Chilling in Goa … Chennai …

Sun, 21st – Tue, 23rd October – Cicade de Goa Beach Resort, Vainguinim Beach
Just what the doctor ordered – a very chilled out zone to while away a couple of days, enjoy the sunshine, and plan our trips / accommodation in South and North Goa. It is a lovely place but is out of the way of the main drag for us – we like to be able to walk out of the hotel and meander about. This hotel is a resort which in itself is really beautiful but any more than a few days would result in cabin fever for us, lol.

It’s not long before Neil ‘knows everybody’ and does what he does best – organises a few games including footy on the beach! lol.

We do have a brilliant time here and, in particular, the bar and Portuguese Restaurant were memorable.

A huge thank you must go to Fiona, who helped us with planning the next 10 days of our journey …

Wed, 24th – Fri, 26th October – Hotel Calangute Towers
A base from which to explore North Goa.
After being in Goa for a few days already we know that it is still quite early on in the season and this is quite evident as we hit Calangute and Baga. Whilst most places are operating, painting and building is still going on.
We arrive at mid-day and go straight out to explore the BEACHES (Calangute and Baga) and don’t arrive back until after 10.00pm!!!!!! This is more like it for us – there is a hive of activity in this busy area.
The Front of House Manager insists on supplying a taxi down to the beach. It is a holiday here at the moment and many of the locals are on a break and hitting the beaches – what an experience this is!!!! Lol !!!!
We hit Calangute first, and the locals are all at the edge of the sea – not anywhere else – the men appear to have just stripped down to their boxer shorts and the women are fully clothed as they mess about in the sea! All very bizarre to an outsider 🙂
Grown men bury themselves in the sand or just roll about in it, some are holding hands whilst others look like they are watching a pornographic movie as they ogle the western bikini clad women😜. They do it so openly – it’s all very strange – and even ‘take’ pics of mates with these women in the background.

We continue to walk up the beach and see a little place where we have decided we will plonk ourselves tomorrow – ‘The Chalston’ – all the necessities of a lazy day i.e. sunbeds, bar, restaurant. Before long we hit Baga Beach where we rest at Brittos for a drink and something to eat. It’s great, chilling in the sunshine looking out to sea … bliss! We people watch – oh yeh and, as you can see from the pics, cow watch … cows on the beaches … only in India!

There are loads of people lining the shore and it really is a beautiful beach. However, they are a messy lot and unfortunately, litter collects in many areas – such a shame. This does not detract from the weather though and the sea and sand!!!!
We make our way back down the length of Baga and Calangute beaches and finish up at a bar to the entrance of the beach where we have a drink and watch a most gorgeous sunset – OMG, it is stunning. It’s dark now and the locals still stream onto the beach! A huge amount only come out later – we found this out at our previous hotel – nobody all day and then, wham, out they all come after sunset, weird!

We make our way back through the busy streets to our hotel – it’s a hive of activity and we enjoy dipping in and out of the food stalls taking in the sounds and smells as we go … we purchase a few bits and pieces on the way home which is our tea. I fight the urge to shop at Top Shop and we are soon sitting in the bar next to our hotel for a nightcap.

We have had a great day and return the next day to The Chalston on the beach where we just laze the day away … criminal 😝
We watch the sunset again, although it is a little cloudy on the horizon so it’s not as spectacular as yesterday’s, before taking a walk back down the beach for our tea at Souza Lobo … NOM NOM NOM. Knackered and sweaty, we walk directly back to our hotel for a right good shower to freshen up and take ourselves off to bed – it’s been such a hard day, pmsl 😃

We take off after breakfast the next day to find some travel agents with a view to taking part in a trip today. However, armed with NO camera, sunscreen, repellent or swimwear, we end up walking on and before you know it, have made our own trip for the day. This day’s exploring takes us through the streets of Calangute to the beach of Candolim. This is a better beach in that it is cleaner and less busy. We walk the length of it, taking in some beverages along the way – got to as it’s so hot, lol. Any excuse, right!!!!! One particular spot is entertaining when an Indian family (a mum, dad, teenage boy, young girl, a toddler and a babe in arms) stroll up outside and we think ‘begging’ again 😦
However, we are surprised as they begin to set up some contraption and we wonder what’s going to happen. What they have done is set up, within minutes, a tightrope some six foot in the air, upon which the young girl performs for about ten minutes. They thoroughly deserve the money that they collect as it was quite a good act.

Totally unplanned, we walk on to the end of Candolim Beach onto Sinquerim Beach and are rewarded at the end by a beautiful resort which we discover is a Taj Hotel, Vivanta by Taj – Fort Aguada. Via security we are allowed to enter, wander around this stunning place with spectacular views and stop for a couple of cocktails before moving on.
As we are right by Fort Aguada, the remains of a Portuguese Fort and it’s lighthouse, we arrange a taxi up there for 100IR – and then back to the centre of Candolim for 150IR where we sit and while the last few hours of daylight away. Who needs a Tour Operator!!!!!!
We plan a raucous night at Tito’s tonight but once we are back at the hotel and freshen up, the day is over for me – I quickly fall asleep, much to Neil’s disappointment – I guess I had one ‘Monk’ too many today, lol.

Sat, 27th – Mon, 29th October – Hacienda de Goa, Anjuna, North Goa
We found this place on Trip Advisor and, wow, it is everything they say and so much more!
It is a jewel in the crown – an oasis in the desert!!!!!! Another welcome stay after the hustle and bustle that is India’s streets. We meet Thomas and Susan, the proprietors, who are very warm and welcoming. As we begin unpacking in what we are already thinking is a lovely room, Susan knocks our door and offers us an upgrade. How exciting – the next room is as stunning but is a suite with a balcony overlooking the splendid countryside – it is so peaceful and relaxing here and we settle in by rushing to the pool area.

It’s Saturday night and we get a taxi back into Baga for the night – North Goa’s equivalent of Broad Street. We hit Titos Lounge for food before strolling along the bars and people watching. It’s mayhem and madness and extremely lively! Guess you can party anywhere in the world … but it is so much better in the warm air on the beach 🙂
On Sunday we hire a moped for the day – 250IR (less than three quid!) – and we take off to explore this ‘hippy’ area of North Goa.
Once we relax into the open road and the traffic, we find ourselves venturing into as many nooks and crannies as only a two wheeler can! The moped enables us to get down to the smallest of dirt tracks of which there are many. We stay on the coastal paths and journey to the beaches (Anjuna, Little Vagator, Vagator and Ozran) and, yes you got it, the local hostelries (San Franciscos, Curlies, Janet and Johns; to name a few) … dipping into the sea for a swim as we go. We also come across many nice places to stay in the hillside overlooking the beaches – some to remember for the future.

Time is against us before we know it and, as we don’t really want to be riding these lanes in the dark (6pm ‘ish), we are back having cut short our planned journey further North. However, we have had yet another good and interesting day and, as dusty as it has been, this is all forgotten as we divebomb the pool on our return. We have a meal at the restaurant here and, being the only ones in the restaurant, we are able to spend some time with Lenny (Manager) and his staff – it’s not long before they are playing ‘Pass the Pigs’ with us.

Monday, our last full day here, sees us chilling around the pool area and making the most of this place – we really don’t move very far from here and even eat here all day long!!!!!!! It really is a most tranquil place … a blissful last day in North Goa.

Tue, 30th October – Thu, 1st November – Leon Hide Out Guest House, Bogmalo, South Goa
Well, we arrive in Bogmalo – a steep hill descends into a small beach area and we find our little hideaway for the next few days. It’s like something off Robinson Crusoe here – our accommodation is quite literally next to the beach and there’s no escaping the sound of the waves lapping the shore. Francis and Lorraina greet us and then we venture out into the street that is Bogmalo!
Our first stop is at the end of the beach at Coconut ……… where Lorraina has recommended we go for breakfast tomorrow. Behind here, a little away from the beach, is Coconut Beach Resort, just another quaint place we come across tucked away which we can add to our list. Again, this reiterates just how easy it is to come across the most beautiful places just by turning up and having a wander around.
As we sit here, a group of local lads start turning up on the beach and draw up a footy pitch there – we learn that they meet every day at 3.30pm to play a game. Neil is keen to play and they are very welcoming. He does himself proud and scores a couple of goals and his team wins. The following day whilst sunbathing, they come and ‘call for him’ lol – they must have been impressed 🙂
On Wednesday, we take a hike back up the steep hill to the local ATM which is located next to the Indian Naval Aviation Museum – we stop up here for an hour or so to take a look around. There is much information to digest here and the old planes and helicopters on display are impressive. A bargain at 20IR each – 25p !
Dinner that night is at Seagulls, one of the only places we can access wifi down here. The owner is very welcoming and there is a great atmosphere as it becomes full. We have a great meal and catch up with our emails and of course face time 🙂 It’s surprising how easy it is, when you are 5 1/2 hours ahead of home, to stay out late just catching up with folks – and it’s 3am before we stroll across the road to our room.
Thursday, 1st November – Lauren’s 20th Birthday!!!!! – we are a little worse for wear this morning AND we have a moped waiting for us which we have hired for the day. After a breakfast to line our stomachs we head off in the direction of Colve Beach …………………. It starts to rain quite heavily as we arrive – the first rain we have seen in 7 weeks! – so we take cover at Kentuckies for a bite to eat and lots of water. We have a laugh during the afternoon as we travel across Margao, Ponda ………… ducking and diving through the traffic, cows, pigs, dogs and the public !!!! It certainly is the way to get about although not in the rain but we do have a good time. Sometimes we think just how mad we are.
Back Bogmalo at 5.30pm and we feel worse than we did when we got up this morning so a lie down is the order of the day. We head back to Seagulls for the wifi so that we can catch up with Lauren on her birthday. However, there is a blackout and the area is running on generators and we are gutted to learn that we may not get to make contact with her. After about an hour, things are back up and running and we have a window of opportunity to call and we are grateful – it means a lot to us and Lauren. Despite us not being there, it seems that she’s had a ‘birthday week’ and is enjoying herself – I for one will miss not being with the family when they meet up tonight for her birthday.
We say goodbye and head back to Leon Hide Out for an early ‘last’ night and the electricity cuts out again. There’s not a lot we can do so it’s a good job we’re heading straight to bed – tomorrow we’re off again … …

Fri, 2nd November – Sat, 3rd November – The Park Inn, Chennai (formerly Madras)