Betty’s boat trip again

Since we got the malaria tablets I have 4 different tablets to be taken at different frequencies, I have 3 tablets for diabetes a day, 1 for cholesterol a day and now one malaria tablet a week. Good job John, Claire’s step Dad gave me the tablet monitor; I remember being the milk monitor at school and you could drink as many of those little 1/3 pint bottles as you could get down you while delivering. The best tasting milk in the world for some reason; other milk was never as good or never will be.

Driving around Goa this time seems a little quieter on the roads as normal but they have put even more sleeping policemen on the roads than they already had, it’s a nightmare. They always seem to put them where you least expect them and although, sometimes there are lines across the road they still catch you out. No advanced warning and normally they put them by shadows that cross the road so you have no chance of spotting them until you are bouncing over them. Sometimes one bump, sometimes double bumps and now they have gone for triple bumps that, on a scooter, however slow you go, bounce out your false teeth, even if you don’t have them yet. Seriously, they are so dangerous, as if the roads out here aren’t dangerous enough. I have a theory; they have a massive population explosion out here and it can’t be controlled, this is somebody’s idea of a natural cull. To slow the growth rate down they have to have brain storming sessions and this is the most successful idea. Another great idea that one of them had is to dig channels across the road so they can put wires under, rather than over the roads. Before, they always filled them in overnight if they didn’t have time to run the cables the same day, but now they leave them open, for days. It all helps in their quest to slow the growth rate down but trouble is, the tourists are first in line so that idea is not their best. One other idea they had was to leave live exposed wires everywhere that you look, even in hotels; well guest houses in our case, in the hope that they might loose a few more.

We have now moved to Cavellosim into Saajan’s guest house, and very friendly they are too. The name of the place is a combination of the owners, Jan and Saa, I guess. Saa used to work on a boat owned by English for years and years and travelled all over the world before settling down into an arranged marriage with Jan from Varca. They have 8 rooms that they have rented out for about 8 years and last year they built a restaurant onto it and have never looked back. Saa, was the ships cook and so knows how to cook everything from roast beef to chicken pies and since they have opened are doing a roaring trade with the Brits that don’t like local food. The other establishments always have English food, but not as authentic as a genuine Brit trained ships cook. We tried their tandoori chicken last night and it was lovely but must try the English stuff before we leave. We had a quick drink with Dilli across the road last night to give him one of my old phones as his has broke but he still has his SIM card. As we were talking to him for so long while he was working and bought him drinks, rather than tips, the others must have got a bit jealous as he was summonsed away never to be seen again until we left. Sometimes, they really are a load of old grumpy fascists over here towards the other workers, especially if they are not from Goa. Anyway, we have decided not to get him any more trouble and to leave him alone tonight and take him out for Sunday lunch on his day off instead.

We had an early morning knock on the door today at 8am ready for out favourite Goan trip Betty’s. We arrived at 9.30am and headed off at 9.40am, quite quick but the sea was so flat, without waves that we almost expected a tsunami. There seemed to be no dolphins anywhere in the ocean today and we travelled further along the coast than we ever had before, until there they were, everywhere so we stayed quite a while for photos and the trip back to the river Sal. As we had travelled so far, we were late and ended up mooring before we normally would along the river for lunch. The bonus was that because it was so calm they could serve the beers while we were still at sea rather than waiting until we were in the river mouth. It’s a great trip, 750 rupees and you get a 3 course lovely lunch, as many beers as you can manage in the time and the most chilling boat trip you have ever taken along Goa’s backwaters. I don’t think the price has risen since our very first trip but the exchange rate has gone away from us so the price has risen in English terms.

We chatted to a really nice English couple called Alison and Dave from Leicestershire and its Dave’s first time in Goa. They are staying in their friend’s house in Benaulim for free; well Alison has to do a few free hair cuts as she is a top hair stylist. They are secretly getting married next April in Goa, so don’t tell anyone! They have even invited us to their engagement party on Thursday at Benaulim so we look forward to that. It’s funny how you are prepared to tell people that you have never met your innermost secrets but don’t tell, even your closest friends at home sometimes. I guess it’s because you think that nobody could possibly find out at home. Unless of course, they do some blog searched! It’s a good job that we don’t work for the Sun.