This will be my last entry about my recent trip to India last December. After 3 days on the coffee estate in Chikmagalur we hire a taxi to drive us down to Mangalore, by the Arabian Coast for 2 days. The 6-hour ride takes us over the Western Ghats mountain chain through thick green forest spreading for hundreds of kilometres. A few times I feel like jumping out of the car and taking a long hike!
Mangalore is a busy city and has been a major stop on the international trade routes since the 6th century. The entire regions spices, coffee and cashew nuts are brought here and filled onto ships that will be sent out and sold in various countries. A change for us as well is that this is a strongly Muslim city with numerous mosques and women walking on the beach completely covered in black.
We are spending two days on a beach resort just south of the city. Just hearing the waves and perhaps even taking a swim will be a good change. For New Years we will go back to Bangalore and spend it with our friend Chandru before heading back home to Geneva.
