"Bec, It's Bec!"

Back in my room, finishing up packing in my nightgown, I heard a knock at the door, which I ignored, and then another one, and then "Bec, it's Bec!" so I opened up to find Rebecca, whose travel agent had put her departure date on her itinerary as that night, but her ticket for the night before. There was no room on the departing flight for Sydney, so she returned. There's nothing worse than being stranded when you want to be somewhere else, but I was so happy to not have to spend the night alone.

I got off to the airport Sunday morning with little drama, after Rebecca braided (sorry, plaited) my hair for the last time, though I felt bad about leaving her alone. Thankfully, her travel agent will eat the cost of sending her back to Sydney via business class on the first flight available.

So it was off to Thiruvananthapuram on Indian Airlines, where they give you really decent snacks, and then I was met by Ganesh, my "room boy" at the crazy Lagoona Davina and I've been mellowing since.

First is the fact that I have a room boy (their term, not mine). Davina herself is a Brit who opened her Keralan hideaway after coming here and loving it--it's pretty easy to see why. We're on a lagoon, and the sea is visible and audible from just a bit beyond. There are fourteen rooms, all with a theme (mine is horse) and sari fabric covering everything from the windows to the container for Q-tips. It's the perfect blend of bohemia and pampering.

The food is, thus far, just what I've been craving: sugar-free ice cream, fish straight from the sea, yummy salads (washed in filtered water!) and ice (made with mineral water). Things could not be more different than the Hotel California.

Did I mention that Davina has a little boutique with her own designs?