Beaches, BO and spices

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Hi all,

Udaipur is one of the loveliest towns we have been to. It surrounds a gorgeous lake with a palace in the middle (where Octopussy was filmed). Our first hotel was very cute near the water but there was definately electric current running through the shower taps ( the manager reckoned it was something to do with having too short fingernails) so we moved to a safer but less atmospheric place. Other than that, we saw another palace, motorbiked around a bit and had some good meals.
We then caught another BO bus 7hrs to the next town with an airport to fly Air Deccan to Goa. We booked the tickets the day before the flight and had never heard of the airline so looked on the web to find it rated worlds worst airline by a number of people. Anyway we took off 2hrs late but the plane was new and we got here safely.

Goa is HUMID, we have found a place to rival the sweatbox of Brisbane christmastime and it is winter here. We are staying in the capital Panjim which has some Portugese flavour remaining. There are some gorgeous old buildings here. Yesterday we caught local buses to Anjuna - apparenlty a famous beach. The bus was licences for about 40 people but there would have been almost that many packed into the aisle. It was very very sweaty. There is a market at anjuna and we saw some old hippies who must have loved the place and never left manning the stalls of clothing, jewellwry and hammocks. The beach was OK.
Clayton got a haircut and an unsolicited head massage and hair oiling which was funny to watch.

Spent today on a scooter riding out to a spice plantation. We saw how they grow pepper, cardamon, vanilla, betel nut, cashews, nutmeg and turmeric. Then they fed us some lovely lunch. We also saw old Goa which has some very large old churches and buildings from the 1600's when the Portugese arrived.

Tomorrow we are going to a beach town Baga for a couple of days. It is only a short taxi ride this time.

Seeyou all
Love Megan and Clayton.

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