</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_552">and</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_553">knee</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_554">trembling</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_555">dinner</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_556">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_557">home</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_558">made</span> pasta <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_559">with</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_560">putanesca</span> sauce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_561">made</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_562">by</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_563">Kiara</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_564">our</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_565">Italian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_566">hostess</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_567">ding</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_568">repaired</span>, 2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_569">surfs</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_570">day</span>, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_571">trip</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_572">to</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_573">Rivas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_574">on</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_575">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_576">chicken</span>-bus… <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_577">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_578">still</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_579">have</span> a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_580">few</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_581">Cord</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_582">left</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_583">for</span> a Piña Colada.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_584">Currency</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_585">and</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_586">it</span>’s <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_587">differences</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_588">makes</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_589">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_590">world</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_591">go</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_592">round</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_593">and</span> has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_594">certainly</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_595">helped</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_596">us</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_597">go</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_598">round</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_599">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_600">world</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_601">thus</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_602">far</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_603">Fingers</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_604">crossed</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_605">the</span> £ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_606">doesn</span>’t <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_607">sink</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_608">any</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_609">further</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_610">marooning</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_611">us</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_612">here</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_613">in</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_614">the</span> real <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_615">Wild</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_616">West</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_617">of</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_618">America</span>.Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-76546890393635988752010-05-22T02:59:00.002+05:302010-05-22T03:11:11.665+05:30Bali hu?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8exD45KI/AAAAAAAAAwM/Zut3_Nt41iM/s1600/Bali+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8exD45KI/AAAAAAAAAwM/Zut3_Nt41iM/s400/Bali+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473840002611340450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8fWhQiOI/AAAAAAAAAwU/8BKjd859Ksw/s1600/Bali+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8fWhQiOI/AAAAAAAAAwU/8BKjd859Ksw/s400/Bali+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473840012666636514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8euT0zfI/AAAAAAAAAwE/ak_jJvJ-miw/s1600/Bali.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S_b8euT0zfI/AAAAAAAAAwE/ak_jJvJ-miw/s400/Bali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473840001872874994" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-87772944627471091232010-05-12T08:11:00.001+05:302010-05-12T08:41:13.993+05:30Time Flies (pics)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocSSVi9rI/AAAAAAAAAv8/L8prAzc2ZhE/s1600/Lombok+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocSSVi9rI/AAAAAAAAAv8/L8prAzc2ZhE/s400/Lombok+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470215797880321714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocR-fR8zI/AAAAAAAAAv0/lIFo0MUOhp8/s1600/Lombok+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocR-fR8zI/AAAAAAAAAv0/lIFo0MUOhp8/s400/Lombok+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470215792552440626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocRYmFh3I/AAAAAAAAAvs/mM4kJvRRJY0/s1600/Lombok+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-ocRYmFh3I/AAAAAAAAAvs/mM4kJvRRJY0/s400/Lombok+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470215782380439410" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-7689910358385077562010-05-11T12:03:00.005+05:302010-05-11T12:30:56.327+05:30Time Flies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j99RyjMOI/AAAAAAAAAvk/vTP2ReK0Btg/s1600/Lombok+%286%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j99RyjMOI/AAAAAAAAAvk/vTP2ReK0Btg/s400/Lombok+%286%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469900976630739170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98ysyzgI/AAAAAAAAAvc/kozUsHTGK4M/s1600/Lombok+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98ysyzgI/AAAAAAAAAvc/kozUsHTGK4M/s400/Lombok+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469900968285097474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98nW7oPI/AAAAAAAAAvU/GN-QZ2WjnyE/s1600/Lombok+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98nW7oPI/AAAAAAAAAvU/GN-QZ2WjnyE/s400/Lombok+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469900965240611058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98UHq_ZI/AAAAAAAAAvM/mfUMu_sFZvI/s1600/Lombok+%289%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98UHq_ZI/AAAAAAAAAvM/mfUMu_sFZvI/s400/Lombok+%289%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469900960076332434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98CHVMLI/AAAAAAAAAvE/QxjVzTRgCIs/s1600/Lombok.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S-j98CHVMLI/AAAAAAAAAvE/QxjVzTRgCIs/s400/Lombok.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469900955243065522" border="0" /></a><br />It’s amazing how busy you become when you retire. Leaving my company and my job behind as I set forth on this journey I naively imagined the vast expanses of time I was opening up would be used to explore new vocations, skills and pastimes yet there aren’t enough hours in the day to even write this damn blog. Since I last dispatched a month ago the grand tour has taken in Lombok, Bali again, excitement and fury at Singapore Airlines as they refused to allow us to board our flight to Brisbane due to a ticketing error, family & friends time in Australia as we rediscovered sofas, tv & booze (and realised we’re pretty good at all 3), a stopover in New Zealand and a week’s breather here in Tonga before our assault on Nicaragua, a country where our meagre budget will allow us to blossom again. During this time I’ve tried (and infuriatingly failed) to buy a shipment of Kush Kush caps from India to sell back in the UK, I’ve been developing and planning an e-commerce idea and designed and launched an early-bird website for our winter venture in Kerala, <a href="http://www.soulandsurf.com">Soul&Surf/India</a> whilst continuing working on the main marketing site. Whew.<br /><br />The expectation is that on an extended trip like this we leave all cares and worries behind, and that through the absence of a job all problems cease. Not the case I’m afraid. I know I won’t be attracting much in the way of sympathy from those working 50 hour weeks back home but what I’ve learned is that our usual character traits come with us. We find new ways to be busy, stressed and anxious or at least I do. Personal projects, travel arrangements, budget concerns and existential angst fill the shoes of the mundane home-life triggers which continue to swirl around the maelstrom-mind. It’s the character traits we need to work on, not their location, detail or circumstances.<br /><br />But enough guff, it’s our time in Lombok that I wish to recount. I was enthralled by this wild, rugged, beautiful land. Yes, it’s well known as a destination, easy to get to and sprinkled with resorts but in most parts it’s raw charms prevail and unlike it’s westernised tarnished neighbour it feels like Indonesia proper. The roads are horrific, trees sprout from the centre of the cracked tarmac south coast road, yet traffic is almost non-existent. Villages of traditional thatched bamboo huts fleck the rolling hills which meet the ocean in dramatic crescent shaped bays and people smile and wave as you approach with genuine warmth rather than as a ploy to extract your tourist buck. Visiting, as we did, at the end of the rainy season, showed the oft arid south coast off at it’s verdant best, the grass was green, the rivers full and the roaming livestock fat and contented. And the surf… The south coast is indented and scalloped by bay after bay creating breaks of numerous variety…. Except beach-break. The easiest wave in the area at inside-Grupuk attracted 90% of the travelling surfers, despite the boat-ride access, leaving empty line-ups elsewhere for the more adventurous. Inside-Grupuk also attracted groups of Japanese surfers who pay locals to snake, block and drop-in in order to clear the wave for themselves. Is this the future of colonial-style surf travel in increasingly busy global line-ups? I hope not.<br /><br />Yet despite my natural affinity with Lombok it’s lack of beach-break beginners waves left Sofie as a frustrated observer for much of the time so with an egalitarian spirit we headed back to Bali.Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-80187552920479570142010-04-08T11:56:00.004+05:302010-04-08T12:01:15.547+05:30No parking lot in this paradise…<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713wyDIUZI/AAAAAAAAAus/zBqhgs3gZwg/s1600/GiliMeno+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713wyDIUZI/AAAAAAAAAus/zBqhgs3gZwg/s400/GiliMeno+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457650003395236242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713wemwzcI/AAAAAAAAAuk/6d7tlRBnZYY/s1600/GiliMeno+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713wemwzcI/AAAAAAAAAuk/6d7tlRBnZYY/s400/GiliMeno+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457649998175980994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713vy435jI/AAAAAAAAAuc/lcPNXbTqCGU/s1600/GiliMeno+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S713vy435jI/AAAAAAAAAuc/lcPNXbTqCGU/s400/GiliMeno+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457649986440783410" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-23428726652020212932010-04-08T11:46:00.002+05:302010-04-08T11:55:44.636+05:30No parking lot in this paradise…<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fxwcHUI/AAAAAAAAAuU/UhdpjrH6jn0/s1600/GiliMeno+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fxwcHUI/AAAAAAAAAuU/UhdpjrH6jn0/s400/GiliMeno+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457648611747437890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fWXqcTI/AAAAAAAAAuM/p53vbcyfSHs/s1600/GiliMeno+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fWXqcTI/AAAAAAAAAuM/p53vbcyfSHs/s400/GiliMeno+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457648604395761970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fLmexNI/AAAAAAAAAuE/gJxDz6mvDvE/s1600/GiliMeno+%286%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712fLmexNI/AAAAAAAAAuE/gJxDz6mvDvE/s400/GiliMeno+%286%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457648601505121490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712ewdXfQI/AAAAAAAAAt8/qJiYHSe-Jbs/s1600/GiliMeno+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712ewdXfQI/AAAAAAAAAt8/qJiYHSe-Jbs/s400/GiliMeno+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457648594219138306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712eCPsMzI/AAAAAAAAAt0/IRuwIzjPSXQ/s1600/GiliMeno.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S712eCPsMzI/AAAAAAAAAt0/IRuwIzjPSXQ/s400/GiliMeno.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457648581813744434" border="0" /></a><br />On previous visits to Bali my prejudice has kept me from visiting the Gili Islands off the North West coast of Lombok. Dubbed a travellers paradise my visions of stoned, dreadlocked, friendship-banded euro geeks gamboling about the place overshadowed the reported beauty of the 3 tiny tropical islands… and I guess the supposed lack of surf didn’t help.<br /><br />Sofie really wanted to visit so in an admirable act of generosity and compromise I consented to the trip. My lips, burnt to a crisp from over-zealous midday surfing in Bali, were raw and cracked so a few days out of the water wouldn’t harm anyway. We chose the quieter of the 3 islands, Gili Meno, and from the moment we waded ashore from the shuttle boat the serene seclusion of this tropical idyll enveloped us. Time warped and heart-beats slowed whilst in stark contrast to it’s near neighbour, Bali, the sound of silence generated by an absolute absence of motorised vehicles was deafening.<br /><br />Sandy tracks circumnavigate and criss-cross the 2km island, the only transport is shank’s pony or bell-jangling pony & trap cidomos. The island is fringed with white sand beaches protected from the surf by coral reefs and the pure, clear water reflects blues of every hue imaginable as the tropical sky evolves and transforms throughout the day. Sun rising over the active volcano Gunung Rinjani on Lombok, tropical squalls passing as quickly as they appear, azure clear skys give way to firey sunsets over Bali’s extinct volcano Gunung Agung. Snaffling a coconut infused carrot and bean salad-like lunch of Urap Urap one stiflingly hot lunch time the awesome Rinjani coughed and spluttered into life sending an immense plume of thick grey smoke into the atmosphere. Not a bad digestif actually.<br /><br />A tempting right-hand reef point wave reels down the south west coast of the island, an even better looking one off Gili Trawanagan, yet my ravaged lips thwarted all but the briefest forays into the salty water, yet to slow down for a while, rising to watch sunrise and sleeping not long after sunset and doing very little in between besides snorkelling the teeming outer reefs, lolling, lounging and sprawling sprinkled with delcious cheap local Sasak food was enough to fall in love with this as yet unspoiled tropical Eden.Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-25758655987551485052010-04-01T12:12:00.002+05:302010-04-01T12:16:37.475+05:30Lombok!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S7RAuNvOIKI/AAAAAAAAAts/NsTx85ofUZw/s1600/Lombok.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S7RAuNvOIKI/AAAAAAAAAts/NsTx85ofUZw/s400/Lombok.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455056211358392482" border="0" /></a><br />Letting one of the tiddlers go by at Mawi...Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-28854969019831083492010-03-22T14:12:00.002+05:302010-03-22T14:14:35.057+05:30Day at the Beach (continued)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6ct5ZZToMI/AAAAAAAAAtk/YqxKcIgeVus/s1600-h/new_move.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6ct5ZZToMI/AAAAAAAAAtk/YqxKcIgeVus/s400/new_move.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451376338048098498" border="0" /></a><br />A new move, perfected by me over the course of several hours diligent practice...Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-30099769921352898932010-03-19T17:25:00.001+05:302010-03-19T17:31:57.892+05:30A day at the beach.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NngqyCJ8I/AAAAAAAAAtc/IP6Lhf4Oltk/s1600-h/Balangan_Beach+%2812%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NngqyCJ8I/AAAAAAAAAtc/IP6Lhf4Oltk/s400/Balangan_Beach+%2812%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450313784986052546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfyYfrGI/AAAAAAAAAtU/JGcY_Yj__D4/s1600-h/Balangan_Beach+%2810%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfyYfrGI/AAAAAAAAAtU/JGcY_Yj__D4/s400/Balangan_Beach+%2810%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450313769846549602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfWkJJsI/AAAAAAAAAtM/ZlY0LT-NjK4/s1600-h/Balangan_Beach+%289%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfWkJJsI/AAAAAAAAAtM/ZlY0LT-NjK4/s400/Balangan_Beach+%289%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450313762379212482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfGt9KnI/AAAAAAAAAtE/dIKbEonx4e0/s1600-h/Balangan_Beach+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnfGt9KnI/AAAAAAAAAtE/dIKbEonx4e0/s400/Balangan_Beach+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450313758125402738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnempU4-I/AAAAAAAAAs8/YJHWMnva2mo/s1600-h/Balangan_Beach+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6NnempU4-I/AAAAAAAAAs8/YJHWMnva2mo/s400/Balangan_Beach+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450313749516051426" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-13623994104506138072010-03-17T12:45:00.002+05:302010-03-17T12:51:20.007+05:30Paved Paradise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCzMeMIUI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Vce5-NbMywE/s1600-h/Balangan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCzMeMIUI/AAAAAAAAAs0/Vce5-NbMywE/s400/Balangan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449499365151088962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCyrVTepI/AAAAAAAAAss/d7DAp6F6Cxk/s1600-h/Central+Mountains+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCyrVTepI/AAAAAAAAAss/d7DAp6F6Cxk/s400/Central+Mountains+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449499356255451794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCx1RGpPI/AAAAAAAAAsk/7b68kXMc_GM/s1600-h/Ubud+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCx1RGpPI/AAAAAAAAAsk/7b68kXMc_GM/s400/Ubud+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449499341742318834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCxjDuWwI/AAAAAAAAAsc/SBVAhBS6L7I/s1600-h/Ubud.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCxjDuWwI/AAAAAAAAAsc/SBVAhBS6L7I/s400/Ubud.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449499336854362882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCxfp-XvI/AAAAAAAAAsU/uDlc5knM5yY/s1600-h/Ubud,+Deli+Cat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CCxfp-XvI/AAAAAAAAAsU/uDlc5knM5yY/s400/Ubud,+Deli+Cat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449499335941054194" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-27854216466519778842010-03-17T12:39:00.001+05:302010-03-17T12:45:00.143+05:30They Paved Paradise and put up a Parking Lot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBXEDsW-I/AAAAAAAAAsM/dO5qIfjDaSY/s1600-h/Ubud+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBXEDsW-I/AAAAAAAAAsM/dO5qIfjDaSY/s400/Ubud+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449497782344506338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBW87KvTI/AAAAAAAAAsE/9wNeUS_O6qE/s1600-h/Ubud+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBW87KvTI/AAAAAAAAAsE/9wNeUS_O6qE/s400/Ubud+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449497780429700402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBWVVPJyI/AAAAAAAAAr8/ekxUEU_9u3U/s1600-h/Central+Mountains.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBWVVPJyI/AAAAAAAAAr8/ekxUEU_9u3U/s400/Central+Mountains.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449497769801623330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBWGv_FDI/AAAAAAAAAr0/TmMUESWQiVc/s1600-h/Central+Mountains+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBWGv_FDI/AAAAAAAAAr0/TmMUESWQiVc/s400/Central+Mountains+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449497765887284274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBVsnkVZI/AAAAAAAAArs/_F7EkwJCQD4/s1600-h/Balangan+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S6CBVsnkVZI/AAAAAAAAArs/_F7EkwJCQD4/s400/Balangan+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449497758872655250" border="0" /></a><br />The inordinately long time between posts is testament to the surf-rich Bali lifestyle. We left India a month ago now and have been squeezing 2 or 3 surfs in a day cowering from the oppressive heat in between. Yesterday was Nyepi, marking the end of the Balinese year the whole country banishes demons from the land on Nyepi eve and then on the day everything stops. Everything. No cars, no planes, no electricity, no cooking, no leaving the house….. And absolutely no surfing. Government officials stalk the land, blowing whistles, enforcing the silence. Hence I’ve written this blog!<br /><br />Bali’s long been a favourite destination of mine, but I must admit that this time the romance has dulled somewhat. The pace of development all over the island is inexorable, but special attention is being paid to the Bukit Peninsula — where the surf is. The thatched, irreverent shanty-town of Dreamlands has been bull-dozed and an already crumbling, rusting steel and concrete Javanese monstrosity of a holiday resort replaced it. Every clifftop or small patch of beach around the entire Bukit coast already has or is in the process of having villas, housing estates, hotels, resorts and golf courses. And the gridlock on the roads in the southern half of Bali is witness to the hordes of tourists being ferried very slowly around the areas sights and beaches.<br /><br />The area still has it’s charm, Bingin is a great collection of wooden and thatched guesthouses clinging to the cliffs with higher class yet tasteful, plunge-pooled hotels lining the clifftop and Balangan, where we are staying, is a wonderful bay lined with affordable beach-front warungs, but it always feels like the bulldozers and tarmac-ers aren’t far away. What they can’t develop (yet) is the dramatic rocky coastline and the obscenely wave-rich reefs fringing this prime hunk of real estate. We’re here in the off-season yet the surf has been relentless. Not the cutting edge, life-threatening 12ft barrels of the ‘on’ season, but that’s not for me anyhow. The waves have been consistently shoulder-high at worst and we’ve had a good few days of well overhead surf. I’ve been lazy in my wave-hunting, mainly surfing Balangan. A quick check from my beachfront bedroom window and the 20ft walk across the beach to begin the paddle out is too tempting to refuse, but on occasion I have ventured further afield, adding Bingin, Padang Padang and Keramas to my surf knowledge. The crowds and and an overwrought irreverence has so far kept me from Uluwatu. I was intending to go there this morning, but the swell’s picked up and I persuaded myself it will be too big/crowded/scary for little old me, so I’m going to stumble out the front door to Balangan again…. Next time.<br /><br />We’ve made forays inland when the surf’s dropped a little and become enchanted by the volcano-crammed central region with it’s huge ancient calderas filled with lakes and new-growth volcanoes. This preposterously fertile and dramatic landscape is home to less westernised and more friendly Balinese villages and the relief from the oppressive heat of the coast that altitude provides is invigorating. I never knew you could get so much joy from wearing socks and trousers!Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-12877791291775670842010-02-07T10:29:00.002+05:302010-02-07T10:37:34.047+05:30The Dinner Party<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JYgpoiFI/AAAAAAAAArc/NOkOXfQv0_0/s1600-h/Varkala+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JYgpoiFI/AAAAAAAAArc/NOkOXfQv0_0/s400/Varkala+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435362485713012818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXw22IwI/AAAAAAAAArU/9WncOrjHivA/s1600-h/Varkala+%2816%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXw22IwI/AAAAAAAAArU/9WncOrjHivA/s400/Varkala+%2816%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435362472883528450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXlPKYfI/AAAAAAAAArM/bV04ThJ0pz4/s1600-h/Varkala+%2815%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXlPKYfI/AAAAAAAAArM/bV04ThJ0pz4/s400/Varkala+%2815%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435362469764293106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXUqaK7I/AAAAAAAAArE/Ro774uC-lOo/s1600-h/Varkala+%2810%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXUqaK7I/AAAAAAAAArE/Ro774uC-lOo/s400/Varkala+%2810%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435362465315171250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXKKe5xI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Q84EBrS2Im4/s1600-h/Varkala+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S25JXKKe5xI/AAAAAAAAAq8/Q84EBrS2Im4/s400/Varkala+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435362462496909074" border="0" /></a><br />The family we rent our place from have been so warm, kind-hearted and welcoming to us since our arrival that despite the separation of language we feel like their adopted children. Every time we pass their side-door to leave or come back one or more of the family is there to greet us, like returning war heroes. Meena, the hard working plump mother greets us each time with a waggle of the head and a wide candid smile from her round jovial face. She’s taken to grabbing Sofie for a hug sometimes and giving her a parting pat on the bum. The man of the house, Sugathan, between morning, lunchtime and afternoon naps, greets us phlegmatically with a raised hand and an inquisitive gaze, often popping up to give us freshly laid eggs, and un-identifiable fruits from the garden. The two teenage daughters, Susmi and Sumi are the antithesis of western petulance. Susmi, the younger of the two has an impish quality, yet she is ever helpful and loving to her parents and Sumi, after studying Animation in Trivandrum each day teaches an after-school class for local children before helping mum cook dinner. Her wide, heartfelt smile is irresistably uplifting. When I took Sofie to the station to go to the Yoga Ashram the two daughters, distraught at their loss, waved us, tears in their eyes, all the way down the street.<br /><br />However, our exchanges are limited to the moments spent passing back and forth by their door. They are poignant yet fleeting. We wanted the chance to dig deeper, to understand them, to exchange thoughts and ideas, for us all to learn a little more about our respective lives. So we invited them for dinner at ours.<br /><br />The week spent preceding the dinner was one of discussion, indecision, guidance seeking and receiving conflicting opinions.<br />“Cook them a western meal as a cultural exchange.” “Make them local food or they won’t eat it.” “Make it vegetarian to play safe.” “Give them meat as a rare treat.” :They won’t trust meat or fish unless it’s highly spiced….”<br />The more we discussed the more confused we became, the more people we consulted the more bewildered. What began as a simple dinner invitation was snowballing into something much bigger in our minds. We didn’t want to under or overwhelm. We didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable and we certainly didn’t want to offend them with an insensitive choice.<br /><br />The limitations of our kitchen equipped with only a two-ring hob, no oven or grill, reduced our choices somewhat. We realised how much we rely on grilling and roasting for our indigenous British food.<br /><br />Still dithering up to the day of the dinner we plumped for the safe, traditional British menu of:<br />Tandoori Rotisserie chicken (from a bakery in town)<br />Garlic Sauce<br />Dhal<br />Doughy Naan Bread<br />Chappatis<br />Coleslaw<br />Garlic and Cumin fried potatoes<br /><br />followed by<br />Banofee Pie<br /><br />What were we thinking? I’ve never eaten a meal like that in my life!<br />Still, it’s the thought that counts isn’t it?<br /><br />The day of the dinner was spent shopping, chopping and scrubbing. Boiling, mixing and blending. Opening, unwrapping and cutting.<br />I agonised for hours over the playlist for dinner. Not obtrusive, yet not melancholy, not alienating, yet not patronising…. So, bizarrely, I went for the thirty-something dinner party staple of Buena Vista Social Club. Even writing this now makes me cringe.<br /><br />Where were these bizarre food and music choices coming from? What cultural insights were they going to gain from us with our Indo-America-Cuba-Mediterranean-Sussex blend of stimuli. We were both feeling nervous, and our food and music choices were testament. Nervous of some nice people coming to eat some food.<br /><br />8 o’clock came and the family tentatively came to the top of our steps.<br />The candles were lit, the music was on and the low table on the terrace was covered and surrounded by cushions and mattresses. I invited the family to take their seats, but they didn’t. Sofie invited them to sit, still they loitered at the top of the steps. I sat down and beckoned them over but still the didn’t come. Sofie led Sugathan by the arm over to the cushions and motioned for him to sit and somewhat reluctantly the rest of them followed. We brought out the dishes piled high with the fruits of our labour and invited them to help themselves, which they didn’t. We took their plates and served them a little of everything to taste and encouraged them to eat which they did without relish. Coversation flowed like treacle. Awkward smiles. Stilted sentences. Averted eyes. To fill the Cuban tinged silence Sofie and I ate… with gusto! We offered seconds yet none were accepted except for the coleslaw which the girls seemed to enjoy briefly before they stood, leaving us eating and attempted to make for the stairs, to the safety of their domain. Sofie leapt up and headed them off at the top of the stairs.<br />“We have dessert,” she pleaded.<br />I kept them talking whilst Sofie nipped to the fridge to the lure them back with the sight of the Banofee Pie. Sugathan pointed out that the cream hadn’t set and that it would be better tomorrow, but we weren’t going to let them off that lightly. We frantically chopped the sloppy pie into slices and shoved plates into the family’s hands. We couldn’t convince them to take their places round the table, so we settled for them perching on the wall, whilst we hovered uneasily around them. Their appetite ignited momentarily and they wolfed the slices down before making a run for the stairs, Sugathan parted with a conciliatory pat of the belly and the girls tossed “Goodnight!”’s over their shoulders as they fled.<br /><br />8.25pm and it was all over, bar the washing up.<br />Hands across the sea, and all that….Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-69272519931464849552010-01-27T12:21:00.002+05:302010-01-27T12:29:11.346+05:30Ed's wave pictures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jgnkVuVI/AAAAAAAAAq0/sf4tniscMDk/s1600-h/Varkala+%2814%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jgnkVuVI/AAAAAAAAAq0/sf4tniscMDk/s400/Varkala+%2814%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431309825148827986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jgFCWwvI/AAAAAAAAAqs/dPtdxVgBd3U/s1600-h/Varkala+%2813%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jgFCWwvI/AAAAAAAAAqs/dPtdxVgBd3U/s400/Varkala+%2813%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431309815879484146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jfuDnWKI/AAAAAAAAAqk/t-V3JeBVbpg/s1600-h/Varkala+%2812%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jfuDnWKI/AAAAAAAAAqk/t-V3JeBVbpg/s400/Varkala+%2812%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431309809710749858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jfIQT_EI/AAAAAAAAAqc/w8Dgd-5fTCM/s1600-h/Varkala+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jfIQT_EI/AAAAAAAAAqc/w8Dgd-5fTCM/s400/Varkala+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431309799563459650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jeSJ_urI/AAAAAAAAAqU/_rKhHikufVA/s1600-h/Varkala+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_jeSJ_urI/AAAAAAAAAqU/_rKhHikufVA/s400/Varkala+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431309785041451698" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-9760413506790367202010-01-27T12:17:00.002+05:302010-01-27T12:21:19.773+05:30Ed’s Wave<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iMtWzTcI/AAAAAAAAAqM/t7c7Df0Qm6M/s1600-h/Varkala.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iMtWzTcI/AAAAAAAAAqM/t7c7Df0Qm6M/s400/Varkala.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431308383593647554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iMGj5oFI/AAAAAAAAAqE/u09N4h-NPGE/s1600-h/Varkala+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iMGj5oFI/AAAAAAAAAqE/u09N4h-NPGE/s400/Varkala+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431308373179605074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iLgcYVmI/AAAAAAAAAp8/QkNt168a1K4/s1600-h/Varkala+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iLgcYVmI/AAAAAAAAAp8/QkNt168a1K4/s400/Varkala+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431308362947516002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iLIjh7tI/AAAAAAAAAp0/SrmLkiby9LE/s1600-h/Varkala+%289%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iLIjh7tI/AAAAAAAAAp0/SrmLkiby9LE/s400/Varkala+%289%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431308356535054034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iKgE13RI/AAAAAAAAAps/tuuIXGT_0CE/s1600-h/Varkala+%2823%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/S1_iKgE13RI/AAAAAAAAAps/tuuIXGT_0CE/s400/Varkala+%2823%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431308345668918546" border="0" /></a><br />I haven’t written this blog for weeks now, caught up in a variety of projects, articles, plots and schemes, whilst also becoming snagged on the snaggle-toothed edge of a writer’s block. I just couldn’t get motivated to sit down and write, to write the Sunday Telegraph article, to write the commissioned piece for a surf magazine, to write some business plans and to write this bloody blog. So what happened? What dragged me from the mire? What hauled me from my stupour? What prised me from my lethargy? Waves. Pure and simple, the waves returned. It’s woken me up, filled me with vigour, charged me with positivity, put some lead into this jaded writer’s pencil. Since NYE the swell dropped. It’s been waist high at best for over three weeks — January is the smallest season — and although it’s been rideable everyday the waves have been breaking shallow and fast, too fast for me to beat the curl as section after section after section dumps tantalisingly just ahead on most waves. It’s been fun on my fish, it’s always good to be in the water and it’s still great to be the only one out… but I needed something more.<br /><br />Then it came.<br />A 3.5-4ft south-westerly swell with a 14 second period, which on this coastline produces a 6-8ft face on the sets. Much of the main beach here closes out, but I hadn’t been idle. Time spent on GoogleEarth and scouting missions on my scooter threw up some spots with potential. A potential now converted into head high reeling lefts from some rocky point headlands. I’ve been fizzing with excitement to be surfing these powerful lefts on my own, an excitement ready to burst out of me in a squeal as I arrived at a small muslim fishing hamlet on my scooter, my board shabbily strapped with frayed coconut-rope to the side. Walking down past the mosque to the beach I could see that the potential I had noted from one of my scouting trips had been realised as beautiful, rumbling lefts broke just ahead of the rocky outcrop, peeling into the scimitar shaped bay. There was a gaggle of local boys playing in the shallows on the inside, and fisherman snoozing in the shade of their boats after a night at sea, but not another single tourist for miles and miles. No resorts, no hotels, no foreigners. As I paddled out the boys became interested, and as I picked off wave after wave my backhand surfing momentously and significantly came of age, whilst the boys clapped and cheered my every ride. Some of the boys moved to stand on the rocky prominentary and whistled as sets approached. One team calling me in to waves, another team onshore applauding those rides. Team Surf. No, Team Ed. Surfing lefts had until this day been ungainly, like writing with my left hand, yet today it became almost fluid, almost dextrous, natural and joyful. Yet above and beyond even this rapture was the germination of a thought, a quiet voice from within. ‘Has anyone ever surfed here before?’ it whispered. Of course there’s every chance that a wandering surfer has snagged a few here, but this is the first time that I have ever gone completely off-piste. The Surfing Swami’s and their guide to surf in India didn’t mention this spot, the Stormrider Guide’s new India section doesn’t refer to it. None of the websites, forums, books or guides I consulted before surfing here name this place. The thought crept over my mind that there was a possibility, however slight, that I might just have made a discovery. My very own surf spot discovery.<br /><br />Hmmmmm…. Deep in thought between sets, knowing that my lookouts would warn me of approaching waves I set my mind to the task in hand. What will I call this break?<br /><br />Could I just call it “Ed’s Wave”? Probably not, there must be some convention to this break naming business. “Ed’s Left”? Still too egocentric for an awakened being like me. Perhaps “Templeton’s”? It gives it a certain respectability don’t you think? Does anybody know what the rules are for this kind of thing? Does it have to relate to the surrounding environment? I could call it Poop Point after the squatting, smoking fishermen amidst the rocky outcrops that I initially mistook for spectators, or is humour not allowed? Seriously, does anyone know about spot naming? In fact if anyone has any good ideas, message me on this blog and I’ll decide which is the best before I have the brass plaque engraved.<br /><br /><br />Team Ed soon got bored of my gaudy display, or had to go to school or watch a freshly painted wall or something but nevertheless I soldiered on alone. I surfed it all morning until the on-shores began for four days on the trot until the swell dropped and my shoulders ached. And in the afternoons I started writing again. And at night I slept a deep contented sleep.<br /><br />“Where is Ed’s Wave?” I hear you cry. That would be telling now wouldn’t it… but perhaps I’ll take you to it if you come to my surf and yoga retreat here next season….Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-42882295324366528392009-12-29T16:12:00.001+05:302009-12-29T16:16:10.209+05:30Surf India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd1ewnwPI/AAAAAAAAApk/zR6qtP74u3w/s1600-h/Varkala+%2813%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd1ewnwPI/AAAAAAAAApk/zR6qtP74u3w/s400/Varkala+%2813%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420607537376903410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd1OMHKKI/AAAAAAAAApc/6hjpQviUm10/s1600-h/Mulki,+Karnataka.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd1OMHKKI/AAAAAAAAApc/6hjpQviUm10/s400/Mulki,+Karnataka.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420607532928805026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd02-8LjI/AAAAAAAAApU/mgYWOoPhlgE/s1600-h/Varkala+%2810%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd02-8LjI/AAAAAAAAApU/mgYWOoPhlgE/s400/Varkala+%2810%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420607526699544114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd0etQh6I/AAAAAAAAApM/QRRMDn9Q8l8/s1600-h/Varkala+%2811%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd0etQh6I/AAAAAAAAApM/QRRMDn9Q8l8/s400/Varkala+%2811%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420607520182929314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd0DHJB0I/AAAAAAAAApE/UAL45v6Ok7A/s1600-h/Varkala+%2814%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznd0DHJB0I/AAAAAAAAApE/UAL45v6Ok7A/s400/Varkala+%2814%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420607512775296834" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-56167018438980168342009-12-29T16:07:00.001+05:302009-12-29T16:12:29.504+05:30Real India / Tourist India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_w0RwLI/AAAAAAAAAo8/p92E7pD4Khk/s1600-h/Varkala+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_w0RwLI/AAAAAAAAAo8/p92E7pD4Khk/s400/Varkala+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420606614511141042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_kqh75I/AAAAAAAAAo0/tQT2daHJuz0/s1600-h/Varkala+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_kqh75I/AAAAAAAAAo0/tQT2daHJuz0/s400/Varkala+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420606611249033106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_J8hTbI/AAAAAAAAAos/woeD0qKLGBg/s1600-h/Varkala+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc_J8hTbI/AAAAAAAAAos/woeD0qKLGBg/s400/Varkala+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420606604076731826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc-8hdRDI/AAAAAAAAAok/oxF59_DWSOE/s1600-h/Varkala+%287%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc-8hdRDI/AAAAAAAAAok/oxF59_DWSOE/s400/Varkala+%287%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420606600473560114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc-k-hkCI/AAAAAAAAAoc/fKBlgJfgmLc/s1600-h/Varkala+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/Sznc-k-hkCI/AAAAAAAAAoc/fKBlgJfgmLc/s400/Varkala+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420606594153025570" border="0" /></a><br />Life here in our jungle fringed pink house between Varkala town and Varkala beach drifts gently by and feels more like home as each day passes. Our location between real India (town) and tourist India (beach) affords us the best of both worlds. Last night we ate Butterfish Tikka and Tibetan Momos whilst I watched Arsenal play Villa in a clifftop restaurant yet the evening before we nipped into town on the scooter and ate delicious Masala Dosas and Vegetable Subji for 30p in a locals joint. The large three day Hindu festival being assembled in town promises to be a riot of noise, colour and spectacular ritual yet we’ve slipped easily into the evening ritual of meeting friends at the beach as the sun heads for the horizon for a swim as the scorching heat subsides and the reddening sun seeps into the sea, it’s pigment bleeding into the sky.<br /><br />Our two nearest neighbours maintain the homogeneous polarity. Below us live our landlords, the most wonderfully warm and welcoming local family. We share little common language yet through gestures, smiles, head waggles and regular gifts of coconuts, eggs and bananas we are made to feel welcome and completely at ease here. Behind us, across cobra and funnel-web infested scrubland and shouting distance from our terrace, is a household of assorted europeans who have been equally welcoming and accommodating helping us with the myriad idiosyncrasies of Indian living and extending invites to us whenever they ‘make party on the roof!’. With each friendship, Sadji at the local shop, Umesh and his son Abhi at the Juice Shack, Zoe and her twin boys Jem & Jelly, we feel less like holiday-makers and more like residents which was always our intention before setting off on this expedition. We would much rather get a taste of real-life in a handful of places across the globe than have ticked-off a hundred ‘sights’ before our return.<br /><br />Mornings begin early with a solitary surf session in the silky smooth Arabian sea. I’ve picked the smallest surf season (December/January) to be here, but there’s been waves every day ranging from waist to head high and looking south from Varkala cliff the mass of sand-banks and small coves creates break after break — almost reminiscent of the view south down the western Bukkit peninsular — producing small almond-eyed curls up to proper lip-pitching barrels depending on swell size and direction. These super-fast lefts are exposing my backhand weakness as I struggle to race ahead of the crashing lip. When a bank produces a rare right the dissonant capability of my left and right side becomes jarringly obvious as I have the speed, balance and technique to make a quick bottom turn and to snake, for speed, up and down the sinuous mirrored walls before pitching back off the brink as it finally breaks down in knee deep water. As our next destination is Indonesia, the land of lefts, the next few weeks practice in the forgiving sand-bottomed waves of India will I’m sure pay dividends as the sand becomes knife-edged coral and the power, size and speed of the waves intensifies.<br /><br />We breakfast on porridge laced with coconut shavings, bananas and doused in wild mountain honey from our friend Sadji washed down with a spicy aromatic herbal masala tea, and either begin work on one of our many plots and schemes in the offing or just laze on the terrace with a good book and contemplate lunch, or a swim or a pootle down-coast on the scooter. The heat of the day produces a languid tropical malaise by about 2pm yet my northern-european trained body-clock doesn’t usually allow me the orthodox afternoon doze but I tend to slow to crawl and wait for the relief of the receding sun and for the onshore breeze to dissipate before heading beach-ward once more.<br /><br />There’s interest amongst some locals in this surfing game, but none here can actually do it. I’ve promised to give lessons to a couple lifeguards and our friend Abhi before I go, but the scarcity of decent learner-boards is a problem as is my inexperience in teaching! I’ve begun practicing for my new-found role with Jake and Lisa, our friends from Brighton who, to our delight, leapt upon the offer of our spare room and a tropical festive sojourn, yet the bruises on Lisa’s head and thigh and my egocentric tendency to nip off to catch waves leaving my pupils floundering in the impact zone exposes my early shortcomings as a wannabe surf guru.Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-52110812054819154982009-12-12T18:25:00.003+05:302009-12-12T18:32:05.870+05:30Pics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOUMCe4VYI/AAAAAAAAAoU/EMhCWJ92HAc/s1600-h/Kerala+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOUMCe4VYI/AAAAAAAAAoU/EMhCWJ92HAc/s400/Kerala+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414334111575201154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULxqlcvI/AAAAAAAAAoM/TEyBAu2oU8U/s1600-h/Kerala+%283%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULxqlcvI/AAAAAAAAAoM/TEyBAu2oU8U/s400/Kerala+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414334107060892402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULjAB8MI/AAAAAAAAAoE/nrpoGfy_yik/s1600-h/Kerala+%284%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULjAB8MI/AAAAAAAAAoE/nrpoGfy_yik/s400/Kerala+%284%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414334103124308162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULSQoWNI/AAAAAAAAAn8/wTbNE_9i1RE/s1600-h/Kerala+%285%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULSQoWNI/AAAAAAAAAn8/wTbNE_9i1RE/s400/Kerala+%285%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414334098630531282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULDXHrDI/AAAAAAAAAn0/0N4EZHb8TzQ/s1600-h/Kerala+%288%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOULDXHrDI/AAAAAAAAAn0/0N4EZHb8TzQ/s400/Kerala+%288%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414334094631218226" border="0" /></a>Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837098428638412232.post-44213763378654444652009-12-12T18:20:00.001+05:302009-12-12T18:25:33.900+05:30Economics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSi2xsKVI/AAAAAAAAAns/5u6w5y8r3G0/s1600-h/Kerala+%289%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSi2xsKVI/AAAAAAAAAns/5u6w5y8r3G0/s400/Kerala+%289%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414332304546605394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSiphnvlI/AAAAAAAAAnk/7D-k6KBnbnM/s1600-h/Kerala+%2810%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSiphnvlI/AAAAAAAAAnk/7D-k6KBnbnM/s400/Kerala+%2810%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414332300989546066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSiJ-nE7I/AAAAAAAAAnc/oZWKRIhv0pk/s1600-h/Kerala+%2811%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOSiJ-nE7I/AAAAAAAAAnc/oZWKRIhv0pk/s400/Kerala+%2811%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414332292521202610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOShzz0KnI/AAAAAAAAAnU/hh_06rHX_Kk/s1600-h/Kerala+%2812%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOShzz0KnI/AAAAAAAAAnU/hh_06rHX_Kk/s400/Kerala+%2812%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414332286570343026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOShs3ttyI/AAAAAAAAAnM/07SuRG0ogwQ/s1600-h/Kerala+%2813%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZcqG9TU6PlU/SyOShs3ttyI/AAAAAAAAAnM/07SuRG0ogwQ/s400/Kerala+%2813%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414332284707649314" border="0" /></a><br />Like the other great economists before me, John Maynard Keynes and his theory of macroeconomics (1883–1946) or Jean-Baptiste Say (1767–1832) bastion of the free trade principal, I’ve developed the current era’s defining economic principal. History will show that my global wanderings during the early 21st century had some divine fiscal purpose that until now I didn’t fully comprehend. Basing myself in Brighton, the pioneering commerce centre of this New World Order was a fortuitous hand dealt to me by mother fate.<br /><br />Spending time straddling this dozing tiger, India, the world’s next supreme economy, this catnapping giant has turned a light on in my mind, first illuminating stray, presumed forgotten, facts and thoughts that I’ve gathered as I’ve wandered this magnificent globe and left deep in the recesses of my mind. Then with this lights guiding, tropical warmth these thoughts have coalesced and fused into, an admittedly unexpected, global economic theory that blessed with a revelationery zeal I know to be true.<br /><br />As the economic drivers of the great Capitalist era fade, dwindle then implode like a white dwarf star on it’s final yet glorious death knell, as the oil runs dry, as minerals are purged, steel becomes leaden, porky bellies slim, foodstuffs once again become localized, and the exotic lure of spices are tarnished many are placing their economic eggs in the digital basket. Bangalore and Trivandrum have established themselves as centres of the pixel economy hence most pundits back India as the future. Well, these so-called experts have their geography right but are speculating in the wrong sector my friends. My economic theory, already living and breathing in Brighton, a city fuelled almost entirely for a decade on this financial model which has established it as a centre of hope for humanity’s pecuniary fate has found it’s match in India, and in particular the future seats of power, Kovalam, Varkala and Baga .<br /><br />The phenomenon I’m about to expound, like an historical cycle, once again has it’s nucleii in coastal towns. Towns which will no doubt rise to usurp the cumbersome authority of the country in which they reside to become independent city states reminiscent of 15th century city Republics like Venice, yet this time around the power centres will be chosen not for the quality of their anchorage but for the magnetism of their beaches, thereby destroying our existing, already decaying models of government. Merchants will accumulate unimaginable wealth and the Republics of Brighton, Varkala, Phuket, Kovalam, Kuta, Byron Bay and Santa Cruz will be centres of a florid decadence that our epoch has yet to encounter. The nouveau riche vulgarians will raise grotesque Palazzos to host their bacchanalian orgies in honour of the source of their wealth and the globes new currency.<br /><br />The future is Nick-Nacks. The future is Now.<br /><br />Indian beaches and the towns at their peripheries are rife with Nick-Nacks, most of which have over the last decade migrated to Brighton to be sold in the greatest Nick-Nack bazaar the world has ever known. Yet as many of the world’s Nick-Nack suppliers economically develop, India being a case in point, their population will begin to travel and will, of course, demand Nick-Nacks as proof of their excursion. The suppliers will become the demanders, and therefore the hitherto demanders will naturally supply creating a thriving, burgeoning, proliferating cyclic trade. Nick-Nack barons will control the circumnavigation of Nick-Nackery and with it the will of the people. Nick-Nacks as the opiate of the people? You bet.<br /><br />Those with a knack for crafting a Nick into a Nack, or carving a Nack out of a Nick, those who can weave and fuse a Nack through a Nick will surely inherit the earth.<br /><br />Liquidate your assets and invest in all that is Nick-Nack-esque.<br /><br />The last weeks have been a blur, we’ve surfed small but beautiful Arabian waves at an Ashram in Karnataka — which I will expand upon in articles for a newspaper and a magazine — and spent several exhausting days scooting about Kerala in search of a house to rent and a base to settle in for a good while. We’ve moved in to a hip pink house with a large first floor terrace overlooking a tangle of palms, betelnut and banana trees and almost immediately upped-sticks and indulged ourselves with a languid, sedate houseboat ride through Kerala’s maze of backwaters and canals to celebrate Sofie’s birthday.Ed Templetonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509529075476553644noreply@blogger.com2