Mango Mania

In the UK we are so used to having the pick and choose of all fruits no matter what the season and I honestly thought that living somewhere tropical would mean an abundance of tropical fruit year round. Not so, whilst Pineapple, Papaya and Bananas are consistently available there are definite seasons for the likes of Strawberries Mangoes and Melons.

Right now we are entering Mango and Melon season, thank goodness because we were beginning to get bored with pineapple and if Ian sees another piece of Papaya I think it could be grounds for divorce (he doesn't like it very much!) The shops are full of Mangoes and the streets are full of Watermelons.


We have 2 large Mango Trees in our garden, so large it's hard to get a perspective! One is here in the background and has an abundance of green mangoes. The other has none...the Male tree apparently. We've made Mango chutney twice (the first lot was left out and went mouldy - oops!)


There are an amazing number of different varieties of Mango which came as a surprise, sweet, sour, large, small, green and yellow is my level of understanding so I won't try to kid you that I know what they all are because I haven't even begun to try and ask!


The Roads are currently lined with piles and piles of Watermelons for sale. On the left is a pile of Tender Coconuts for drinking.


Shopping at our favourite fruit and vegetable shop.

With all this beautiful fresh fruit available to us, what do you think Ellie & Luke are eating the most of...well for Ellie, as usual just strawberries and grapes (imported!)...Luke? Bananas ONLY! I GIVE UP!

My New Favourite Restaurant

Ian and I always enjoyed Indian food every now and again back home, the odd Balti here, Tikka Masala there...but I can honestly say that you just haven't tasted good Indian cooking until you come here, and more and more, if we go out, our first choice will be South Indian cuisine.

We're becoming more and more tolerant of the humble chilli and I'm even beginning to think that some things are bland without enough of it's little kick. For those of you who know me, you'll remember my love of black pepper (OK a lot of, yes, yes including on strawberries, but taste it and you'll see) on everything but here I hardly ever have it...my collection of pepper mills are practically redundant and I'm not sure why that should be the case at home, but anyway I digress.

On Saturday evening we visited a restaurant called Peshwari (a mixture of North & South Indian), it's located within one of the big hotels and our meal was truly fantastic. But the food was not its only good point...oh no! Those of you who know me will also remember my inability to eat without dropping a little something of whatever I'm having onto whatever I am wearing. Often. My children seem to have inherited this gene so we use alot of Vanish in our household.

Anyway, you're dying to know the reason why I am nominating Peshwari as my New Favourite Resataurant aren't you? Well, instead of a napkin they provide you with an apron to wear!! How cool is that? And do you know what...sods law I didn't spill a drop that night.