Set off by tuk tuk on our 2 hour drive to Palolem with the obligatory stop at one of the cottage industries shops so the driver could collect points for his new tv! If he brings 50 people he gets a new fridge and 80 a TV. His count was up to 62!
The heat today is nearly unbearable. You just cannot catch your breath and the air coming into the tuk tuk as we drove along was like heat from an oven.
We arrived in busy Palolem village and then had to brave the hot sun midday sun as we walked down the beach with all our bags and packpacks looking for the Brendon guesthouse.
We were swarmed by the usual wallahs looking to sell us everything from massages to rooms to toothpaste.
We negotiated a good rate (6 euro a day) and settled in.
Palolem is a crescent shaped bay in the very southern part of Goa and is the nearest thing to Paradise we have seen to date. Crystal clear waters lapping up right next to our hut and literally 10 metres for us to run and have a swim each morning before breakfast as dolphins swim nearby in the bay.
There are a few lovely beaches close to Palolem like Kollam a tiny quiet beach with imposing rocks guarding its entrance. Lots of canoeing and kayaking. In darkness we climbed across the hill separating Kollam and Palolem and stood gazing at the beauty of the beach and its lights in the darkness.
Patnem beach is also close by and specializes in quiet accomodation with lots of reiki and yoga courses. Nice beach but we still like Palolem better.
We bought some local old monk rum and had an aperatif every evening before dinner.
Lots of puppies in Brendon Guesthouse so we had their mother barking some nights to fight off the local dogs that came a callin!
We took a dolphin trip one morning at 6am with one of the local fishermen to see the dolphins up close. Lots of dolphins but very difficult to get up close as they dive as soon as they hear the boat engines.
Having lots of fish here which is great as we are enjoying the respite from the very strong indian food. Kingfish, white and red snapper and prawns are our favourite.
Visited Ordu Sounskar a famous guesthouse which is only accessible via a rickety old bridge. Got eaten by mosquitos so exited without delay. Beautiful place but you would need to be smothered i insect repellent 24/7 there.On the way back we climbed over rocks and discovered lots of lizards, small fish and eel like creatures in the rock pools there.
There was an amazing disco there called silent night where all the clubbers wear headphones as they dance like crazy in the sand! There is a local law banning loud music on the beach after 10pm so this is their cool solution. Sounds mad but it really works.
On our last day we had our delicious pancake breakfast , last morning swim and examined the damage done to our roof overnight. Coconuts had smashed onto our roof during the night cracking many of the tiles and giving us additional ventilation!
Met some Irish people from wicklow arriving as we were leaving. Such a small world. They are related to my mechanic in Dublin. They'd just come from spending 2 months in Nepal trekking.
Hopped on local bus to Margao to catch overnight train to Kerala.
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