you haven't been to India until.....

They say that you haven't been to South America until you've been robbed or mugged. They also say that you haven't been to India until you've had a severe attack of the runs, dehydration and vomiting.

Well, feels like I've been to India and back at least a dozen times in the past 24 hours. Ironically, after 2 months of eating and drinking everything from the streets without any problems, I got food poisoning from THE fanciest and poshest restaurant in Pondicherry!! It would've been OK if I got sick from the food on the streets...at least it would have only cost me 5 rupees (15 cents)!!

In the height of my paranoia I thought I was coming down with meningococcal disease so we asked the hotel to call the doctor. He was the cutest man ever. He came bumbling in, all grey haired and rotund with a huge white streak of ash painted across his forehead. He'd just been to the temple to offer puja to his sri baba. "Do you know him? Here is Sri Baba", he says showing us a picture on his round silver key ring. Really surprising. I didn't expect a picture of a bloke who looked like a throwback from the 70s with an enormous round afro. Anyway, he was fab and confirmed that all I had was food poisoning and that I didn't have a serious, life-threatening disease.

So, now I really don't feel like eating anything or drinking any wine. A whole week in Pondi and I can't indulge. Bugger!