31st January

Day 9

We were due to meet up with some of the lads and have a lunch time session at Top Gear in Panjim, but it was canceled at the last minute. This means will still have not got our gifts to Pradeep.

We had planed to have a good breakfast to act as a base for the days events, so we decided to go ahead any way. Sausage, egg, bacon, toast etc. every thing except the sausage was very authentic and the sausage was quite good.

We decided to spend the day traveling North, along the coast, up to the border.

Our first stop was Anjuna.


Then on to Vagator.


Note the huge Chapora fort on the top in the far distance.

Moving north we came to the mouth of the Chapora River with a fishing port.


After which we turned inland until we came to a bridge and then turned back to the sea and Morjim Beach.
Turtles nest somewhere on Morjim but all we found was a sunbed graveyard.



Running up the coast we stoped for a bite to eat at a bar, The Little Palms, run by "Sam" who used to manage restaurants in Candolim.

The food was excelent and he deserves to succeed in his new venture


To be Cont.

30 th January

Day 8

It is hard to comprehend that we have been here for over a week. Some members of our little tribe have left and others have arrived. We have all ready settled into some sort of routine.
I usually get up about 7.30 and just before 8.00 go down to the cross roads at the entrance to the complex to buy the bread from a breadman , they ride round on bicycles and sound a horn to let you know they are about.

The Cross roads, Turn the other way from the sign and there is the local blacksmith.




The cows have a rest occasionally.


After breakfast , it depends on the days plan, if there is nothing special on the cards we will sit and sun ourselves on the balcony, this suits Sand. nicely because the sun is dappled by the trees so she does not have to worry about overdoing it.

That will do for the routine at the moment, I will keep the rest for another quiet day.

29th January

Day 7

Nothing very exciting today.
We booked our flights to Bangalore to visit Bangalore Soroptomists for their 6th anniversary, on the 7th of February
We will be going down on the Thursday before to have a couple of days sightseeing before the function on the Sunday.

28th January

Day 6

A quiet day, in to Calamgute to order a new pair of glasses (lenses and frames about £12) back to the flat, a bit more sun, etc.etc.

27th January

Day 5


Panjim beckoned today, I bought some material, walked round the corner and left my tailor with full instructions what to do, six shirts should await me on Tuesday. After that we socialised calling on some of the people we met last visit. Our shopping finished in the Silk Emporium, Sandy fulfilling some commissions she had been given and somehow a skirt had to be made also for collection on Tuesday.
We looked in a Ghandi shop, these shops sell produce from the villages to help them be self sufficient. Although from the villages the quality of the textiles was very good with some very pleasing designs.

We had a drink and a snack at the Vasco Da Gama club,the last time we visited it it was very much Raj style, you could imagine expats sitting there enjoying their peg of whisky, now it has been refurbed all a bit 70s' but the toilets are much much better.

This is the view from the Vasco club, this was just gardens last time we were here,but this area is also being refurbed.

On the way home we traveled alongside the river and stopped at a bar called the Joint, which again we used last time. Sitting looking out over the estuary was very peacefull and a pair of Dolphins were to be seen only a few yards off shore.

Below are a couple of shots of the Riverside,arguably one of the best restaurants in the area.





Below is a view of the inside in the section on the left of the first picture.

25th January

Day 3

We walked down to the center of Calumgute to obtain medical suplies, a kettle and saucepan, the saucepan was 100 rupees but the kettle was weighed and we paid for it by the ounce.
We had a bite to eat and sunned ourselves on the balcony. then out for a beer, off to eat and bed.

26thJanuary

Day 4

Today we went off to Mapsa market


The market is amazing simply due to the vast diversity of items for sale and the cost. Allowing for the fact that tourists probably pay double what the residents pay the prices are still half the price we would pay locally. Sandy bought two bath towels for 150 rupees against 300 for two, of the same type that she bought at Baga on sunday.

Mixed Veg.

A few dried chillies.

Corriander and another herb that looked a bit like Alfalfa.

A pinch of spice anybody?

On our return we just loafed about untill the usual evening routine.

23rd January

Day 2

A settling in and acclimatising day.

Our apartment is quite spartan, it is the first time it has been let out like this, but it has a comfortable bed,a kitchen and a table and some chairs.


The view from our kitchen (sorry i can't remember how to straighten out the photos)


The kitchen.

The bed room.

A view from the balcony.


After we unpacked properly and sorted ourselves out a bit,we were off to Newtons (a proper European type supermarket ) to obtain some essential supplies.

You can find all you need in the local shops but it means going from shop to shop to get everything you want.

After putting the shoping away we headed into the center of Calamgute to meet up with Terry and Ginny, another Dorset couple, for a swift drink or two. Ted, Sandy and I then headed off to Baga Beach for some lunch. It was very busy and the roads to get there were quite congested. A large percentage of the people were Indians we assumed that this was because it was Sunday and they were spending the day at the seaside.

We had a sleep when we got home and I did not want to wake up but duty called, a quick shower and off to the Bar to meet up with all the others in our gang. We took a couple with us who have to return to Norway early on the 26th via Heathrow and Gatwick. After a meal at the Riverside Cafe we came home for an early night.

Friday 22nd January part 2

Having made ourselves as comfortable as you can in an airport waiting area we settled down to wait the six hours. As the boarding time approached the flight was delayed until 9.45 pm, due to fog at Dehli. If you are asking why fog at Dehli held things up, it was a sort of domino effect, delays causing more delays causing even more delays. Our plane arrived at 8.45 and we boarded about 20 minutes later and then sat again in a queue for the push back from the terminal. After about half an hour there were only seventeen planes ahead of us so to cut a long story short. We arrived at Dabolim airport, where our long suffering driver was still waiting and were in Calamgute about midnight.
Arriving on the last delayed flight made the airport experience almost civilised, baggage was on the carousel as we got there there was no hassle and as we drove away, with the taxi windows open in the warm late night air the stress fell away and it all seemed worth while.

Friday 22nd January

Day 1
We set off from home at about 12.30,driven by Chris and Pam.Traveling up the A303 the weather was appalling, thick mist and rain. we stopped for lunch at the George in Thruxton and arrived at Heathrow at about 4.oo pm. As soon as the check in desks opened, just after 4.00, we checked in and passed through Security. The body search was very thorough, almost every thing was rubbed and twisted, but we could keep our shoes on.
We boarded and left on time (21.05)
The flight was uneventful except for periods of turbulence.
The seating was as good as we remembered from last time but the service from the flight attendants was nothing like as good (no tonic to go with the gin.very haphazard meal service and tea or coffee was not even offered after the meal) Whether we were lucky last time and this time was the norm we don't know.however we now would hesitate to recommend Jet Airways.
The arrival at Bombay was interesting, the airport is undergoing major rebuilding and renovations including the runways. Taxiing around competing with readymix lorries and other functions found on a large civil engineering site would,I think, have our "elfnsaftey"staff apoplectic.
After disembarking we cleared customs, packed our Duty Free in our main baggage and with some trepidation handed our bags over for transferring to the internal terminal, we caught a bus and also arrived at the internal terminal, where we prepared ourselves for our six hour wait for the connecting flight that would take us on to Goa.
At this stage things started to get interesting. I am tired so I will continue tomorrow

Next Trip

We are off to Goa again next Friday, and are looking forward to getting away from this weather.

Our seats are reserved out and back, and our packing is progressing slowly.