Anyway everyone was on board and settling in when all of a sudden the very grumpy big guy growled and announced how he could smell something really 'pungent and hot' in the first 5 rows of the coach!! Everyone in those fateful rows froze and I bet they were wondering if a pack of harmless Doritos/Walkers/Muffins is pungent enough to disturb the very grumpy big guy who we found out, to our dismay, will be our driver for the next 2-hour drive!!
After all the finger pointing and accusations the grumpy guy switched on his speaker phone to announce the safety requirements. The travellers in the first five rows were still reeling from the shock of the events that had unfolded when all of us were hit by yet another growling from him. This time it was a couple who was not paying attention to his announcements...he got up from his driver's seat and screamed at them...the accused played innocent and closed his eyes but our driver was not the man who would let such things go by so easily. Once again he pointed a finger and screamed!! I swear I could hear eyeryone's heart beating faster at that moment...when he had yelled to his content he got back to his seat and told us his name...MARTIN...and immediately apologised for his behaviour. What followed was a well-rehearsed speech of safety details and one more 'very sincere' apology. The tension was palpable in the coach when I heard someone saying 'Lagta hai beewi se jhagad ke aaya hai...nahin yaar! saale ki biwi hogi hi nahin' and all was well again :-) No Martin or hot food policy was significant enough to ruin everyone's plan!
A 2-hour drive later we reached Portsmouth where the 'much dreaded' light rain welcomed us. I thanked Martin and finally saw him smile and he actually looked cute. By the time we boarded the hovercraft and reached our destination, Isle of Wight, the 'light rain' had turned into a 'not-so-light' rain and everything was a shade of grey. I looked at S and he, mustering all his positivity, assured me that BBC says that next day has sunny intervals. That's the peculiar thing about weather forecast here, it can make or break your day...things are so much simpler back home...you just go out without even once thinking about weather!
Our walk upto the hotel was also no less than dramatic! Remember Miss Binoche and her daughter walking in the French village in 'Chocolat'...it was just like that with lots of rain, a very very wet map and an inside-out umbrella that flew from my hand more than once! The entire scene was so comical that I was laughing out loud but my cool-as-cucumber husband was not amused at all! Well, let's just say that the expletives were not as bad as the ones that come out when those 11 men play badly!
After a very wet walk, we reached our hotel and from then on everything turned out as planned (to our relief)! The weather was not bad at all, sure it was cold but its kind of pointless complaining about that in this part of the world!! The quaint little town had eateries and bars with names like Fat Harry's and Sailor Joe and the quitessential part of all sea-side towns, the pier. I always find it amusing how every bar and restaurant in the beach towns have notices such reading 'Shirts/Tops must be worn at all times in the bar' :-)
I love the postcard stands that piers usually have where you can place your head through the wooden cut outs and pose as mermaid or sailor. This town too had these but there were no mermaids or sailors here...there were outrageous forms of female anatomy that were hilarious!
Next day started with a sumptuous breakfast. The sun was out and more importantly (for all the Indian men) the clothes were off! Didn't I tell you weather can make or break your day here :-) In the town centre there was a local 'haat' selling everything possible under the sun! I was totally engrossed in shopping when an English man dressed in Victorian regalia announced 'Here Ye Here Ye'. Wait a minute! Is that a 'town crier'...do they still exist?? I found out that in this town they do :-) I couldn' ask for anything more!! It was time to bid farewell to this town and explore the rest of island.
We made the most of island's extensive bus network and roamed around whereever we felt like! Sometimes having 'no plan'is the best plan! The sights and sounds of this beautiful island were exhilirating...from pretty tea houses to much hyped'Needles Park' and from vast expanse of greens to sandy and pebbled beaches...there were picture post card visuals, stuff that memorable holidays are made of!
A good friend of mine had told me once that places that are near water can connect with you in a special way! Sitting at the beach and looking at the waves I understood what she meant...the background noises, people posing, kids playing everything becomes a hardly noticable blur when you are staring at those magnificent play of blue and white! Well, I guess all I can say to that beautiful isalnd is
I've still got sand in my shoes
And I can't shake the thought of you!!
Here is hoping for more such holidays and wishing to meet more interesting characters like Martin :-)
