The train trip to Goa is to be my last on this trip, sadly. I have been looking forward to seeing the scenery in this part of the country, but of course as a lot of the travel is at night, I had to wait until dawn to see what it was like. We left at 9.30pm, and were due at Vasco de Gama station at around 3pm the next afternoon, so there was plenty of time to see the countryside in Karnataka, and I was not disappointed. Instead of flat land, there were gently rolling hills, with red soil and heavily planted agriculturally - harvesting was happening here also as it had all been delayed due to the late rains. Every state seems to have its own style for the haystacks, and this is no different. I was fascinated to see them around Aurangabad, they were such an unusual shape. Round tent-like structures with a pole that made them look like the circus tents almost and I discovered that they were in fact made of corn stalks, rather than hay. The haystacks here also had their own personality, much larger, and not so many in a field amongst some really tropical trees. As we headed further southeast, the gentle hills became quite mountainous, rolling away into the distance, and I could feel the train gradually climbing and winding up through the rainforest, which as we went along became quite junglelike. We stopped at one of the stations for a while, and it was nice to get out and stretch the legs as by this time we had been traveling over 15 hours. Not that I was complaining of course! As we sat there, a little herd of goats came running out of a house and down the steps onto the platform, trying to see if there was anything interesting to eat. I petted them, and chatted to them, they were so cute, I just wanted to take one with me. As the track was quite winding, it was finally possible to see at various points each end of the train, and to realise just how long it was.
As we neared the border with Goa, I was wondering if it would be possible to do a trip to see the amazing Dudhsagar Falls, the second highest in India, but L Planet told me that they were pretty difficult to get to, really needing a long jeep trip, and then climbing up through the bush,so that was that, I thought. I had my head glued to the window as usual, watching the climb up and up, then suddenly as we rounded a bend, there they were, in the not too far distance. They looked amazing, and although I tried taking photos, they didn't do them justice. I felt really blessed to have seen them, tried showing the Indian guys beside me but they were too slow (bit too much surreptitious drinking). Then we started to go down hill, and I could still get glimpses, but the jungle and mountains around soon had them hidden.
We slowly came down to the soft rolling hills, but now there were coconut palm plantations, cashew nut trees and tropical fruits such as paw paw,guavas, and sugar cane - we were in Goa, well and truly! I had decided that as the train was running an hour late that I would see if it stopped at Margao Station, and go to Palolem, instead of Arambol as I wouldn't be there before dark. It did stop briefly, long enough for me to quickly grab my bags and leap off - so long train! I then walked to where the bus to the bus stand for Palolem departed and travelled the hour and a half to the Canacona stop and then a rickshaw. I had no idea where I was going to stay, just asked the rickshaw driver to find me somewhere, and lo and behold, he pulled up at the place I had stayed last time, Flavia's, where the only room available (apart from a beach hut) was the one I had last time. After getting settled, I was just in time to walk through the beach huts and watch the sun set ovar the beach - and really felt I was back to Paradise.
I had been told that the rainy season had still not passed, it was due to finish a month ago, but still lots of downpours and thunderstorms were happening. However, in between them, the sun shone, the water is warm and everything is beautiful. There have been some torrential downpours,especially during the night, and amazing thunderstorms. There is still lots of building going on as the beach huts are being erected, the sound of hammers tapping away getting things ready for the season, which usually starts about the end on November. I have been here now for over 2 weeks, and seen quite a change and there is a real buzziness in the air as more shops open, and more people arrive daily. In fact, there is now a shortage of cheaper accomodation so I was lucky to get here when I did. After 4 nights at Flavia's I stayed for a couple of days with my friends Chrissie and Graham at Rajbag, which is a little village past Patnem, the next beach south to Palolem. This gave me time to look around and decide where I was going to spend the next 3 weeks till I left here :-(
We dicovered a little row of Portuguese houses on the main road at Patnem (which is not too, too busy) and the rent was very cheap so that I wasn't doing a big spend on accomodation for the rest of the time. Also it's not too far from Rajbag, and only 7 or 8 minutes walk to Patnem beach, which is quieter than Palolem. Not that I actually prefer it, but its very pleasant - more to the open sea, so can at time be a little bit surfie for me. I can walk to Palolem with a short cut through a village in 20 mins, or I can do it the easy way and take the very frequent bus (5 mins) that goes between Chaudi and Palolem 15 mins. Chaudi is the local small town centre, with a real supermarket (Goa style - its jam packed with items up and down stairs, a lot of it in Hindi only, so some of it is guess work. There are ATM's, tailors, jewellers, hardware stores, the fruit and veg markets, the fish market (smelly), chemists, doctors, gift and clothing shops - so pretty much everything you need, oh, and a post office. Today (27th Nov) I decided I would walk from my place into Chaudi. A good plan, it was only 25 mins - a bad plan, it was so hot and humid I was melting when I got there. Had a nice refreshing cold drink of sugar cane and lemon juice, and after doing my chores got the bus back.
This bus is an amazing experience most of the time. Today I got it from the Chaudi Market stop, which is the one after it leaves the bus station, pretty full. There were about 30 people waiting by the time the bus arrived ( the buses are not large), and I thought there was no way that everybody could get in, there weren't any seats left and people standing already. But the conductors are expert in getting people onto a bus like sardines, and everybody was jammed in, literally. Of course that would never be allowed in a lot of western countries, but here it works. The problem with having the bus so full is that when somebody wants to get out, they have to try and manouvre their way through, almost impossible - but not quite! And the conductor is making you hurry off and on always, almost pushing you out the door that he has ready open while the bus is moving. Same when getting on, the bus barely stops when his whistle is going for the driver to go. Still, for 5 rupees between Palolem and Chaudi, its a bargain!
Living in the village of Patnem is like living in a small country farm, scattered with colourful old Portuguese houses. The roads have a lot of trees and nice bushy plants, they are narrow and red dirt, except the main road, which is sealed and wide enough for 2 buses to pass if they go very slowly and carefully, with only the rear vision mirror between. There are chooks and roosters wandering everywhere, of course the cows heading up and down the roads around milking time (and whenever else they feel like it). The dogs of course, and I looked across the road from my place the other day, and there is now a camel in the paddock - actually, a dromedary. And the nicest thing about walking is that the locals, whether walking or cycling (lots of cycles) give a big smile and hello. A lot of people that come here to stay hire bicycles, 40 rupees a day, or buy their own to keep for when they come next year. Its a lovely relaxed place to be wandering around.
My day has been consisting of getting up, doing my washing, having breakfast and then walking down to the beach to meet my friends, lie in the sun on a sun bed at the favorite beach restaurant,have a swim, cool off inside the beach place, have some lunch, go home, do some chores, have a shower, walk if its not too hot, then relax until dinner time. I really don't know where the time goes. Still trying to get over this respiratory thing though, its hanging on, almost gone but there enough to be annoying, and feeling a bit low in energy. Hopefully, just staying in one place will help. Planning to go and stay in a beach hut for the last 4 days, at Palolem - I just love this beach, even if it is going to get a bit crowded. Coconut palms and colourful beach huts, and beautiful, mainly calm blue water. And - there is a new addition to the beaches at Goa - Lifeguards! A bit of overkill actually - there are so many and they mostly don't look any more than teenagers, although of course they are older. They patrol the beach with a narrow piece of foam strapped to their backs,(to throw to somebody in trouble) and in their uniforms of red knee-length pants and tops which have a yellow stripe down the arm, they look like some kind of beetle. At various parts of the beach there are shiny new big jet skis parked ready for the rescue. As well, there is helicopter doing a beach trawl, and a shiny new jeep (Mahindra) doing the cruise from beach to beach. In this part of Goa it just doesn't seem necessary, and apparently is costing a huge amount of money. Still, if it helps to save even one life...
Hard to believe that in less than three weeks I will be home. The weather has been really settled for the past couple of weeks almost.
