My first whole day was spend checking out the local sights. Old Goa is not to far away and it appears to have some sights to see, mainly catholic churches. As an old portuguese colony (only liberated in 1961, which surprised me) it is fill of old colonial architecture, the names roads are in Portuguese and some of the older people actual converse in the language. I did decide that I may find some time later to visit old Goa but to or row I would head a little further north to a little village called Candolim. I had spotted what looked like an idyllic place to stay, an old Portuguese villa, not far from the sea. Happy days. I was hoping it wasn't booked ip as it was "our pick" in the lonely planet!
One day was enough in Panjim. I had something to eat, wander around and the. There was really nothing to do. It is noticeably hotter here. As I went out in the evening I checked out with a taxi driver the cost of getting to Candolim. It was 300 rupees. Although the bust was only 7 I did decide to take the taxi then I could get him to take me right to the door of the hostel rather than wander around looking for it. I also had to return a shirt I had bought the previous evening. I am probably a medium size now ( I have been extra large in my BT days) I had purchased a t-shirt and a long sleeved shirt the previous evening. It was extra large but still was too tight. I'm really not a fat bastard but I actually needed an XXL. Bizarre, I'm the skinniest I've been in many years.....
Dinner was good. It's funny, things tend to even themselves out. The biggest expenditure travelling is accommodation and food. In some places food is relatively expensive and accommodation cheap (Nepal) in other places, accommodation is relatively expensive and food cheap (India) the Philippines, both are cheap and for obvious reasons in Hong Kong and Singapore, both are expensive (although you can eat and drink quite cheaply in China Town)
I was in my bed quite early watching animal planet. For some reason the room seems hotter than outside. With just a fan it reminded me of the old days when going to Spain, before mass AC was standard. Sleeping in the uncomfortable heat on top of the bed. For some bizarre reason Panjim has a 9:00am checkout policy across the city. I have never come across this before. It doesn't apply to the rest of the Goan state, just the capital, and applies to guest house and top class hotel alike. For this reason I arranged for the taxi to meet me at 9:00 for the trip to Candolim. I had no idea what to expect but was in for a rather pleasant surprise.
It was only about 40 minutes by cab. Again, it looked very unlike the India I've come to know, very ordered. Actually, it looked rather like a Portuguese holiday village..... What a surprise!
The taxi driver had big problems finding my accommodation. He wanted to walk me to the door and insisted that I pay him at the side of the car.( their is no access other than by bike) I told him that I could manage, knowing he would claim to have brought me their and also claim the commission which would probably be banged on the room tariff. He was a bit of a pain anyway, his driving had been erratic to say the least and, sitting in the front I probably did more braking than he did. When he couldn't find my accommodation he kept snatching my notebook from my hand and thrusting it in front of the faces of locals he was asking directions. He did t get a tip....
The place I had spotted in the lonely planet was called Dona Florina and was just about as perfect as you could get.
It was secluded and I got a single room for 1000 rupees a night, less than I had paid for a pretty grim hotel in Panjim. The room had a balcony, I could see the sea. It was clean, a nice 4 poster with a mosquito net and fan. Just brilliant. And it got better. Just a 200 metre walk to the beach the were loads of places to eat and drink. After checking in for three days, I headed to get some shampoo and soap then wandered to "pete's shack' for breakfast of local hot bread and masala omelette. Then the day turned rather bizarre!!!!!
As I was sitting sipping my coffee a chap wandered up the beach. He greeted the waiter as though he knew him and came and sat at the table next to me. I got chatting. His name was Ernest, he was a 57 year old german, he had arrived yesterday and he was staying for 5 months. And had been doing the same for a number of years. He turned out to he rather an eccentric and alternative character. He excessively used adjectives such and disgusting, horrendous, treacherous to describe the Pope, the financial system, his family etc etc. And seemed to have tried any and every drug around. I spend the rest of the day chatting to him. He was extremely well read and a very interesting person. We had a drink together and he quite suddenly decided that the 40 hours travelling had taken it's toll and retired to bed about 6:30 after watching the sun set on the beach.
I like it here, tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get a deal by staying he till the 29th. I may even try and stay here till I'm due to leave Delhi although I may use the five days I have in Delhi to visit the golden temple in Amritsar. Then, other than Darjeeling I've done all, and more than I thought I would do in India.
My evening was complete with a couple of rum and cokes, a curry and nan looking out over the sea. Yes, I like it here, it's a bit like being on holiday.
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Location:Candolim, North Goa, India
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