Goa - A slow start to nowhere
Trip Start
Mar 31, 2012
1
4
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
What I did
Cola beach, Galgibaga beach, Palolem...
Agonda, Goa, India
Saturday, April 7, 2012
WAKING UP IN GOA
Last night we had a lovely bit of food at Romance Beach huts' neighboring beach hut area/bar/restaurant, Shanti.
The main reason to go next door, apart from the random lone talker from Bristol advising that the food was great, was so that we could both use the wifi.
The food was very tasty and under a fiver - prawn biriyani, onion bhargi, butter naan, salt and pepper squid and 3 drinks. Enough food for 4 people!
Agonda is beautiful and so chilled out. There are no crazy parties and few people, it is distant from the likes of commercialised Baga or the hippie base at Anjuna. But this is what adds to the beauty, it is so peaceful.
I can see us here for several weeks-why not? We have no deadlines, no targets. Time is no problem.
This makes us smile :-)
We negotiated a deal at Romance beach huts on the basis that we will be here a while.
There are cheaper huts with the same facilities but we love our little hut and will squeeze our daily budget (20 pound/1500 Rupees ish) for it.
Besides we are left with Rs 500-800 a day for food and drink and any trips to beaches near by -that's plenty.
(Lewis)
10 April 2012
CATCHING UP TO THE 9TH
(Marie's diary entries)
10PM, 10th April... I haven't wrote for a few days, it's so easy to forget about time and how long you've been here in Agonda. Just so peaceful.
Lewis has gone to bed early with a really bad headache, we haven't felt too great today to be honest, our tummy's haven't felt so strong.
We rented a scooter today and we might keep it until we leave, see how it goes, how much we use it. It cost just 200 Rupees for the whole day (around 2/3 pound), felt so good to have the breeze in our faces for the day.
We tried to reach some other beaches but we hadn't looked into it so the only one we found was 10-15 mins away - Palolem.
It's a lot busier there, more commercialised, again a nice beach but I much prefer our little 'love shack' and the quiet beach of Agonda.
I found everyone to be extremely trusting here in Goa, we just hopped on the Bike and the man said pay me when your done with it. It's the same with our hut too, the owners told us we could pay when we plan to leave, were also allowed to just take our drinks and get them to make us food and when we leave. It's a nice feeling.
The owners of our little huts are called Sahara and Abul, they are very sweet, tonight we had some yummy pasta and veg side with chapatti, cooked by them and brought to our hut, it makes you feel like were staying in their house, very cosy.
They cook everything themselves as the chef ran away with their money! Crazy! Maybe they are a little too trusting...
Yesterday we experienced our first Rickshaw, they are surprisingly slower than I expected, it was a nice change from the crazy taxi divers in India. Honk honk honk! They are a lot cheaper too. We didn't stay too long in Palolem yesterday, just took a look around, went in the sea, had some breakfast.
The breakfast was disgusting-we opened the menus and was extremely excited as on the front page they has advertised how the chef cooked all his food fresh and to a high standard & how the ice cubes are made with mineral water. ..it was just nice to see it written on a menu, we both opted for our usual banana milkshake (which we usually get at Romance Huts) and then I followed Lewie's lead on the Spanish Omelet and chips, we were hungry.
Well...what can I say, the Banana milkshake was O.K it was made with half a banana I think...the omelette well it 100% wasn't a spanish omelette- it was green! The chips tasted like the ready made microwave ones that had been microwaved 3 times already... not good. Lew ran straight to the toilet, I'm pretty sure that explains how we both felt ha.
As Palolem is so busy people literally follow you up and down the beach (no chance of a nice stroll in the day) - offering you dolphin trips, manicure, come to my shop...la de da.
At the end of the beach where it was a lot more quiet we tried to sea, it was nice, quite calm and not as many waves as Agonda... we then got chatting to a local guy, again selling us a little boat trip...no dolphins just a quiet one, the boat was really pretty with comfy chairs, only 250 rupees for us both. We agreed it would be nice to do, Thursday 2PM-Lew will be able to capture some great snaps and I can sunbathe-how can we say no.
On the evening of the 9th April I felt very drunk, we again had the wonderful tasting Goan wine-Madera, quite expensive for a local wine at 600 Rupees, more than some wines back home, but it's beaut! We ate at the restaurant next door- Shanti. This time it was dinner, a local curry-nice, again delicious!
The 8th April was a nice day, we took a long walk up to the end of the beach in Agonda and climbed over the rocks, I must say, I am alot better at these sort of things than Lew, his poor little claw feet are not made for climbing.
It reminds me of my childhood, running around, climbing the rocks with my brother and sister, hunting for crabs. Some things never change :)
We found a quiet area, was really nice. We saw two local indians, maybe Husband & Wife actually looked like they were living there and maybe we disturbed them as they soon left...The water was really clear and nice to swim out and not get disturbed by many rocks or big waves! After spending about 30-45 mins there we headed back to our hut, we walked along the road this time, I found a massage place and booked myself in, there was a chalk board and time slots and you just wrote your name...so that was me booked up for 6PM-7PM that evening.
Back from the massage, a very strange experience, I took my top off and laid on a table whilst an older gentleman with bright orange hair and glasses (currently looking a bit like me as my hair has gone Orange from the sun! Ed Sheeran lookalike! ha) I didn't actually close my eyes for the first 20 minutes, I was nervous but I soon relaxed... it was a very different massage, I don't think I'll go back...ha...I mean at one point he kept putting his fingers in my ears. Bizarre.
For dinner we went to Arabian Nights, a cool little restaurant, should be a shesha bar, but instead everyone smokes hash ha. We both opted for steak, oh my, what a good choice... it was beautiful... melted in your mouth. I don't know if it was because the steak is a sacred animal in India that made it taste so good muhaha.
We both got quite drunk and started chatting to 'side show bob' as I call him, his name was Pete and had a tattoo that read D.J.B meaning Dirty Jersey Bastard. He was absolutely smashed, we actually met him a couple of days before, not that he would remember though. He admitted to previously taking every drug under the sun and now just being a stoner and an alcoholic smoking 20 joints a day and drinking 20 beers...I know it sounds crazy, but he was a lot of fun...and a lot sharper than you can picture ;)
Although him repeating himself several times became frustrating but in a very funny way.
I have no signal on my phone...which i usually get wifi and signal all the time from my room...not that nervous but we got warnings from home today re tsunami due to the earthquake in Indonesia... it's late here now and we've been fine all day, the sun shining as usual.
Goa is nice, I am liking it alot...I can definitely see us here for a longgg time.
(Marie)
22 April 2012
CATCHING UP AGAIN, STILL IN GOA
(Marie's diary entries)
Wow, so 10/11 days I haven't written for. I can't really go back on every single day in much detail, it will take forever... I am currently typing this up in a comp room an the AC has gone off. I am sweating and it's very tough, but I must complete the blog before we leave tonight for Kerala! Yay! Another trip... looking forward to it.
Well, the reason behind not writing for so long is because I have been terribly ill, we both have. Me and Lew were struck down with the commonly known Delhi Belly, it had arrived! Hit us and hit us hard!, It's horrible, i won't go into masses of detail but you literally get NO sleep and the pains are at times unbearable, you are weeing from your bum, ha ok I know I said not much detail, soz.
It's gone now and I am feeling GREAT again, very happy.
I get the odd cramps etc but I have just learnt to deal with this. I got some local tablets and took them for 3 days, they were brilliant. A lot better than the imodium back home that I used, every time it made me throw up and didn't stop a thing. Enough gruesomeness and onto what we've actually been up too.
So we've still got the scooter, it's been great we've been to places you just wouldn't be able to get to stuck in a taxi and it's so nice just jumping on it and going for a ride.
I think we would also be pretty bored without it as we've noticed now behind the beauty of Agonda, everything is the same, the restaurants all really serving the same food and drinks.
It's also closing season now and things are starting to shut up shop. It's policy in Goa that during monsoon season that you must take your huts etc on the beach down.
So the night I finished writing this, the 10th April 2012, that turned out to be one of the worst nights ever. As I wrote previously Lew went to bed with a major headache and and that was pretty much the start of our delhi belly. . . it was around 3PM and we woke up together, taking turns running to the toilet, for me throwing up, the pains were unbearable, as I said taking imodium only made me worse.
By about 6PM we seemed to settle down and try to get some kip...then the worst happened..a STORM, after getting warns of a Tsunami we didn't have a clue what was going on, the waves seemed a lot louder than usual, the trees were swooshing around, thunder and lightening, everything so loud. Our hut was soaked, our bed was soaked, we got up running around, trying to rescue all of our bags from the wet, our electricity had gone, no power no warm clothes and delhi belly. We went to bed cradling our tummies in our waterproof jackets. A great image, one that I am laughing at now...at the time. Our worst nightmare.
The next day, we woke about 12PM, feeling awful. The sun was shining, the storm had passed, we had our quiet boat trip in 2hrs, there was no way we were attending. Outside out hut everyone was hanging their things to dry and herds and herds of cows were sitting on the beach, it was so strange.
It felt very eerie for us, the locals seemed used to it.
We got chatting to a couple called Leighton and Ayesha, they were in the hut next door to us. They were both travelling for around 9 months as well, very nice couple from Oz. We exchanged tips for travelling - London from us and Sydney for them. They offered some tablets as they heard how poorly we had been, very nice of them. They were in the same boat the night before and know it's not a good place to be.
By 6PM me and Lew were feeling a little better, maybe it was the spiced tea & cumin seeds made by Sahara that made us feel better, more curry just what the doctor ordered...hmmm i think not ha.
Anyway we hopped on the scooter and took a drive to Paolem (over the week the scooter became our closest friend), we thought it was best to go and see the guy from the boat and try to book another say and of course explain our no show - the shame!
The man we booked with was out on another trip, that's ok, we decided to get on the boat and do the trip then.. we felt ok and Lew had it camera, seemed right.
The boat trip was lovely, very relaxing and Lewis took some beautiful photos. The boat man was wearing a t-shirt saying "God made grass, man made beer, who do you trust?" Strange, i guess he was trying to say that it's natural to smoke weed and not natural to drink, yet drinking is legal and smoking isn't? ...anyway...we had a lovely time.
The next few days I am unsure of the order in which we done things but in between resting and getting on the scooter we saw some pretty cool, beautiful things...
Cola beach, after a very bumping ride going through a dirt track we turned up at some gates, followed by 4 indian boys, we all stopped and looked around, the Indian guys were from Bombay (Mumbai) and on their summer holidays, I don't know how but you could tell they weren't local to Goa. We followed their lead through the gates and parked up... we went down some very steep steps and reached a beautiful beach, surrounded by tents (where people were staying), then some waiters or something had run over to the local guys and informed them that it's a private beach...oh that's a shame.. and then I noticed they wasn't actually looking at us, we then realised that we prob would have got away with it. Back to the bikes.
As we got on the bikes, the boys drove off and me and lew tried another route, really wanting to get to Cola beach.
Another bumpy 5 mins later we came to a cliff and saw the sea, the view was beautiful. Lew stopped to get some more snaps and I carried on walking, really exciting too see more, going down hill, I slipped on the clay twice, nothing injured :) Lew caught me up and we were there, no one stopped or stared at or arrival.
We turned and saw the most beautiful Lagoon, the blue lagoon in fact. It was so beautiful...we followed it round, climbing over and squeezing though some tents, we dumped our bags on a hammock and the next thing Lew had jumped in... very brave, after plucking up some courage, I followed, I hit the ground with my feet, only sand, still too deep to stand though. We swam to the end of the Lagoon, back to where the beach and sand is, it took forever, I enjoyed it, i find swimming therapeutic, i can lay in the water for hours or swim for ages and it just feels natural.
We reached the end and relaxed catching our breath back and taking in the scenery. We spotted a canoe "I wonder if it's free, who cares, act natural" I thought as I grabbed the Ores and Canoe and dragged it over to Lewis. We got in, so much fun, lew done the hard work and we rode to a bridge where I got out and decided it was best to actually take the camera etc back.
Walking back with the bits, it being the boiling point of the day and the face we had just done that swimming completely wore me out, walking up the hill to the scooter was a lot harder than I thought, finally arriving and thinking I may just pass out there is a car ( local man ) blocking the scooter, I just go around him and start to get bits out the scooter, he then gets out and starts to speak to me. I am nervous, a white girl, on my own, in my bikini...as I quickly shut the boot to the scooter, he says "it was lovely to meet you", I felt bad after realising he was just being friendly he's just a local guy that prob doesn't see many white faces. I am already shaken and walk off though, with my heart racing I quickly get back to Lewis.
We got back in the canoe and go for a little ride. Nice and calm now. Later we realise the Canoe cost 200 Rupees for 1 hour. Opps. Didn't pay it, after using it around 3 times. hehe.
We wandered around the beach some more, climbed some more rocks and then headed back for the scooter. Cola beach is fantastic. Only 1 or 2 restaurants though, would be so repetative.
Arriving at the scooter we notice a HUGE ladybird the size of a 10p piece, Lew gets his camera out, trying to get some good snaps. No luck, we get on the bike. "Oh crap" says Lew, "i've shut the F****** keys in the scooter" hahhahaha I can't but laugh. He's not too impressed, he books us a cab and it says 25 mins, it arrives in about 10. Not bad.
We get back Romance huts, explaining to the owners what we've done and they give us a spare key so we can get some more money. We pay the cab driver an begin our search for the man who rented us the bike. We don't know his name, he doesn't actually live where he rented us the bike and no one is in tune with our descriptions, great! An hour later, both frustrated, I go back to talk to some locals with no teeth, on man makes a call and 10 mins later our guy arrives, Halleluiah.
Lewis jumps on the bike with the man, he said the man was literally doing 70s on the scooter, he was petrified. Not of dying, but of how much it would actually hurt if he felt off. OUCH. I do not like these thoughts. It's nearly been an hour, in that time I had changed four mattresses, all sheets and pillows, done the washing, hung the clothes to dry and had a shower. An hour later, he's back, glad to have my baby home. Safe and sound.
Next stop, Galgibaga beach, advised by an ex colleague who had proposed there, it had to be wonderful. Indeed it was. Even the views on the way there, about a 25 min ride on the scooter, over a bridge, past some incredible lakes, it was spectacular.
The beach itself was picturesque and so so peaceful. Knowing that this is the beach chosen by hundreds and thousands of turtles to be their nesting ground gives the place an incredible feel.
Behind the beach is a huge lake/river (a little similar to the lagoon, but better!)
We had a dip in the river after some fresh fish and home made crisps from the neighbouring restaurant which was recommended by Gordon Ramsey, I kind of found it hard to believe, the place looked a right mess and no one was home... ha
On the way home that's when the magic really started. We spotted a Monkey, I have never seen a monkey in the wild before, we pulled over quietly and tried taking a photo, being a still as possible and then suddenly out of no where, Monkeys appeared everywhere, running across the roads, having baby monkeys hanging onto them. Ahh it was wonderful a great experience. Really something special. A perfect end to a perfect day.
The next day we went on another Monkey mission, unfortuntely unsuccessful, again mid day and peak of the heat, we found this hotel called Lalit Golf and Spa Hotel.
We dedided we were hot and desperate for a dip in the pool. We came to the gates and asked the secruity if we could use the pool, I don't think he understood, as we drove through the grounds, they were unbeliveable, it was so huge. I hadn't been to a hotel this big before. We were directed to the parking bays and jumped off the scooter.
We walked over to the door, greeted by a Indian man in a turban, holding his hands in prayer "Namaste" he says. "Namaste" we reply, excited.
We ask to use their pool, they said yes, SWEET!
We walk over to the pool, it looks amazing and very big. We thought, lets do the whole natural, we have rooms here thing, we walk over to the men with the towels and they ask for our room number, "420" Lew replys, "No sir, no 420 here" shit, "erm no sorry, the man said we can use the pool" says lew. "770 Rupees each" - Erm, no thanks. That's half our daily budget we just can't afford it.
We walk off, feeling rather low. Walk around the hotel and onto another beach, ladys coming over asking us if we want a massage, I want to go in the pool I am thinking, not another bloody massage. haha.
We walk back and again the pool is in my view, I ask lew if he can see the men, he says no. I don't care anyway, I strip off and jump in the pool. YES, HEAVEN! Lewis gets in too. This is great, we start taking snaps and swim under the water so no one can see us. BLISS. 15 mins later, some men walk past, we start to panic and lew advises us to get out, no I say. Wrong move marie! haha. e grab our things and walk very very fast "excuse me,what's your room number" oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. We decide to stop, by this time, were soaking and I brake a flip flop from rushing haha.
They are trying to get security, no one comes, we decide to walk to the main doors, we plee with the man on the door to say we didn't know, cry cry cry... he lets us go :) Wahooo! So thrilling, such an adventure... ahhh the life of a traveller begins ;)
So, due to the heat, we've decided to re think our plans...it's getting quite unbearable now. We are not going to go inland to Hampi, it's a shame as something we really wanted to do but the mercury will be pushing 40 degrees with little or no breeze to soften the impact. We have also decided to miss out the Golden Triangle (this was our plans after Kerala). It's just not worth it.
Tonight we leave at 11.20PM from Canacona and we have the room until then, so that's kind of them.
Looking forward to it, although another long sleeper train, should be easier the fact it's longer and we can get more sleep.
Ciao for now, Marie x
Lew - "I must just add..."
Today we went on a boat trip, it was supposed to be spotting dolphins but they decided not to get out of bed this morning. It was an eventful trip.
We went for the cheaper option of a smaller boat, which in turn meant that we took the full force of the morning sea - bring on the sea sickness. Marie chundered within ten minutes, then again ten mins later. Haha got to laugh. It was tough - I spent the whole trip fully focussed so as not to be sick - I've never had sea sickness. Not good.
It was a nice trip however as we got to experience a bit more of the locals' way of life. To be precise, one man and his dad. Some more photos below... we are off now after around 3 hrs on the web, feel like I've been at work! Was good to catch up on some photos from the boys' trip to Vegas and listen to one of Matt's house music mixes - looking forward to some partying around the globe :-)
Comments
Great blog guys! Sounds and looks like your having an amazing experience! Can't wait to read more! Hope Delhi belly don't strike again:( sounds horrific! Wearing out of your bum? Haha! Stay safe guys xxx
Weeing not wearing haha x