Last day in Goa

Today we say goodbye to old friends and new.

Our host Jerry da Costa has been a great help whilst we have stayed at Costa's Vista Verde seen here with his family at Joshua's confirmation 

Albert our taxi driver of 4 years now 

Seen here at Hampi

Our team at our digs are

Majory and the cleaning girls and Rahul

Head of Housekeeping

 Not forgetting our Captain of security!

It's been a wonderful adventure and we can't wait till next year 

Last few days of sunshine .....

With weather like this it's hard to come home! 

Here are some of the highlights

Just wonderful clean beaches, warm clean sea, no rubbish, donkey rides, kiss me quick hats, no beggars only the silly ones we seem to attract!

Dawn breaking from our bedroom  balcony

 

Choosing which fish for lunch

Shopping on the beach

Great entertainment 

And great sunsets

And it's everyday .....

Tomorrow I will show you all the good folk who have looked after us so well .....

Visiting Jerry's and Brits nite out

We've been invited to our landlords house for lunch so thought we'd better take some flowers for his wife Sandra.

We popped into Varca on the bike early and they made a nice job of them, oddly enough all flowers we have at home ,lilies 

Carnations, Singapore orchids and chrysanthemum finished off with some gypsophilia and ribbons

Jerry picked us up and took us to his home where we met up again with his 22 year old daughter who is doing her Masters in business studies at Bangalore University. She was taking the night sleeper bus back this evening. Picture below, you sleep for the 12 hour journey, and it's a good option according to friends who have used it. 

 His eldest son is doing his degree in computer science and young Joshua whose confirmation we went to is still at school. 

We all ate together a delicious meal which Sandra cooked of Kingfish steaks, Tiger Prawns, fish curry & Rice, Goan Prawn curry and mixed salad. 

Last nights Brit  trip to the Reggae restaurant where we were joined by Ginger dodger and Fred Dispaire, Twinkletoes and John du Beque - this lot just get worse, but all love to dance, mind you the next day we're all spark out on the beach chairs. 

Happy days.......

Margao shopping

Today we went into Margao with Albert our taxi driver to get some souvenirs and buy some fruit and fish. 

The town was really busy, it was a Hindu festival day and people had lined up to pay homage at the shrine.

There was a big heap of sandals and people were buying marigold garlands to lay on the shrine. Unfortunately this blog (free of course) won't let me upload a video, but the chanting was melodic and the air heavy with incense. 

We found trinkets we wanted. The bartering was almost comical, his lordship being given a chair, the Goan newspaper and offered chai which he declined. Every time we adjusted the price they took an item away and ever time they upped the price we put the it back ! Eventually they gave up and the sale, less than 1/2 price, was ours. They wished us good luck and we were on our way.

Albert insisted on bartering for our prawns as he said we had the "wrong faces"!

A kilo of king prawns for less than £4. Albert had rolled his trouser legs up to avoid the fishy water underfoot, but was horrified when a fish lady splashed him with a good sloshing of sqid ink! It's as well we don't speak Goan - words flew out of his mouth as he gestured to his ruined beige trousers!

The fish, meat and fruit is very fresh and incredibly cheap by British standards

Mothers Day

Just a quick blog to say how wonderful it was to FaceTime our son and daughter and also talk to the grandkids including baby Isabelle. Ah the wonders of technology! And Richards mum even managed as she always does, to have a lovely chat on Skype. 

We spent the night at a very fancy restaurant with JJ and Linda.

Saturday's visits

This morning we did long distance on black bess the bike , about half an hour each way to Suku and Johns home through busy Colva and back into the countryside. There were the usual hazards - a herd of buffalo ambling along the main road , numerous loose dogs and the odd stray porker. 

John and Suku share the home with his parents, which is the norm out here. 

They made us incredibly welcome with hot savouries, milky coffee and carrot halva, all after we'd just had breakfast .

In the garden was Johns dads fighting bull, a mean looking beast indeed.

The Bulls just lock horns as a rule and shove each other until one runs away. We went to one of these events years ago and we were terrified when the bull charged in our direction. The crowd scattered and people started climbing trees for safety.

The Indians love to bet .

After their house we visited Sukus  parents where we had a tour of the garden and met all the family.

We received more cashew nuts and then wended our way back in the 

midday sun .

Early evening we set off with Kath & Bob to Cavellosum for a dinner cruise along the River Sal out to sea and we even saw dolphins again  

Fun evening himself caught a really big king fish!

Happy Mother's Day Jean Boucher!! 

Property

This is a typical Goan property on the market for about £75k with a couple of bedrooms , kitchen, bathroom and open plan living area. Just the sort of place that me and himself could retire to.

You even get your own well - handy eh? 

Think this one would be better though

According to Albert the taxi driver it belongs to a doctor who works in Russia. He brings his nurses over to stay when his wife goes to see her mother in Mumbai!

This little place is nearly completed; we've watched the progress over the last 12 months. 

Sorry about the wobbly shot I was on the back of the scooter at the time. 

Well must go now I've got a pressing appointment with Pork chops, Apple sauce, carrots, garden peas (took 3 supermarket trips) and creamed potatoes. Himself collared a guy who lives in our complex who runs the American  Cruise Ship catering school. He kindly dropped in some demi glacé - what a star 😀🍷Bon appetite 🍴

Pedros, the beach and our Ollie!

We had a great night with JJ & 'Lush'  at Pedros in Benaulim, dancing to Graham's reggae (ex trumpet player UB40) then an open mic with local Bhangra singers - the music and dancing was absolutely manic, but brilliant fun. 

Varca beach 

Late arriving at the beach where the local boys were net fishing , not a lot to catch 

Just a few lady fish and tiny mackerel. 

Then a little further up the beach the boys decided to take their jeep along the seafront  ha ha 

They got hopelessly stuck much to our amusement as the tide came in! 

Now most importantly - hope your feeling better Ollie you gave your mum such a fright. Think the t shirt is extremely apt! 

Lots of love and kisses 💋💋- don't sqirm 😄!!