After our "roller-coaster" bus ride we arrived in the capital of Goa state...the city of Panaji. With the coming of daylight we are treated to a surprise...beautiful, thick lush green jungle with less garbage and people than the northern states. We are still trying to figure out why we stopped in Panaji but we had a short but interesting stay. We participated in an evening sunset cruise and for any of you that should choose this option DO NOT participate in the evenings couple's dance. First off you get onto a stage in front of well over a hundred people...of course you are the only goras (foreigners) on the boat so every eye is one you! On comes this blast of noise and away you go...dancing! So this cruise is about 1.5hrs long and they make you dance on this stage (sweating your bag off!) for over a half hour non-stop!!! At least at the end of the performance we got alot of "you good dance".
Onto a couple of "chicken bus's" and to the southern beach of Palolem...and this is NOT India. Clean, beautiful and full of very nice places to stay and eat (and Kingfisher beer for 35R (70 cents) and lots of foreign and Indian tourists. (although foreign tourist numbers are WAY down because of the european financial problems) With its gorgeous sand, coconut tree lined 3 km long beach this place matches anything the Caribbean can offer! (but at about one fifth the cost!) The Arabian Sea is bathtub warm and is much needed as the temperatures from noon through to 5 are blistering hot! After 5 it is GORGEOUS as one watches the sunset, wander the beach and have a few brew (2 for 1 after 6)
We have done some kayaking (lots of neat birds in a local river) and rented motos to check out some adjacent beaches (gorgeous and alot less people) forts (impressive) and I spent an entire day in the Cotiago Wildlife Sanctuary (50R entry) on my moto...some of the best jungle scenery I have ever seen (inc. Amazon and central america)..amazing and I only saw 1 vehicle the entire day! Rough 2 wheel tracks to waterholes with lots of birds, hundreds of monkeys and a few deer. At one of the waterholes I found two cobra sheds over 10 feet long!
Lori and I are heading back there tomorrow on a Royal Enfield Bullet moto (700R rental)...bet she won't like the water crossings!
The only bad news is that I have picked up some sort of skin rash which isn't helping my looks...Lori says "stay away sick man"!
Have picked up our bus tickets to Hampi and will be rolling to the west tomorrow evening (22nd) and will spend Christmas in the gorgeous city of Hampi before returning to Gokarna Beach on the coast for New Years and proceeding S. The 8 days we have spent in Palolem have really "recharged" our batteries...we are ready to tackle the "real India" again!!!
Onto a couple of "chicken bus's" and to the southern beach of Palolem...and this is NOT India. Clean, beautiful and full of very nice places to stay and eat (and Kingfisher beer for 35R (70 cents) and lots of foreign and Indian tourists. (although foreign tourist numbers are WAY down because of the european financial problems) With its gorgeous sand, coconut tree lined 3 km long beach this place matches anything the Caribbean can offer! (but at about one fifth the cost!) The Arabian Sea is bathtub warm and is much needed as the temperatures from noon through to 5 are blistering hot! After 5 it is GORGEOUS as one watches the sunset, wander the beach and have a few brew (2 for 1 after 6)
We have done some kayaking (lots of neat birds in a local river) and rented motos to check out some adjacent beaches (gorgeous and alot less people) forts (impressive) and I spent an entire day in the Cotiago Wildlife Sanctuary (50R entry) on my moto...some of the best jungle scenery I have ever seen (inc. Amazon and central america)..amazing and I only saw 1 vehicle the entire day! Rough 2 wheel tracks to waterholes with lots of birds, hundreds of monkeys and a few deer. At one of the waterholes I found two cobra sheds over 10 feet long!
Lori and I are heading back there tomorrow on a Royal Enfield Bullet moto (700R rental)...bet she won't like the water crossings!
The only bad news is that I have picked up some sort of skin rash which isn't helping my looks...Lori says "stay away sick man"!
Chris tried this medicine man and his spelling is as effective as his cure....
Have picked up our bus tickets to Hampi and will be rolling to the west tomorrow evening (22nd) and will spend Christmas in the gorgeous city of Hampi before returning to Gokarna Beach on the coast for New Years and proceeding S. The 8 days we have spent in Palolem have really "recharged" our batteries...we are ready to tackle the "real India" again!!!
