Saturday 3rd December Guhagar – Jog Residency Hotel (Jaiput) 26.07miles.

​I left early and left Darren to recuperate from the consequences of the fish curry last night (I had a veggie meal).  We agreed to meet at Valneshwar beach if he felt well enough to move on later.   Climbing the hill from Guhagar I get a wonderful view back over the Konkan coastline.  I keep seeing a small bird with a white belly, red flash under a punk hairdo and its tail – cute!
 
The sounds are getting more jungly by the day: ratatatting, teeth grinding, squawks, hoops and cheeps abound!  Another bird flew past – Thrush size, stripy wings and a long sharp beak – dramatic. 
 
On the top of the hill – where it plateauxed – a ‘township’ was being built – with a very new tarmac road to accompany it.  Then, just when the downhill started, the tarmac disappeared completely, to leave a dirt track.  I was reassured when I saw a tuctuc labouring up the opposite direction that it remained passable.  Down to the beach and up the other side.  I had breakfast at the place where the road to Valneshwar branches off from the main road.  A gentleman offered to buy my breakfast for me, but I declined (politely I hope).  ON the way up yet another hill,  I spot another of the large crow like birds, russet coloured wings with black bodies, long fan tails, and a hooked beak (for tearing meat?). 
 
Valneshwar was a detour of about 4km.  The Hindu temple was interesting, the beach so so, and I sat and read my book in an ever shrinking patch of shade for most of the afternoon.  I’d bought some fruit that morning – 3 mandarins – and they’d disappeared.  I tied them, in their plastic bag, to the back of Rowenna.  Now the bicycle lay on the floor and the fruit had gone.  I suspected cows – they’ll eat anything!  But it could have been the gang of children I’d seen earlier. 
 
Around 4pm, I suspected Darren wasn’t going to come and it gets dark around 6.30pm so I decided to move on.   Although it was still light when I reached the ferry at Tayvalu I had to wait until half past 6.  This meant it was dark when we crossed the river.  I immediately started looking for a room and was directed to the top of the hill.  There was a half finished monster of a hotel, built to house the workers from the Power Station one could see from the ferry glowing in the distance.  The place was filled with helmeted, hi-viz jacketed guys in steel toe capped boots.    Just time to eat and then fall asleep on the hard mattress.  I’d lost my helmet today.
 
Weird dreams.  Steve thinks they’re guilty conscience resuting from abandoning him.