Ah- the beach at last.

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Stephanie and I took an overnight bus from Mumbai to Mapusa, Goa on the 31st of March. This was by far the stinkiest ride we have taken. (If you have not noticed, each bus ride has been an adventure and there is a story to tell). So, the stink story goes like this..... somebody urinated on the mattress in the sleeper. And, yes, that ended up being our sleeper. Let me tell you, it was not pleasant. It was least pleasant for Stephanie though since she got stuck laying in the urine. It was so hot on that bus too that sweat was dripping from my forehead, nose and ears (yes ears.. probably because of the thick hair). This only made the urine smell worse since the moist heat on the urine brought out the smell. We tried washing it with an antibacterial hand wipe but that did not work. Then we tried to mask the smell with some green oil... that worked for about 10 minutes then the urine was back. Eventually, Stephanie could not take it anymore so moved to another bunk after we realized there would be no more pick-ups. While this bunk did not stink, it was full of cockroaches! Then I was left to stick my nose out the window all night to avoid smelling the urine. The moral of the story... don't travel with Paulo tours. And if you do, make sure you don't get bunk 23 A and B! Anyway, on to bigger and better things. Our first stop was in Baga Beach so that we could do some souvenir shopping at the markets. For any of you thinking of coming to Goa, it is better to skip Baga. Stay somewhere else and take a cab or a bus to the market. This is a huge package tourist destination and the beach was littered with beach chairs and tourists. We struggled to find a place in the sand to lay our beach towels. When we finally did, people were starring and pointing at us. I guess we were the only ones "laying" on the beach. We stayed at a great guesthouse in Baga though called Romeo's Place. It was a little hot but quite comfortable and a friendly family runs it. Unfortunately, there is quite a problem in Goa with tourists stealing from the rooms. Our neighbors slept with their door open and lost their camera and cell phone. I guess they learned their lesson. The night market just outside of Baga was worth the horrible beach in Baga. There were many deals to be had... I wish I had brought more money with me. After two nights in Baga, we left by local bus for Palolem. For only $37RS or approximately $1 Canadian, we got to Palolem in 1.5 hours. Heaven on a beach! What a relief after the weeks of Chaos in Indian Cities. It is still very crowded but much better. It is also a crowd more our age so that makes it a lot better as well. After two days here, I am proud to say that I have done nothing other then eat, sleep, and burn! Hopefully the burn will turn into a tan! I have absolutely no plans for the next week other then relaxing and preparing myself for my return to the "real world". I guess I should also be preparing for the long, long, long flight home!

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Comments

[Roger]

Wow, I finally discovered the blog
Hi kiddo. I finally got to the blog. Sharon told me how to do it. You know, us old guys can't figure things out as quickly, and of course a few younger ones that don't seem to have time to show you. Anuhow, I'm here and great pictures. You'll be able to write a book on your adventure and then some. hope you are keeping a good diary. when you get home you can publish your exploits in the newspaper. Well the Mexico trip was great. The murder mystery hotel was quite the place. We went to Playa Del Carmen for an afternoon of shopping. Mom had a fascination for the Jewelry stores and was quite impressive in her wheeling and dealing. Nobody got realy sick on this trip. At least nothing immodium would not solve. Looking forward to having you back home. Unfortunately I will be on a flight from Vancouver to Edmonton to Calgary on the 9th. Should be back home on the 13th of April. So I'll get to see you then. I took your car for a run on Saturday to get the rust out of your brakes. Everything is fine. Have a great time and a great trip. Not sure I can extract ifo from the blog on my remote access, but I will try. Love you and see you soon.

[Sharron]

Sharron with 2 "r's" Roger!!!!
Hi Carolyn! Almost time for the L-O-O-O-O-N-G flight home. Anxious to see you back on the bus to hear my daily installments of the adventures on your trip!! Yes, I finally talked your Dad into "getting with the program" and reading your Blog. I could not believe he was not following your adventures because he didn't know how! When he realized how simple it was..... Well.... that's another story....you know how those old guys are reluctant to try new things. I think he is very anxious to have you home....as is your Mom. Safe journey home Carolyn and look forward to seeing you!