Bye bye Bombay, Bombay bye bye....
Trip Start
Sep 09, 2007
1
4
33
Trip End
Ongoing
Calangute, India
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
After 13 and a half long hours' traveling on a night bus we have arrived in Goa.
Feeling like battery-caged hens in a coach smelling of B.O. and cheesey feet, we top-tailed in a glorified baggage compartment!
Before we got on the coach we met James (another English traveler from Walsall) who was also booked on the same coach. Luckily from him (and us!) our tour guide got a call 15 minutes before boarding time to announce that the pick up spot had moved!!
Since our last entry Tom's 'Dehli Belly' is no more! Several doses of diocalm did the trick, although we both had an entire night of no sleep and a pleasant aroma in the room!
The next few days we took it easy visiting the Mall (complete with pan-piped Beatles hits!) and the Haji Ali tomb (a floating temple which is cut off from the land when the tide comes in....an Indian Hayling Island!).
We also spent a day on Elephanta Island where we were greeted by monkeys (a surprised for us both, Tom was overly happy - I had to limit him to just 5 photos or the whole camera would have been full of the damn things!) and I also used the glorious life saver that is the 'Shewee' for the first time in the wild!
On one taxi trip in a busy part of the city area our driver was a very eccentric character... when we told him we were from England his response to us was 'Ah, England....Chips!' He then drove like a complete maniac, on the wrong side of the road driving into oncoming traffic, peering over the dash board as he fiddled with the radio on the floor and bombarding us with loud bangra as well as turning around to chat and offer us chewing gum as cars dodged all around us!!
Bombay traffic summed up in one!
Saturday was the first day of the Ganesh festival and Friday night saw the local families getting prepared, carrying their idols through the streets whilst dancing to
large steel drums and tunes played on a casio keyboard (Side Parting style - so I've been told!). As you all know, Tom never needs a second invitation to dance like a fool in public and much to the kids excitement he showed them some of his moves!
On leaving our hotel we checked out only to find that the price we had been quoted for 3 nights stay was a big con as it turned out to be the price of 1 night - the guy's English suddenly disappeared and Tom was a very angry man! I've never seen him so cross as he told the man, amidst all the swearing, that he should wear a mask and hold a gun!!
Anyhow we are in Goa now - the rain is displeasing us although we've managed to book into a great hotel with a pool for only 6 quid a night for the both of us! Bargain!
Gonna try and load up some photos - I hope!
enjoy speak soon
Charlie and Tom xxxx
Comments
nose peg anyone?
Hi both of you, good to read another enthralling episode of your travel saga. Very entertaining whilst sitting here in comfort and with pleasant aromas all around. You certainly get some interesting taxi journeys. Glad the sheewee came in handy Charlie and meant to ask how you are coping with flying insects etc. but if you are still cheerful after that bus journey I guess you are ready to tackle anything. Hoped you checked the room price is per night and not per hour after the last experience. Take care and love to you both, mum & dad xx
Monkeys, taxis and farts! What's new?!
Hi both, that was a fantastic entry!! Made me laugh till I cried! I agree with Jo - publish a book when you get back then you may never have to work again... !! I am loving the photos , looks like you are having a wonderful time and I am super jealous! All is well back here and I am still jobless! Matt, Shadow and Smudge all send their love and me too of course! Love to you both and Percy! Smelly xxxx
Bombay Tales
Hi Charlie ,Tom and Percy , I am enjoying your stories too ,its just like I am there with you and the photos are great too,it must be hard work for you posting up your photos and diary (which you write so well) your hard work is much appreciated . take care ,love ann x
Go to this beach
My work colleague says go to Ashven beach he says it is a beautiful place to go.
There is also a fort in the most northern point of Goa.
Gonna watch the shots tonight with Pat and Mick vs York
Great pics
Hi Guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I have at last posted a comment after hearing about a variety of Indian theft be it sandals or hotels and ahem bottom problems.... however the place looks amazing and it looks like your having fun. Missing you guys.....well I guess Tom any way he he he he. Look forward to your next log, blog or whatever its called. PS Scanner works great just gotta work the web cam out and we can arrange a hook up.
13 hours? on a bus??!
Howdy peeps!
This will only be a quickie 'cos i'm at school and am supposed to be doing SEN paperwork which, as i'm sure charlie will appreciate, is v. tedious...needs must and all that. anyway it sounds like you're having an amazing time! not sure i like the idea of 13 hours on a bus but i'm sure it was all worth it in the end (i would have struggled to cope without a miror or hair dryer for that amount of time!)
Glad Tom's feeling better - nice to see that he is flying the red flag of the shots on your travels. convert 'em all tom - we could do with boosting our match attendances!
lots of love and hugs, sarah and aboon. xxxxxxxxxx
More monkey pictures!
Hi to you both! Really enjoying reading about your adventures so far. Zach LOVES looking at your photos(so keep them clean!). He would love more monkey pics, so keep them coming. Jacob a bit disappointed he missed out on cutting the mullet now he's seen the pics. I said perhaps you'll grow another while you're out there?!! Love to you both. Keep having fun. Love Shell, Nath, Jacob and Zach.
finally worked it out
hi u 3,
finally managed to join this site! Looks like your having a whale of a time, the photos are brill! Enjoying reading your blogs most entertaining. me and jo have been eaten by the mozzies over here, hope ur doing ok? Keep up the good work, look forward to the next one, U look SO Happy!! Love and miss u, mum and jo and robbie xxxxxxxx
Hey Guys!
I am so sorry we coudn't make it to your leaving do (well not that sorry since we were in Turkey! Which was great!) but this site is excellent! I will definately be following your trip on here! So for now, take care and have a great time! See you when you come back!!!
xxxxxxxxxx
hi
hello Charlene and Tom nice to see all your loveley photos and your happy faces Love Nanna xx
withdrawal symptons
Hi Tom, Charlie & Percy, waiting in anticipation for the next instalment of your travel tales and also trying not to count the days since the last entry. Nan & Grandad also enjoyed reading of your adventures and if dad can figure out how to do it he will also show them the photos on a cd. Hope things are going well and I bet you are gutted Tom at how the Shots are playing at the moment - you may have to use your joker yet. Jo's bump is getting bigger every week. Rob is now back so Em is ultra happy. Take care both of you. Lots of love from all us, we are missing you dearly, Mum & Dad xxxx