Lifes a beach

I arrived first in Panaji and had a quick look around. I stumbled across the
Church or our Lady of Immaculate Conception. And the view the other way looks like this.
I've spent the past few weeks in Anjuna, Goa. It was good to settle in one place for a longer time and not have to bother about packing bags, hopping on trains and getting new accommodation every few days. I even share my room with a lizard and the occasional sighting of a frog in the bathroom. Anjuna has a large flea market every Wednesday. I went along and it seems like the usual junk they were trying to sell. The most interesting thing I saw was a decorated bull (nandi) dancing to a tune played on the flute. Okay it was quite dancing like Saturday Night Fever but it was bouncing it's head back and forward to the music.
I ventured down to the next beach Baga a few times. One time I had a steak and after 6 weeks of mostly veg or chicken it tasted supremely delicious mmmmm.

In Goa there is also the addition of fish dishes to the menus, I've had some nice mackrel and kingfish food. I tasted calamari but it was like fishy chewing gum, eurgh.
As you progress along south from Baga to Calungute things become more commercialised with big brick hotel unlike the wooden hut I was staying in. There is also a big increase in Union Jacks and strangely named restaraunts such as Rovers Return and Only Fools and Horses.

I met a few people who came and went when I was staying there. I'll try a quick memory test and see if I can name them. Donnie, Will, Paul, Sam, Paula, Steve, Simon, Helen, Mark, Dan, Damien, Shaleen, Ty & Daaaaave. hmmm my memory is better than I thought! A few people returned to Anjuna at New Year which was good.

We went to a club called Nine Bar for the bells. Somewhat bizarrely it shut at 00:10am. There is strict licensing laws in Goa, that loud music can't be played in most places (except clubs) after 10pm. Still we moved on to Disco Valley and then Hilltop which was open all day & night on the 1st, too much for me! As the first day of 2005 dawned on India I went to my bed. The next day in Anjuna from my guesthouse in the shade of a palm tree, I could see a cow talking a beach side stroll, not sure if it knew it was being followed.



A group of Indian guys tried to get me into some sort of gem scam. Where I can make a 100% profit! Yeah, right.
I don't think there math was too good, they claimed that they had to pay 250% tax, but if I was to fly back to England (they use Scotland and England interchangeably) then I could double my money and they would only have to pay 150% tax (which would still make any export loss making!). They would pay for my plane ticket and accommodation at home and then I could do another flight! Anyway I just told the guy "I'm not interested, it's a scam and I don't trust you" which seem to shut him up.... for a few minutes.

I've now moved down to Palolem which is another white sand, blue water, swaying palm tree sorta place. Yep, it's a hard life sitting on the beach reading a book, drinking cheap beer and eating good food (disclaimer: a friend ate a dodgy curry yesterday!) . Still someone has to do it and why not me? :)