We had our breakfast at Namaste Cafe overlooking the beautiful Arabian. While I was busy going through the pictures that I had clicked earlier, Pavan Da was reading a travel guide - his favorite hobby off late. The Cafe has a small book shelf on the first floor lined with novels and travel guides, both in English and French. We also met the 'dude' who we had seen while having lunch on the previous day. The same fellow who was obsessed with the 'F word'. However, he seemed to be a changed man now. Without his friends and not under the influence of liquor, he was in fact sitting with a prayer bead in his hand. Wow!
Anyway, we checked out of our room at 10:30 am and headed off to the Half Moon Beach. This beach is located just next to the Om beach and is named so since the coast here is in the form of a semi-circle. This beach which is much secluded than the Om beach is gaining popularity amongst foreigners since very few tourists visit here. There are three ways to reach here from the Om Beach. One of the best options is trekking the hills that separate the two beaches. However, this is certainly not advisable during the monsoon when the hike becomes quite dangerous. Another option is hiring motor boats that operate throughout the year except during the rains. Travelling from one beach to another in a boat or taking the trail sandwiched between the Ghats and the Sea will be a wonderful experience. Since both of these choices were ruled out, we decided to take the rickshaw. There is no road directly connecting the two beaches; one needs to travel about 3 km by road and then trek through the forests to reach the Half Moon beach.
Though the forests are not dense, without road signs and people, finding directions was nearly impossible. The light showers only made the matters worse. We walked through the woods for about 45 minutes and reached a cliff overlooking the Arabian. We decided to call it quits and headed back. In case, you are planning to do this, watch out for red ants and other insects. Besides, you can also spot a large number of butterflies here. Though we could not see the beach, the picture on the net are breath taking and I hope we will go there the next time we are here.
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| The Sea and the Western Ghats |
The Rocks stand tall against the waves
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| Red Millipede |
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