Goa!

After an exhausting but fun-filled 2 weeks travelling around India we were glad to finally reach Goa, knowing that we could relax there for a few days! We knew it was going to be a gorgeous beach resort  where you could sip on cocktails and relax to your heart's content... So when we arrived at a run down hotel in the middle of the jungle surrounded by shacks, Kirren was certain we were in the wrong place! Who knew Goa was a jungle?! The hotel was actually fine and the beach was only a short walk away but it took Kirren a while to get her head around it!

That night turned out to be more of what we were expecting - dinner and drinks on the beach whilst watching a thunderstorm in the background (and praying it didn't move over to us until after we'd eaten!). Goan food is mostly about fish, coconut and rice which was delicious (it became Andy's staple for the next 3 days!)! The night progressed on to a bar in town where we went to party with the locals - it was definitely an interesting experience but Kirren was glad that she had a 6ft3 giant husband constantly by her side!

The next day was essentially a write off for half of the group (including Kirren) who all had horrendous Delhi belly. We assume it was something we all ate in Mumbai but who knows... Thank goodness for immodium (and beans on toast when Kirren got her appetite back!)!

We moved onto another hostel for our last few days as it was on another beach. We were welcomed by a fellow hostel resident who started telling us about himself and then promptly told us how stoned he was! Kirren couldn't decide if she was more amused by the fact that he openly told us or that he thought we couldn't tell! 

We spent one day going to Old Goa which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was basically a load of massive white washed churches all sprouting out of the jungle! It was very bizarre! The architecture was very Mediterranean which was weird to see in the middle of India, but then you'd look around and see a stray cow wandering around and you'd remember where you were... There was one church which apparently had the body of a saint which hadn't decomposed over some 300 years - Kirren wasn't sure if she a) believed that or b) particularly wanted to see it! They open up the display every few years so that people can pay respects to it...

There was also an old fort near to our hostel that we went to see. It was mostly ruins but the view from the top was amazing - Indian Ocean on one side,

jungle on the other! It was also guarded by monkeys so Andy decided to be our protector and fashioned a big stick from a branch in order to scare the monkeys away if necessary! 

The beaches in Goa were very different to the types of beaches we're used to. Although it had the standard gorgeous sunsets and amazing ocean views, there were also cows wandering around (occasionally being chased by stray dogs) and most people on the beach were fully clothed! It was nice to see lots of honeymooning Indian couples on the beach - this is clearly the place to come for India's young people!

There is one place in Goa that deserves a special mention - TinTin's restaurant on Vagatore Beach. After braving a tropical thunderstorm in which the power went out whilst we were walking (thankfully we brought our torch as there were no streetlights!) and skirting round half a dozen terrified dogs at the restaurant entrance, we were well rewarded with the best burgers we've had a in a long time! After 3 weeks of mostly veg curries and roti, it was the most amazing thing we had tasted in a long time! They were even beef burgers (apparently)! If anyone is going to Goa, this place is a must! We went there a couple of times in order to get our 'animal nutrition' (as dad put it!) before heading to a meat-free week in the Punjab!