On the road again

I managed to head off right on schedule. Picked up at 10 to go for breakfast then when I got back the car was waiting. We loaded up the car and also Raja's auto, he delivered the mat I had borrowed back to school and my two bags of 'stuff' to Ida for me. Ida is going to store them for me till I next visit. Things like extension leads, a table lamp, plates and cutlery and my bedding. It means I have these things waiting for me each year, and don't have to either buy new or bring them with me - little touches of familarity and comfort to help me settle in. I'm quite frugal, I've had the lamp and the extension cables over 10 years and the bedding almost as long.
I love driving in South India you see such wonderful things on the road. The collage has a hired truck carrying a couple of cows, you can tell it is hired as the number plate is yellow; a man on a scooter with grass for his animals; a van full of jackfruit, plus passenger and a man with 6 calor gas cylinders on his motor bike.... 6....! I hope he doesn't bump into anything or there could be an almighty explosion, not to mention the sheer weight of the cylinders falling on him - even if they are empty they will be heavy. Everybody cooks on gas here or on a wood fire and as there is no mains gas then bottled gas is the way things are fueled.
The extra is the most beautifully made coffin I have ever seen here, but being transported in the most extraordinarily, ingenious way. I do hope it is empty. These Ambassador cars used to be the main vehicle when we first came to India, fast are white, but they are less common nowadays. They are still very comfortable though and some even have a bench front seat, which nobody under the age of 55 or so will be able to remember I guess.
Nice to be back at Kovalam, I arrived right on schedule, 2.15. I was in the pool within 10 minutes of checking in. It was such a joy to wash off the dust both of the journey and of being inland for 3 weeks.
I had four enormous tiger prawns for dinner grilled in the tandoori. Just plain with lemon juice, and caught this morning, delicious.