Palasa – Gopalpur – 93 km
Approaching the border between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the
route deteriorated. Trucks were lined up for kilometres on end—add
roadworks, and the area became a congested dust bowl. Once across
the border, a smaller path veered off to the seaside village of
Gopalpur, a small, pleasant place with heaps of budget
accommodation, a small beachfront promenade, and stacks of food
carts.
By then, we’d become fussy and wanted reasonably priced ground-
floor accommodation, preferably around a courtyard. As Ernest had
been in Gopalpur a few months previously, he knew where to find Mr
Singh’s Tourist Holiday Inn, which had a few rooms arranged around
a courtyard. At 140 rupees, the inn was considered such a bargain
that we stayed for three days.
While working on his bike, Ernest discovered his bicycle’s rear axle
was broken. Soon, he was on the phone with my sister, Amanda, and
begged her to send more spares.