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Published: April 11th 2011
The bus to palolem
before it was rammed full. We arrived at Mumbai CST about 2 hours before our train was due to depart – well we didn’t want to miss it now did we! Actually it was lucky we did as we had to find out which platform our train would arrive and where abouts on the platform to stand to board our coach. After seeking help from a very kind Indian man who was getting on the same train we managed to find the right place!
Our beds were right at the end of the coach, so we were in for a bumpy ride! Once we had boarded the train we realised that our e-ticket had no ETA on, and they do not announce the stations on Indian trains as that would make things far too easy for their customers! Debbie seemed to remember the train was about 12 hours so we set an alarm for 7.30am – expecting to get to Margao around 10am. We both had upper berths on the train, which Angelo hated as he was scared of falling off (nerd) and blankets, sheets and pillows were distributed so that we could get some sleep. We did not get much sleep. A combination
of a bumpy train, worrying about missing the stop and a lady getting on half way through the journey with her smelly curry meant we were knackered by the time the alarm went off at 7.30am. The train started to slow down and Debbie decide to go and investigate. Two travellers were standing by the door who informed us that the train was due to get into Margao at 7.10am. Oopsie – definitely not a 12 hour train Debbie, more like 9 ½.. Luckily the train was running late and they too were getting off at Margao. 10 minutes later we were stepping off the train onto a busy platform not really knowing what to do next!
A Canadian Girl called Holly had introduced herself to us on the train and said we could go with her and her boyfriend to a really cheap hostel they had booked into, but we couldn’t see them when we got off the train and also wanted to try and buy some tickets to Jaipur for next week. We walked up and down the platform until we found the reservation office – upstairs. We had no idea what we were doing, but
an Indian/British guy helped us get a form to fill out and where to go. Basically you have to go to the enquiries counter, enquire about the train you want and write the details on your form. Then go to the ticket counter (special one for Tourists) and buy your ticket. There were no trains to Jaipur for next week so we ended up buying one to Delhi for 12th April. About 30 hour train ride, woopeee!
Next Angelo had a bad experience with the toilet at the station, which he doesn’t like to talk about, then it was time to get out of there. We decided to head to Palolem. Mainly because this is the beach that Matt Damon runs across at the start of the film, ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, but also because it is supposed to be quieter than most of the other major beaches in Goa. Ang being a Bourne geek loved showing me the clip and then looking over the beach to see the same landscape. Geek. We decided to be brave and take the bus with the locals rather than a taxi as this would save us a fair bit!
The bus
took around 2 hours in total and dropped us in Palolem where a bunch of guys were waiting to pounce on all the tourists offering Beach huts to stay in. we had 2 of them fighting for us to follow them! We followed one guy who showed us his last available hut. It’s bright yellow but at RS500 (just under £7) per night and being right on the beach we couldn’t complain! Outside the huts a couple of dogs, a family of pigs and a few chickens wonder about all day, the pigs are particularly cute! D’Costa Cottages is the name of small hut resort, and they also have a restaurant on the beach front where we came across the desert called ‘Hello to the Queen’ on the menu. Debbie had to have one.
The next few days were spent doing not a lot really! Wondering up and down the beach, swimming in the sea and relaxing in the sun. On Friday we went to Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary. Entry is Rs5 per person plus Rs25 for taking in a camera, so we were thinking it would make a nice cheap trip out for the morning. How wrong we
were. We ended up shelling out Rs 1000 on top of this for a taxi, as the place was huge, and deserted, leaving us little choice but to get the same taxi home. On top of getting ripped off the only wildlife we saw was a load of butterflies, 2 monkeys and a few geckos. Our taxi driver Raj walked us up to the Tree top viewing tower. Debbie climbed up but Angelo decided it was too high for him and stayed at the bottom with Raj. There wasn’t anything to be seen up there anyway! The sanctuary does have some rescued snakes, birds and deer so we had a look at those before leaving. There were a bunch of school kids on a trip looking round the rescued animal enclosures, and they found Debbie hilarious, giggling and getting embarrassed when we said hi. Indians are fascinated by Debbie’s skin. It’s just so bloody white and luminous!
Saturday morning we went on a dolphin watching trip. We saw loads of dolphins swimming around and 3 or 4 jump right up out of the water which was pretty cool. Angelo has played cricket on the beach the last few
days with the D’Costa boys which he has been loving!
Sunday evening we went on a boat ride on the backwaters. We saw a few birds and some funny shaped rocks, and one monkey right at the top of a tree. Not a great deal to see but it was a calm and relaxing place to spend an hour or so… and cheap at only Rs 100 per person. After the boat ride we had dinner on the beach at D’Costa. We kept seeing bright flashes in the sky and then realised it was lightning, we’re just not used to seeing it without the thunder! 10 seconds after stepping off the beach back into the bar it started to pour down with rain. Debbie ran back to the hut to get our hanging washing back inside and as she was on her way back to the bar the power cut out and everything went black. She managed to find her way back once they started lighting candles though! We sat in the bar watching the beach being lit up by the lightening until the rain calmed down a bit, then made our way back to the hut with
a little torch borrowed from the bar.
Today (Monday) we are leaving Palolem, catching the bus to Margao where we need to find somewhere to stay for a night ready for our long train to Delhi on Tuesday.
Deb and Ang
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