Bondla

04/03 Trip to Bondla Wildlife Reserve with Mum and Dad. As it’s a couple of hours away and girls getting so big we didn’t fancy the girls on our laps in Ryan’s taxi. So we got Ryan’s friend Amit. Really nice guy but boy did he drive fast. It was great having the kids in the back rather than sweating on our laps. Elodie within minutes felt sick (no wonder with Amit’s driving). Poor girl, she did look rough. By the time we found a chemist for sickness tablets we figured we were only 15 mins away so made her sit it out, she did so well bless her. We arrived 1130am, fweee feeling hot, hot, hot. It felt wonderful to be away from the hustle and bustle. We were literally in the middle of the jungle, at least 4km to the nearest shop. While Pete and Dad signed us in (which for some reason, took forever). Me, Mum and the girls went to check out the accommodation. There was a VIP suite with an upstairs,

looked pretty good. Then there was a row of lovely looking cottages perched on stilts with super views looking out through the trees down the hill. “I like the blue one”, Chloe exclaimed, “I like the green”, said Elodie. I didn’t know which I liked best. We carried on walking and right at the end there was another one which looked like it was in desperate need of work. The wood was rotting and the paint was either really faded or peeling off. The mosquito screens on the windows looked ancient with big holes in them, derelict is the word that sprung to mind. “I’ve got a feeling that’s ours” Mum said. I said a silent prayer that it wasn’t but sure enough, it was. Gutted. We were further disappointed to discover that our one had an Indian toilet. Huge east facing windows (i.s. facing the sunrise) with no curtains. The sheets, I think (ignorance is bliss) were

clean but SO stained looked far from inviting. We desperately tried to change to another cottage but the staff weren’t obliging (even though there was no one else staying). For the girls we put on a show exclaiming, ‘what an adventure we were having and how FAB the ‘hotel’ was’. In all fairness we had a great view and it was very chilled so we were happy to make do (i.e. the was no other choice!). We said goodbye to Amit reluctantly- our only transport back to civilisation and agreed he would pick us up Sunday afternoon – yikes. The location is

stunning. It is a wonderful feeling being amongst nature, trees, plants, flowers, in every direction with zero people or traffic. Beautiful.

Feeling ravenous our thoughts turned to food. Mum and Dad had assured us there was a lone restaurant nearby and amazingly there was. We all traipsed up there, with that great outdoors feeling, the birds singing, the girls running and playing in glee – building up a keen appetite – our accommodation disappointment forgotten. Upon approach, something seemed amiss, it looked like the stairway up was only just being built. To say our dismay, when we discovered the only restaurant for miles around was being refurbished, was great is an understatement. Ramdash the chef cum waiter

cum everything, looked very concerned that we were expecting lunch. ‘Thali or omelette’, he asked gruffly, without a smile. Oh Gawd, there we were in the middle of a building site, crashing and banging all around us, with a rather limited choice of Thali or Omelette, we realised after that that was what the workmen and lakis lunch. ‘I don’t like this restaurant’, Chloe said, ‘we all shared her sentiments’ but again for the children’s sake we put on a big act of how much fun we were having and how exciting it was to eat basic food in the middle of a building site. The food was surprisingly good so everyone left with full bellies and therefor a feeling of contentment.

We walked back to the cottage. Mum took girls for a walk where they saw 3 different types of wild deer, monkeys, giant squirrel and a dead fruit bat (it had obviously been electrocuted on the electric wire, very sad to see but gave us a great view). Meanwhile Pete and Dad went for siesta and I read my book. Sheer bliss. Nothing to be heard but birds – oh and the distant sound of hammering and chainsaw and God knows what from

the restaurant. We went to feed the resident elephant, Krishna, in part time captivity. At 5pm every day they let him go to be free. At 9am the next day they go looking for him, they keep a big chain on one of his feet (which they assured us the elephants don’t feel), the mark the trailing chain makes allows them to track him, clever. They say he is always happy to come back because he loves sugar cane. They are trying to source a companion for Krishna as his female companion of many years, Radha, died aged 71 in 2012 and he is lonely – ahhhh!! Magnificent creature, being that close is truly amazing, the skin is like nothing we’ve felt before. The girls were very brave feeding and touching him. Before we knew it it was dinner time. We had drinks on our veranda. Chinks not from afar! Then headed to the building site for a culinary experience extrordinaire – actually, it was really good. The Dal was a bit weak but the veg and cheese pakoras were delicious. We rang Woz as it was his 50th birthday (can’t believe my brother is 50!!!) and raised our glasses to him. We wished we could have been with him (until we learned they had snow and it was freezing cold haha!). The next minute there was a power cut.

Wait 5 minutes Ramdash said. We waited 5, half an hour, and hour……then we started to panic. We had torches but without fans the heat is unbearable, how on earth would we get the girls to sleep? Me, M &D went in search of info and met Chandra (means the moon) and another guy with an emergency light and two small candles. They said the whole district (Ponda) was out and that we should be prepared for a whole night of no electricity. Nooooooooooooo. What to do? “I’m having another Honey Bee”, Mum said, I hear you Mum! So we all had another drink and another one (There was only one flaw in this plan, we were out of mixers, all the workmen and staff had long gone so Pete had to climb through a window of the restaurant to get some – comedy). There was no point trying to put the girls to bed, the heat in the rooms was unbearable without a fan. Despite the circumstances we had a top night and a real laugh. Then at 1130pm the power miraculously came back on. Praise the Lord! We could finally go to bed.

05/03 As is often the case with children the late night had no effect on their waking patterns and they woke predictably at the crack of dawn (well, Chloe woke everyone up – grrrrrr she’s SO annoying). I was seriously cursing the lack of curtains as the bright, morning sun shone through, however, my frustration soon turned to wonder as I stepped outside and beheld the day dawning at Bondla, something I’ve never done before but was as magical as it was new. As we were all up, thanks Clo, we went for an early morning walk downhill to the lake and watchtower. We saw and heard some wonderful birds and felt blessed having Mum and Dad with us to identify them, how I wish I could remember them all. At the edge of the lake is a large sign saying, ‘Beware of crocodiles’, Pete thought it a con until we walked a bit further only to spot a croc a few feet ahead of us at the waters edge. The girls were suitably impressed, Pete and Dad were terrified lol. Pete and I went for breakfast – scrummy cheese, masala omelette. The girls wanted to have banana butties with Nanny and Gaga back at the cottage After breakfast we walked a couple of kilometres to the zoo. On the way we watched Krishna the elephant being bathed. The handlers acted with care and love, I noted that Krishna was not chained at all – he seemed to be loving it. The zoo was surprisingly good by Indian standards, apparently the conditions have improved vastly over the last few years, I shudder to think what they used to be like. The girls LOVED the zoo and asked if we could go again tomorrow.

When we arrived back at the cottage Chandra and the other guy was there waiting for us. They wanted us to move cottages, Dad was very reluctant (I believe his exact words were, ‘under no circumstances are we moving’). Pete and I were quite keen to move (my thighs just not strong enough for the Indian toilet) and the sun in the morning was not great BUT we were settled and the thought of packing up again in the heat and unpacking when were only staying one more night was not a welcome one. In the end we agreed. The round cottages R1 and R2 are much better. Both had Western toilets and curtains and mosquito screens – which were in tact. We were very happy. We all had a much needed siesta. Drinks on the verandah then off to the building site, I mean restaurant, dinner was again, surprisingly a success. Ramdash warmed to us and we had a real giggle. He got Pete to try some fenni type drink. Pete chucked the rest of it when he wasn’t looking. Early night for Shells, Mum and Dad. Pete stayed up with girls.

06/03 Early morning walk to the lake again. Saw wild deer and the crocodile again. I saw great birds (including my favourite Asian Blue Fairy Bird). Had brunch at the restaurant and all too soon it was time to go home. Elodie and Chloe didn’t want to leave and begged to stay one more night. I was surprised by that as there wasn’t much there for kids. There were no other

children for a start and the walks seemed long and hot. They hadn’t slept or eaten much really, had no treats and no toys but they had totally embraced the experience and enjoyed it so much they didn’t want to leave. Alas we had to leave and before we knew it we were in the taxi on our way home. Bye Bye Bondla – or should I say Au Revoir as we promised the girls we’d go back one day.

It was SO nice to get back to civilisation and our lovely apartment but I think we all felt a bit deflated that our adventure was over. I was soon cheered up, Pete gave me a lovely surprise: beautiful orange lillies, wine and chocolate – it was Mothers Day yesterday and none of us had realised!

07/03 School holiday for Shivratri. Another day by pool. Sonali came with her daughter Pooja who is going to start babysitting for us. Girls adored her as she did their hair and showed them cute videos on her phone. Sonali was a sweetie as always. Pete cooked dal for the second time, was great (especially as it didn't have a whole teaspoon of white pepper). Booked Vietnam accommodation, feels like our back packing trip is really coming together!!