Telepathically connected

Steve and Anns house




Two couples that we know both ride scooters out here, but we are convinced that you have to be telepathically connected, as no one looks right when they pull out of a junction!  The cars pull out in front of trucks, buses etc., and the vehicles all slow down.   Unfortunately the pigs and dogs are not on the same wavelength and cause chaos.  We declined our friends offer to wedge us three up on the pillion, local style, and got a rickshaw to the beach instead.

   

There were classes of school children on the beach today, singing songs, playing cricket, in fact the pitches are all marked out along the beach.  The children are immaculately turned out in their uniforms all with their ID around their necks.  They have to go to school 5 ½ days a week, yes Saturday mornings are included, Ollie & Jack you’ve got it easy!

I wont be blogging tomorrow as its my birthday, but just to say thank you for all the cards, I will open them in the morning, and for the presents too.  Himself has bought a cake, we don’t have an oven so could not insist on him making me one!  He also says to tell you that the wound inflicted by the barber when he sneezed is healing nicely.

                                            Leather flip flops a bargain at £1 each!

                                                                                      

Bazaar purchases



After dinner out with Steve and Ann, the boys decided they would go for a shave this morning. 

We had an early start as Amelia the maid rang the door bell at 8.15 to see that everything was ok with yesterday’s cleaning and pick up some bits and pieces.  Himself duly returned with his chin streaming with blood, much to the horror of Nepal the security guard who said he’d had a very close shave.  30 rupees (30p) the  princely sum that was paid for a double shave with a finish of some highly irritating facial lotion which apparently also worked as an exfoliant.



  Later we went shopping in Margoa , I’m getting really bored with going to the beach, warm sunny days and long cold drinks –  well maybe not.  Anyway, a change is as good as a rest .  Himself always has a list, usually food orientated, today was no exception.  I seem to spend half my time on holiday looking for the best saffron and vanilla pods etc., , which we bought quite quickly .  However, I did have a bit of a wobble in the shoe market.  Dozens of stalls full of shoes, there were thousands of pairs and I ended up buying a couple of pairs of flip flops, one with genuine diamonds!  Himself purchased a  holdall to take all the purchases back in and some most unusual shorts – pictures to follow, if he’ll let me!





Graham, this is the unique business opportunity that youve always wanted - and the seller even threw in the bike as well.  Well located property in up and coming area, on busy bus route, in need of a little tlc  xx

Observations so far

Its been 23 years since our first visit and 9 years since our last. Lots has changed, its cleaner, all water is now filtered, significantly less malaria, new cars everywhere, no roaming cattle, just the odd pig, much less poverty, don’t believe what’s in the media.

Technology : The world and his dog has a mobile phone/tablet  with 3G standard everywhere. Most of the kids have IPhone 5’s

Shop prices:

Wholemeal/white bread 25p

Butter 45p

Cheese 1.50

Eggs 40p a dozen

Apples 40p for 6

Grapes 25p bunch

Limes/lemons 2p each

His lordships two new white cotton shirts £2.50 each

Tide washing powder 10 wash 50p and yes I’ve had the Samsung washer going, it does tend to do the hokey cokey between the kitchen cupboards and sounds like a 747 landing but it washes in 28 mins.

Gillette Mach 3 razors £4 and I paid £16 for his lordships last week in Boots

Taxi fare to the beach £1 (3 miles)

Bus to the beach 7p but according to some friends, you get the whiff of armpits and other bits in your face, so its  taxis for me!

Sea front house with small garden 3 bed 2 bath 25k.  Must get my friends with a property portfolio to come out here.

For all our friends concerned about us getting Delhi belly you might guess that as a food safety trainer for 25 years with the Royal Society for Public Health I am very watchful about where we eat and what we eat, and if all else fails I’ve got half of Boots dispensary with me, and for me and only me, – so far so good and I have a large cork for himself!

Tomorrow he is going with Steve to check out the local barbers for a 30rupee cut throat shave, don’t worry kids!

Varca Roman Catholic church, opposite the taxi rank and bus stop. 

 

Anyone for Pork chops?



Piggin close!



So we have spent a wonderful day just chilling out on the beach, and I think I’m about to have a soapbox moment.  Why is it all the roads here are better than home, why is the beach cleaner, both before and after  everyone has gone? There must have been thousands of locals on the beach, it was Hindi New Year, and there wasn’t a  can or any litter anywhere! We are In the middle of nowhere and there were two lifeguards on duty,  & tourist beach patrol.  After having a lovely meal, watching the sun go down and a few gin & tonics we asked the bar owner to call us a taxi and he sent the waiter to drive us home.  We had only gone a couple of miles before a pig ran out into the road, hotly pursued by a feisty dog right into the path of an on coming motorbike.  The biker braked to miss the pig but crashed and skidded with the bike on top of him for about 20 feet.  People say life is cheap in India, but within a couple of minutes there were a crowd of us trying to help the poor guy.  He looked as though he had cracked a few ribs, broken an arm and badly cut his legs.  He was very lucky, he had no helmet on, he could have been dead.  Anyway someone got help for him, someone else went to try to catch the dreaded pig, probably for dinner, and someone else gave the guy his phone back that had bounced down the road.  This had a devastating effect on himself, no chance of hiring the Royal Enfield now,  yikes you never know where the next pig will come from!

Needless to say we got home safely, managed to pick up a bottle of the local Gin £1.70, 3 tonics 90p and 5 fresh limes 10p from Alfredo the Veg Man, we might never come home.............



Sunday morning 12^th

Awoke to the cries of sea eagles, crows, a  distant train hooter, and a stunning blue sky. Himself groaned about the impossibly firm mattress, now to be called The Rack, and made coffee.

Our complex is between Varca village and the sea and very rural, Only rich Indians live here according to John The Fixer

 Last night we feasted on the cheapest Indian meal we have ever bought at the Feedmore Café.  Two large beers,  Chicken kebabs, with a chilli rush to make us grab our beers, 3 mains, yummy dhal, a novel broccoli dish, with rice & the crispiest lightest cheese & garlic naan all for the princely sum of £6.70 + 30p,  tip got a bow from the waiter for himself.

Tonight we are having drinks at sunset at Benaulim  Beach followed by dinner at one of the restaurants

Dont get many of these on Blackpool Beach!



Sunday

The Rack, exotic colours

Imperial Residence

Home for 2 weeks