Blogs from Colva, Goa, India, Asia - page 5

Got up this morning, had breakfast, and walked with Krishan to the angarwadi. We were met with shouts and smiles from the children, and the teacher pulled Krishan to one side while I got settled. When they'd finished talking, Krishan explained what had been said. She had apologised for her absence yesterday, but I wasn't told the reason. And then she'd said that the Day Care Centre weren't supposed to employ any male staff, so our presence may be a problem. She'd have to speak to the Head of the Local Education Board, but I might have to move projects. Krishan told me that IDEX had, of course, pre-approved the presence of volunteers at the schools and angarwadis, and had been told of no conditions of no male volunteers in certain placements, so everything should be ... read more

Got up at 9 for breakfast, slightly dehydrated and very tired after last night's drinking session. I decided to duck out of the coach tour of Old Goa, which the group had arranged itself - the idea of spending most of the day on a coach while being driven between temples wasn't exactly appealing in my condition! I took a walk round the local shops, relaxed and read my book for a while (the Howard Marks Book Of Dope Stories - a great read!), had lunch then had a bit of a Siesta. When I got up, the girls who'd stayed (funnily enough the ones I'd been at the club with) had pushed a note under my door inviting me to join them on the beach. Unfortunately, by the time I got it they'd come back ... read more

We all got up at 9 this morning for breakfast, and were then shown round some of the different volunteer projects that are available to us. In the morning we toured two Day Care Centres, and two Primary Schools. These were nowhere near as bad as Kusum had us expecting - they all consisted of one or two rooms, but the primary schools all had desks and the class sizes seem no larger than those back home. The kids look a little thin, but aren't the malnourished disease riddled wretches we'd been led to expect! All the kids looked amazed at us when we arrived at the day care centre, some shouting "Namaste! or "Hello!", and they all look so cute in their little red and white chequered uniforms! The kids in the schools all came ... read more

As usual, where I am being of no consequence, I am up at 5:00am and so it is just as well that I get into my day, riding the night train from Margoa, Goa to Cochin, Kerela, 2nd class, double, double decker. We had a turn of good fortune last evening, when the young men who were to be our compartment partners, convinced the conductor to relocate them and leave us alone to our own devices. This accommodation, then, after a fashion, became the highly desired coupe treatment, quarters for two, which does not come easy or often; and then. only on 1st class. We must have a look about us. Any way, yesterday was our first time hiring a taxi for the day, which was left to me while Penelope checked us out of the ... read more

Hi Everyone! I am now at the southern-most part of my trip, in Goa. Colva Beach is in South Goa and it is a small town of less than 10, 000. I arrived very early yesterday morning, about 5 am into the slightly larger town of Margao, and took a rickshaw here. I waited around near the beach for a bit more light before trying to find a place to stay. I tried two before finding room at Graciano Cottages. They aren't, as the name implies, cottages, but reasonable rooms with bathrooms. I got a non-ac room on the second floor corner for 618 rupees ( $16) and promptly had a nap. The bus trip from Pune was better than my last trip, but I was at the back of the bus and it seemed like ... read more