Ongole – Vodarevu Beach - 71 km
At first, I thought turning off to Vodarevu Beach was a mistake, as
our digs were stuffy and had a strong fishy smell. But, by evening,
the beach became a hive of fishing boats returning from their day at
sea. The catch was sold in an auction-style frenzy of chaos. While this
was taking place, the next set of flimsy boats took to the open seas
for yet another night of fishing.
Vodarevu Beach – Challapalle - 96 km
We got underway at around 10 o’clock. The day was enjoyable along
village lanes, past tiny settlements, cornfields, and the ever-present
rice paddies. By then, being interviewed by newspaper reporters had
become a daily occurrence.
Once across the Krishna River Delta, the small town of Challapalle
became home for the night. Our abode was a traditional guesthouse.
More basic accommodation would be difficult to find, but at 100
rupees, one couldn’t complain.
Indian men constantly chewed paan (a replacement for cigarettes),
making their teeth red and giving them a Dracula-like appearance.
Hence, the habit was to spit long jets of red paan juice just about
anywhere. Evidence of this could be found in nearly all budget rooms,
and traces of paan spit covered bedroom walls.