The 10.55am train from Puri to Balasore that we’d initially been told was sold out (but we eventually managed to buy some tickets) was in fact virtually empty. So we headed back up the tracks on a train that was only running 30mins late by the time we reached Balasore. We quickly negotiated the acceptable price of Rs200 for the 15km ride to the coastal town of Chandipur. There’s not a huge amount there and it’s a scruffy as everywhere else in India but to be honest we’ve seen worst beaches. By the time we’d found somewhere to stay and asked about tours to Bhiterkanika it was already dark.
Our room in Asha Nivas wasn’t anything special but it would do for a couple of nights. However, we knocked the day trip to find crocodiles on the head due to yet another extortionate price-tag; this time Rs10 000. Throughout this trip we’ve been totally dismayed to discover just how expensive India is now. Obviously everyone expects prices to rise, especially in a country with a newly strengthened economy, but for things to escalate to this extent is unbelievable. Once again we felt thwarted and frustrated.
Just to cheer us up Chandipur proved to be a very tricky place in which to find anything to eat. The only suitable option we could find was Swagat Restaurant in Hotel Shubham which was decorated with cheap 70’s foil Christmas decorations. The food was okay but the portions were small especially considering the prices on our bill where all higher than those quoted on the menu. We were beginning to feel thoroughly fed up of everyone trying to rip us off and/or squeeze every last rupee out of us. The following day we found the newly build hotel, Arpita Beach Resort, where the food was excellent, plentiful and most amazing of all - cheaper.
With Chandipur being a sleepy place we’d had an early bath so in turn found ourselves up at sunrise. With having declined the day trip we had a spare day and felt at a bit of a loose end so went to explore the coast. I’m sure at one time this would have been a beautiful stretch of golden sand but seawalls have been built following destructive cyclones. Once again it’s a case of man removing the natural mangrove forests that would have given protection during adverse weather. We’d read that the sea recedes between 4 and 5 kms but in fact we never saw it retreat any more than 500m. We walked down to the edge of the water and enjoyed splodging along in the warm shallows. It’s more estuarine mud flats than beach but it made for a pleasant coastal stroll.
We cut back through what looked like a closed hotel and onto the road only to find ourselves in an armed forces area. It was all very relaxed and we passed through the perimeter fence without anyone getting excited about our presence. By the time we’d walked back down the lane to our guesthouse the tide was in and the midday heat was building so we retreated to our breezy balcony. We reflected on how this revised, non-mountain section of the trip wasn’t quite working out as hoped and could only hope the next port of call would be more successful.
