To The Coast

Leaving Paint It Black behind yet again for more repairs, we were heading for the coastal highway and Ongole. Friendly locals couldn't understand why, and via PIB suggested we actually head further north to Chirala which supposedly had a nice beach resort.

It turns out not quite like that, more stinking of fish. Abondoning the sea we went inland to the main town to find accommodation. We didn't get far before we realised we had a problem steering. Turning the handlebars wasn't having much of an effect. On closer inspection we found a flat front tyre. We were immediately swamped by 8 year old kids speaking amazing English but oblivious to our plight. They were more interested in talking about cricket. While we were still stood discussing how best to jack the front of the rickshaw up (without a jack) a bloke apeared wrench in hand and started unbolting the front wheel. He then promptly lifted the Rickshaw up and jesticulated for us to swap the wheel, which we hurridly did.

And that was that...our first mechanical, and although I'm sure we could have fixed it ourselves we weren't allow to so I guess as far as the sweepstake goes it counts. So Lisa Bolton congratulations you guessed correctly. Email us at chapatiraiders@googlemail.com with your request for duty free otherwise we shall pick something at random.

That evening on searching for food we were ushered up to a "roof top garden restaurant". I don't know whether there is such thing as trade descriptions act in India but they definitely fell foul of the English version. We would actually decribe it more along these lines "NCP roof top Restaurant....with cricket, but only serving biryani". Still had our first beer in India.

Current location: Sai Krishna Residency, Chirala 15N 49'49.5" 80E 21'18.3" -20m???? GPS on the blink????