Goan Get-away!

---

Hello again readers! Hope you are all OK? We are about to bombard you with another blog entry, only a small one though as its just our mini break to Goa to tell you about today.

First things first Sar's been unlucky enough to pick up a cold over the last few days so isnt feeling her best, having a cold in the heat is a bit of an odd feeling apparently (and a bit draining!) Sure she will be right as rain soon though, thank god once more for our bulging medkit of goodies!

Well we started in Panaji as you all very well know which is the 'capital' of Goa. Its like a small slice of portugal/the med in India, and being christian/cathlic getting there on a sunday was pretty fruitless! The place was like a ghostown, still managed to locate Lorenzos restaurant and had a great fishy dinner! Coupled with Maradonna lookalike owners tales of his world travels!See picture of Sar with her hilariously massive paper thing pancake thing which she had for breakfast here.

We stayed at Park Lane Lodge which was just plain odd! It was great though very secure as we were essentially staying in a portugeese familys attic. More shared bathrooms but this time nice and clean, but you the shower was literally directly above the toilet, amusing. Not so amusing wa sthe strict (really) 10pm curfew for getting back to your rooms. With the nice restaurants we pushed it pretty close both nights! On our main day we had a better look around and warmed to Panaji a bit more as it was livlier. We then got a bus out to Old Goa to see the cathedrals and churches, all very interesting if slightly busy with tourists. That night we ate at Viva Panaji near the hotel which again was really really nice and had ourselves some more fishy goodness! (My prawns were OK and Sars sea bass was much nicer! Jealousy!)

We then headed south after having to choose between there and the north. We bused it out to Madgoan and then again on down to Palolem (we are hardened local bus masters now!) we intended to stay in Palolem but upon getting off the bus and seeing the irish kareoke bars and vest wearing tourists we decided to get out quick! We jumped into an auto rickshaw and headed down to Patnem the next beach along. Patnem was still a bit touristy for us after being in such quiet places recently, but had all the pros that come with tourists i.e. cheap and amazing restaurants and plenty of place to drink and stay without breaking the bank. We opted out of the beach hut thing and stayed with a lovely local family in their basically spare room (ensuite and spotless though so we were more than happy) If anyone reading this is looking for it its behind the place called 'HOME' which has similar rooms for 1500 rupees and ours was only 700. Spent the days (3 of them) swimming and sun bathing. In the evening we ate at the restaurants along the beach and also got properly drunk for the first time since new years (mainly on fancy cocktails like the best Pinacoladas you will ever drink for less than 1.50 a go!!) See embarrasing photos! Sorry to grandparents!!! Sar ended up giving in to one of the most amusing beach hawkers/sellers called monica who was only 15, after a long chat she got us a salt n pepper pot set for when we get home and a pair of nice ankle bracelets, for her and clare (clare - she will post it back in our india package!). Dean also developed a habit for alcoholic coffee milkshakes! Yum yum!

The food at Patnem needs further mention! The seafood you can get is amazing, sar had shark on the first night which was massive and far outshone my squid biryani (jealous again!) but on the second night we both had tandoori chicken mine tikka and sars malai, they were both delicious and it was here on our last night we had a whole silver mullet and a pair of jumbo tiger prawns. They were both grilled infront of us on an open bbq. It was amazing and when you consider it was about 7 quid for the whole meal it tastes even better. We managed to avoid the lobster but if we ever go back I know what we will be eating!

Eventually though we needed to get out of the Patnem bubble and headed further south to the edge of Goa to a beach called Galjibaga (spelling?!). We didnt have any accomodation booked (or really know of any there) and so we just arrived and wandered down the beach. We found a highly amusing place called Suryas cafe which had a 'hut' out the back for just over a pound a night. Took basic to new levels as it was essentially just a few palm leaves on a wooden frame with a blanket on a piece of wood for a bed (thank god we brought a mozzie net with us!). The toilet was also interesting at night, no light and gigantic ants and cockroaches! The shower was a hose taped to a tree, in the middle of the 'restaurant area'. Only stopped a night though so the sea was our shower! Spent our time mostly chilling out in the hammocks strung between the trees drinking kingfisher (see pics). In the evening we met an amusing 50/60 year old couple who stayed in the other hut there for a night too. Their names were Russell (haha!) and Leslie and they were true travely types. We had dinner with them and sat up exchanging india tips (they were envious of our trip and we were envious of the places theyd been, in the 60's & 70's maaaaan!!!)

The next day we decided to try and get down to Polem (the last beach in Goa) so we checked out early and Surya arranged (for an extortionate fee of course - 50p!) for his old dad to take us across the river in his little fishing boat/canoe thing as there are 'loads' of buses to polem from the other side!

Anyway 2 hrs later in the heat of the day with no buses (3 passed but wouldnt stop) we began to contemplate hitching but decided against it (dont worry clare!) and wandered down the road into a little village where we eventually got an extremelly packed local bus bound for Polem, wasnt very easy with back packs as they dont stop for long!!

Polem turned out to be three buildings on the side of the road with a small collection of drunk locals, the beach was pretty enough but there was essentially nowhere to stay. Backpackers reading this who want to go there you can either stay in Laxmans cafes backroom which is preety dank or an old portuguese/indian lady in the houses behind might let out a cleaner room in her house. To behonest though we were in need of showers and some space so we decided to move on out after a cold lemonade and try and make it down to Gokarna.

After another gruelling bus journey then a stop and then another one loud enough to give you tinitis we arrived into Gokarna which we will tell you all about in our next installment. Will just say thanks though to Russell and his wife for reccomending Hotel Shri Sai Ram by the bustation. 5 quid for a nice big room in a very clean hotel, with a shower warm water and oh a shower!!!!! How we needed it!

In ase susan reads this straight away I will be calling home later today as I havent for ages!

Missing you all lots, lots of love
Dean & Sar
x

---