Nothing planned for my last day in India.
Two of the French guests have left at 6am for their flight home.
The lady of the other couple comes down at breakfast-time and announces that her partner is ill with severe chest pains. She is understandably very worried. I think of Basil Fawlty and his dead guest, but decide not to mention it.
Stanley orders a car to take them to a hospital that he promises has good doctors and won’t insist that the sick man is kept in for three weeks of intensive tests only to discover that he has indigestion.
I offer to go with them, their English is not bad, but they struggle to understand Indian accented English, and maybe I can help with the communication. Michel comes down and is obviously in great pain.
The hospital is an interesting experience. The nurses and doctors are efficient and professional, but the hospital is packed and obviously over-extended, and is not well cleaned. We are very grateful to the ‘minder’ who has been assigned to us. He takes us to the appropriate departments for the various tests, shows them where to make the necessary payments, then leaves us in a very clean and comfortable waiting room, where I watch Australia lose for the third time out of three tests against India.
An ecg, blood test, scan and 10 hours after leaving Jasmin’s, Michel is told by the very professional Dr Sunil that there is nothing serious wrong with him, he has acid indigestion and can go. He is given a prescription and we are all much relieved. My French friends think my presence has helped and are very grateful.
Two interesting foot-notes: 1. there are 1,000 blood tests being taken in this hospital today 2. the young trainee nurse in Casualty says she especially asked to be assigned to us so that she could ask about nursing opportunities in France and England. After gaining experience qualifying, she wants to work anywhere but India because the pay is so low. We wish her good luck and agree to send information to her. Good for England or France or Dubai or the US, but sad for India.
Back at Jasmin’s, there is just enough time for me to pack, send a blog, have dinner and get a photo of me with Stanley and the wonderful Jasmin. 
Then I’m off to the airport for my 11pm flight.
So this is the end of my South Indian escapade. Kerala is a beautiful and interesting State. The people are friendly and helpful. The food is superb, even if you have to keep asking for ‘no spicy please’ as I do.
Now I am flying to Chiang Mai, the small, cultural city in the North of Thailand. I have friends here, and plan to mostly relax, including reading a few books in the sun by the very nice Wangburapa Hotel pool, and playing some squash at the British Gymkana Golf Club!!
If anything interesting happens, I promise I’ll let you know.
BFN, take care you all, John
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