From Goa to Mumbai, our 4th and last stop for the trip.

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A leisurely start to the day as our flight to Mumbai was not until mid-afternoon so plenty of time for breakfast and to pack.

We’ve got quite good at packing having had two room moves in the 3 hotels we’ve stopped in. As a result my suitcase in particular really is a pretty dreadful mess. This not helped by a small spillage of Douwe Egberts coffee grains out of our emergency drink supply pot. Hope everything doesn’t get stained coffee coloured when I put the washing in when we get home. It is unusual to have coffee grains on one’s knickers but at least none have landed on my white suntops.

As it happens we haven’t needed the hot drink supplies at all this trip as all the hotels have been generous with drink supplies but this is not always guaranteed to be the case.

The offending leaking pot has now been placed in a poly bag !



After everything was packed away I went down to the beach with a small amount of money, not enough as it happened, as I had told a couple of the ladies who have stalls down there that I would visit them before I left. Bob asked why I was going and I said it was because I had promised. First of all I encountered a herd of buffalo out for a walk with their keeper.

Didn't need to seek out my shopkeeper ladies, they soon found me and posed in their lovely coloured saris. I bought a couple of necklaces for the grandchildren from two of the four stalls but that used every rupee I had as I was, unsurprisingly really, well overcharged. One of the other ladies, Madonna, then got rather shirty because I hadn’t bought from her as well. She said as I had no more money she would come with me to the hotel and I could get more. I pointed out she would not get past security on the beach gate and asked her friend (who I had bought from) to explain to Madonna that she really needs to be nicer or nobody is going to buy from her at all.

With that I left. 2 happy ladies and 2 unhappy. Can’t please them all.



Bob was waiting for me at reception with the cases all ready to go but plenty of time as taxi not booked for another half hour so I nipped down to the paddy field café with my camera as had heard that the wedding party from last night was assembled there and wanted more posh frock photos. They looked stunning against the backdrop of the clear green paddy field at the end of the pool.

Then it was bye-bye to Goa and our lovely hotel (noting that the building works by reception now seem to be almost complete and in fact 3 days later I see the other pool, attached to the spa is now open) and a promise from the manager that when we return next time all building will be over.

A taxi to the airport and uneventful flight to Mumbai, as all our flights have been and this was the 8^th.

We booked ourselves a taxi, air-conditioned as we learned to our cost last time that if we ask for the cheaper option one case has to go on the roof, the other in the front passenger seat as the boot space is minute.



And so to our last hotel, the Sahara Star. Only 10 minutes from the airport which is one reason we chose it.

In Udaipur we bought a Sikh ceremonial dagger which has been in my suitcase since and been through 5 airport scanners without comment.

Everything which goes into the Sahara Star is scanned including handbags and people. Wondered why my case was a long time appearing at reception where we checking in until someone asked me, very politely, if I knew there was a knife in my case ! They let us in anyway and we posed for a tradional welcome ceremony involving rose petals and marigold garlands.



As we had stayed before, this time we got a room upgrade. Room 5028, a very nice room on the inner ring as ordered so we had a balcony overlooking the lagoon below. Love this place though not sure about the clear glass window between the room and the bathroom. Fortunately when a bit of privacy is required, a press of a button brings down a roller blind.

We had been looking forward to revisiting the rather nice restaurants and sure enough our meal in the Thai restaurant was as good as we remembered. The Tempura vegetables are superb and Bob has asked me to remember exactly how they were so I can make some as good when we get home.

Sightseeing in Mumbai planned for tomorrow.

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