Just a quick post due to pricey internet, but since we are right next to the beach, can't really complain too much about 40 rupees/hour...
We left Mysore last night, and made it to Gokarna with relative ease. Saying goodbye to all of our Indian friends was tough, and more than a bit sad, but we had a fun last night dinner, cooked by Somu, on Tuesday evening - and Somu even got real crazy and gave Luke a surprise phone call back in the States! We ate a delicious spicey veg rice, a taboo-at-Dhvanyaloka chicken dish, and drank enough Kingfisher's to get the Indians all riled up (it really doesn't take much :-). Saying goodbye to Somu was probably the hardest, since he has been so kind to us, bringing us breakfast in bed (and not just when we were sick), and always coming to see us even though he was supposed to be working... plus he rocks the most killer Geraldo hair that you've ever seen! Our friend Kumar gave us a ride to the train station, which was completely unexpected, since we weren't in the dire straits that Luke was, and he cruised up in his Ambassador car a mere 10 minutes before we were to depart.
For transit we rode an overnight, sleeper-car train from Mysore to Hubli, and then from Hubli we took 2 buses, first to Ankola, and then a short second one to Gokarna. The biggest problem was that part of the road to Ankola was under heavy construction, so for a while we were at a standstill, completely surrounded by large trucks, but since we caught an amazing amount of sleep on the train, it was really no nevermind.
Gokarna itself has one beach, and then four more to the south. Currently we are on the second beach, Kudle, which was about a 2 km walk over a headland from the main beach. Tomorrow we plan on exploring the other three beaches, Om, Half-Moon, and Paradise, and if any (or all) live up to their names, we may migrate further south, with Om sounding the most tempting since it is actually shaped like the Om symbol...
More news when it happens, thanks to ever-increasing global internet access...