Now a 60 mins taxi drive south, in different terrain, amongst mountains and curved beaches, not long, uninterrupted stretches. Went to Palolem and its beach, backed by wooden shacks, some for eating and drinking, some for sleeping. Commercialised.
Yesterday was at sister beach, Patnem. Both are 15 mins walk away. Patnem is similar but less commercialised and, with steeper lead down to the water, more likeable.
We’re staying in a charming six bedroomed hotel with swimming pool and outdoor restaurant and the most laid back staff, managed by a welcoming Julmilla. Last two nights (they managed to fit us in for the additional night), we sampled some of the most amazing veg cooking; and we’ve had loads of veg fare – India is most welcoming for veggies.
Have found some good-ish wine at last: Sauv Blanc from Big Banyan. Red ok, too. Then there is the beer: Kingfisher everywhere, with prices for the large 650 ml bottle ranging from 482 rupees (Mumbai) to 100 rupees at the beach shacks. One rupee equals about 1p. In Mumbai there are craft/real ales but we didn’t have enough time to seek them out. Have now found Eight Finger Eddie, an ipa made by the Goa Brewery.
As the dogs pretend they’re cockrels by welcoming in the dawn, I haven’t mentioned the elephant in the room. Well, we have seen lots of elephants, though none in the wild, but I wanted to talk about cows. Yep, they’re everywhere and mostly not in fields, rather in the road. Sometimes individually, sometimes in a group, occasionally en famille. They might be feeding off the rubbish which is chucked anywhere, walking down a dual carriageway the wrong (right hand) side, sitting in the middle of the road, relieving their bowels, or any other thing they care to do. Nobody lays a hand on them, just like you’ve been told. We’ve asked where do they come from and nobody seems to know. Maybe they’re time travellers ……
Chris & Kath's Travel Time 