Not specifically. I'm not a drinker, that's not to say I don't. Research and advice before the trip suggested becoming a vegetarian would be the safest way to avoid most food orientated bugs, also staying clear of dairy products. I would only eat foods that needed boiling - pasta's etc. Any milk for tea and coffee I would buy UHT. For a first trip I was very cautious, eating in just 3 places that I trusted. Having said that, I did loose some weight in the first few weeks. I was able to avoid any sickness or bugs for the whole 12 weeks.

P.

oh ok. My daughter was ill one day and that was due to prawns. My OH was ill for one day and that was due to sun, sun and more sun, drink and food.

can't wait for your next random writing!


Jazz x

Random Jottings N0.5 16th February 2011

Waterfalls, Monkeys and how Indian Railways saved the day"¦

What should have been a relatively straight forward trip (as researched on the internet) turned into something of an expedition and with time running out, returning to base on public transport might have proved somewhat challenging!

Target destination is the Waterfall at Dudhsagar situated among the hills and mountains of the Ghats. Bordering the Eastern boundaries of Goa state, the Ghats mountain range extends several hundred miles South and is home to several species of snakes, spiders and of course monkeys. Initial research for this trip suggested a bus ride from Panjim all the way to Dudhsagar with perhaps a short walk to see the waterfall at close quarters. Infact getting there involved four busses to the nearest village, then a jeep ride to the actual waterfall with the whole journey costing considerably more than anticipated.

So, for the benefit of anyone attempting the Dudhsagar waterfall by public transport, the route is as follows, and was determined on advice from the various bus stations operatives!

1. Bus Calangute to Panjim, via Candolim. Departs 0905, costs 14 rupees and takes 45 minutes.
2. Express non-stop bus Panjim to Margao. Departs 1015, costs 26 rupees and takes 45 mintes.
3. Bus Margao to Ponda. Departs 1030 costs about 15 rupees and takes an hour.
4. Bus Ponda to Colem (last stop). Departs 1140, costs 27 rupees and takes 1 hour 20 minutes.
5. Jeep ride. Departs as soon as there are enough passengers (6 max), costs 360 rupees and takes 40 minutes. Taking a jeep with 1 passenger will cost 1800 rupees.

The bus ride is an interesting experience passing through some lush greenery augmented with rice paddies, presumably fed from mountain streams. Occasionally there would be a glimpse of an elephant grazing . The route between Ponda and Colem passes through an extensive mining area - minerals including iron ore are mined from the Ghats foothills and taken to Vasco port for onward shipping to Pacific nations including Japan. On reaching Colem, the last settlement and closest point to the waterfall (by bus), there are a collection of jeeps gathered at a cross roads section just a short walk down from the bus stop. Three options are now available. Option one is to hike the 12km to the waterfalls - 2-3 hours of trekking across some pretty rough terrain and wading through streams (maybe next time). Option two is to wait for a full compliment of passengers for the jeep (or pay the 1800 r and go on your own). Option three is to abandon the expedition and get on the bus back to Ponda. Option 3 was looming as 2pm approached and no sign of any perspective passengers. And even if the jeep was to go now it would be a further 2 ½ hour expedition - a rather tight schedule if the planned return trip via bus was going to be achievable. There is of course the backup option - a very expensive taxi ride back to base, since this village is literally in the middle of nowhere and I didn't notice any overnight accommodation! There is one more option to be considered - the jeep drivers point to a railway station and the last train leaves at 5 pm. If the jeep doesn't break down and if the train leaves on schedule, there should be enough time to reach base before all of India's public transport beds down for the night.

2.15 and the jeep was ready to roll as some Russian tourists had turned up very much on spec - we were on our way! 12km along some very rough terrain, through streams, over boulders and into some quite dense jungle. If there is a photo to be taken the driver will stop - monkeys of the black face variety reside around here, plus opportunities for panoramic scenes of the dense emerald cover can be viewed and recorded. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the waterfalls, then a 10 minute foot trek over a few more boulders to the edge of a lake that the water falls into. Well, here we are, objective achieved - the waterfalls of Dudhsagar and how majestic they are too. A milky white torrent cascades down a rock face hundreds of metres high surrounded by a lush emerald carpet of dense vegetation. A kingfisher darts around the lakes edge whilst eagles soar overhead and our Russian guests decide to jump in for a refreshing cool off. Dudhsagar is also a good place to see monkeys in their natural habitat. Despite signs warning not to feed the monkeys, our Russian visitors opted to avail them with bananas and grapes, which of course made for some unobstructed, close up photography.

Returning to Calangute was relatively straight forward. The train stops at Margao, takes an hour and costs just 5 rupees - definatly no frills for that price! The last bus to Panjim is at 8pm and prior to that 7 and 7.20pm. The queue for tickets could have filled 2 busses at 7pm! Rolled into Calangute 8.45pm and in need to some substantial nourishment, so dinner tonight is at the Hungry Horse - vegetable kurma, plain rice and naan for 2.20 ukp. Roll on the next adventure!

I must say what whilst reading your jottings I had the same thoughts as Jazz12 regarding your food.
I keep thinking - when will they mention they went to Navtara in Mapusa or Anand Sagar in Calangute - both very good vegetarian restaurants with quite a good variety of pulses and veg - try eithers Thali. As a veggie they are my favourite restaurants (but NOT the Plantain Leaf - the only veggie place that has made me seriously ill)
No weight loss for me - I usually put it on

Enjoying the reports.

Really enjoyable report, Calangute. Enjoying reading it.

I agree that a veggie diet helps avoid the Delhi belly. Not a guarantee, though. I am veggie and occasionally get the odd attack.

Also agree with waterproof about the Navtara and Anand Sagar - great food at brilliant prices. I also use, and really like, the Plantain Leaf - never had problems there and I love their Thalis.

Random Jottings Monday 7th February 2011

Panjim Market and the Mondovi River"¦

Obviously there is more to Panjim (also known as Panaji) than a gigantic bus depot, and today is the day I attempt to discover what the state capital city has to offer the enthusiastic European tourist. As in every Indian town and city there is a market and Panjim is no exception. A short bus ride for 5 rupees, or a 20 minute walk from the main station following the Mondovi river leads to the market and a rather grim looking concrete warehouse. The building has 2 floors dedicated to the market - the ground floor amass with fruit, vegetables, cereals, rice and fish. Units around the edge house butchery, government farm cooperatives and everything else from appliance repairs to gold, silver and gem dealers. The upper floor is again split into units with textiles, tailors, household hardware, mobile phones, computing and even internet access for 30 rupees for an hour! This is the place to negotiate bargains, especially in the clothing department. The market defines the beginning of the shopping and business district with narrow traffic filled streets. But Panjim has it's tree-lined boulevards and a city park with manicured lawns, neat flower beds and statues, elevating this city‘s status from ‘dump‘ to ‘quite a pleasant place‘. Bordering the park are half a dozen or so designer label stores - La coste, Wrangler, Reebock, Benetton among others, but surprisingly not FCUK. There isn't the coffee shop culture here that there is in the UK and across Europe, so I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon their version of Starbucks, ‘Café Day‘(as time went on I noticed a few more of these dotted around). I hadn't seen any premium coffee since leaving Britain 4 weeks ago - I was going to make the most of this discovery! 85p for an Americano equivalent to that we see in Britain - and actually it tasted just as good! Good value for visiting Brits and even better for visitors from the Eurozone. I suspect however this may be quite an expensive deal for the locals given that they were outnumbered 3:1.

Getting back to the bus station should be easy enough - just follow the Mondovi, it's only about a 20 minute walk and seemed a pleasant enough journey as viewed from the earlier bus ride. Crossing any Indian road is a precarious exercise, often making a dash amid a chorus of horns from bikes and furious hooting from everything else - no exaggeration, normal for India. The scenic river view consists of casino ships, paddle steamers and cruise boats - some tied to the quay and others anchored just off the bankside. Another discovery - the Panjim ferry runs directly across the Mondovi connecting with the Calangute busses. It's a free ride (ferry)and the bus to Calangute is 5 rupees less! It runs back and forth all day and is always crowded, but worth the experience and is an ideal rest from walking all the time!

Random Jottings Friday 28th January 2011

Arabian Sea, Baga and Tito's"¦

From Goa and Northwards is the Arabian Sea - warm for paddling but cool for swimming! Hotter today and could barely walk on the sand barefoot. Lunch at xaviers and rest until late afternoon when the cooling sea breeze picks up as the sun begins to sink. Just behind the shacks is Tito's Road leading to the Baga main road.
Baga is really an extension of Calangute with much the same beach shops and guest houses although a little less traffic and mayhem primarily because Baga is the end of the road naturally caused by the river estuary. One thing associated with Baga is the nightlife - the only nightlife in all of Goa is here. Primary night club is the legendry Tito's and the home of Goan Trance. Haven't experienced the Goan trance, not sure I want to for 1000r entry.

A note about the sand: apart from getting extremely hot around midday there is a risk of parasite infection. Animal poop along the shoreline, lots of sand flies, fleas and other things that bite. I would often rest on the shady side of fishing boats and within a few minutes everything that can bite, did so. From then on, I never walked along the beach barefoot, or sat in the loose sand anywhere, and tried to wear long trousers - this was difficult at times! but the bites did dissapear eventually.

Todays expense account

Porridge and mug of tea 85r 1.21 ukp
Vegetable Kurma, Naan and 2 coffees 210r 3 ukp
Colegate toothpaste 150ml 45r 64p
Pineapple Juice glass 50r 71p
Room Bill 500r 7.14 ukp

Total 12.70 ukp

thoroughly enjoying the read Calangute - feels like I'm back there!

Tip: tiger balm for the bites...and if it's sand flies - coconut oil! - they hate it!

Random Jottings 3rd February 2011

On the Busses"¦.

Target destination today is the Indian Navy Museum, located just outside the navy base at Dabolim Airport and just beyond Dabolim village. There don't appear to be any bus times or route schedules made available on Indian busses so for the most part journeys are based around guess work and previous experiences. Having said that, there's always a bus waiting at whatever time I arrive at the stand! In general, busses run every 30 minutes and will go to almost any place in Goa, via the main hubs at either Mapsua, Panjim or Margao. So, before leaving, wrote down my destination as the level of English can vary widely. Bus to Panjim was there waiting - journey time about 45 minutes and 20p. From Panjim I needed the bus to Vasco, and there it was, waiting. Journey time 1 hour and the fare - 20p. At Vasco, 10 minutes wait by the roadside for the bus to Bogmolo Beach which has a stop right outside the museum. 20 minutes journey time and 11p got me to the museum of the Indian Navy. Interesting place to spend a couple of hours. Naval aviation is displayed outside whilst inside there is a comprehensive account of India's naval history with models and artefacts. 40r to get in here - 20 to get past the gate and another 20 to take in your camera! The same busses returned me to base, again not knowing the schedules but guess working my way around. The Vasco to Panjim bus was an express costing 5r more.

Random Jottings Wednesday 26th January 2011

Anjuna Beach"¦and the Market.

Anjuna is a coastal village directly North by about 6 miles . Getting there by bus is first a trip to Mapusa then look for the Anjuna Beach bus. Anjuna flea market, only held on a Wednesday, is renowned as the largest of it's kind in the area, so why didn't I see it! I didn't see it because there were no obvious indications of a market once the bus reached the stand. No matter because Anjuna offered a totally different view point than I had been used to thus far.. Volcanic, slate and granite rock made up the geology of this rocky coastline giving some of the most picturesque views ever. I encountered a snake in one of the many rock pools - actually it was a sea snake and deadly poisonous so I didn't poke around there for long. Cafes and restaurants lined the cliff edge - an amazing lunchtime view as the photos depict. Returning to base via Mapsua again, the bus made an unscheduled stop at the local gas station. Diesel here is priced between 37r and 42r depending where in the country - that's 53-60p per litre.

Anjuna Market another time then...

Today's expense account.

Porridge and mug of coffee 90r 1.28 ukp
Vegetable spaghetti and roti 90r 1.28 ukp
Coffee 30r 42p
Toilet roll 28r 40p
Bottled water 22r 31p
Room Bill 500r 7.14 ukp

Total 10.83 ukp

Really enjoying this Calangute, cant wait for the next episode.

Random Jottings Thursday 10th March 2011

From Calangute to Kochi, Kerala and Munnar hill station 4th - 8th March 2011...

India is a land of contrasts - jungles, deserts and mountains. It's the cool, fresh environment that attracts visitors to the hills and mountains that are the Himalayas in the far North and the Western Ghats in the Southern state of Kerala, often termed as ‘God's Own Country". From Goa, getting up to the Himalayan foot hills and the famous hill station of Shimla involves at least 2 days by train to Delhi, then an overnight bus to a village where another bus or the local toy train will eventually see arrival in Shimla. Flying to Delhi still involved the overnight bus trip and of course increased the journey cost considerably - approximately 180 ukp. Tourists heading down to the hill stations of the Western Ghats tend to focus on the town of Munnar, located within a vast area of British founded tea plantations, and getting there involves a train ride and one bus - simple enough or so I thought! Perhaps it would have been but for a late train and false information as supplied by Indian Railways, thus begins the adventure to Munnar Hill Station, Kerala.

The journey begins with a degree of trepidation - the only fixed variable for this trip was the train ride. I knew there would be a bus up to Munnar, but information on timings and precisely how long the ride would take was somewhat scarce. Internet research suggested accommodation in the town was equally scarce with most establishments located between 3 and 15 kilometres away into the hills. The prices too were steep by Indian standards - anything from 1500 rupees upto 4500 but the average seemed to weigh in at 2000 rupees per night. I was determined not to succumb to such expense and took a gamble that there would be something available in the town ranging 600 - 1000 rupees maximum. Not knowing if munnar had any banks or even ATM's I armed myself with plenty of cash should my gamble backfire!

To be continued....

This is great reading

Thanks. I try to keep the dialogue simple without any rambling. Telling the story as it was, raw and uncut so to speak.

I'm in the process of planning my next trip and anyone interested in following me as the adventure unfolds can do so via the link below.

ATB,

Paul Holmes, Norwich, Norfolk.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_207093945979056&ap=1

Calangute to Kerala continued...

Not knowing if munnar had any banks or even ATM's I armed myself with plenty of cash should my gamble backfire!

One last glass of trustworthy coffee in Calangute before jumping on the 1330 bus to Mapusa. Market day in Mapusa warranted a comprehensive rummage since I had time to kill - the train departs Thivim at 2133 with no sympathy for late comers! There are frequent busses to the railway station and I arrived there in good time - 5 hours early! Time enough for a walk around the local area revealing a dead cow, a redundant mine and a dumping ground full of garbage on which the locals were rummaging. I did spot some exotic wildlife though, including a giant bee with white bulging eyes - about twice the size of an English bumble bee and completely black. I've come across several of these in Goa and they will hover at eyelevel just a few yards in front then fly away! Hygiene standards didn't appear any better here than anywhere else I've been in Goa, so I was thankful to find someone selling bananas, although I did buy some coffee after establishing the water they used was filtered. After one sip I had to throw it - the taste of Indian style coffee was appalling, at least at this station.

Trains arrived and left. 9.30pm came - and went! 10pm passed without any sign of the Netravanti express train that was to be my passage to Kerala, and no live train information is displayed here. 11pm and the train rolls in, carriage and sleeper berth located. Well, at least I was on my way, just 1hour 30 minutes later than scheduled and so begins a journey that will be quite memorable in more ways than I care to mention - but I shall all the same. There are positives and negatives to travelling sleeper class with Indian Railways. The carriage is an austere environment , dirty, smelly and clearly has seen better times. The smell is putrid originating from the toilets - it's worse when the train is stationary. The berths are just benches hanging from the walls - no curtains for privacy, no pillow, no blanket, but you do get a thin mattress! On the positive side I did experience the tastiest food India had to offer so far, and the staff will continually ply the carriage with snacks, tea and coffee. For those passengers who like to take their hot beverage black and without sugar will be disappointed since milk and sugar seem to be mandatory - on trains and at stations. Despite ceiling fans, the carriage did get quite hot, particularly for those on bunks close to the roof. Overall, I wouldn't recommend travelling this way on long distances.

A few of my photo's here. Save or bookmark the URL as I will add more in due course.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goa2011/show/with/5672989745/

Lovely photo's

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

Lovely photo's :tup

Thank you Glynis. Facebookers can see more photo's and videos I took randomly with my mobile phone via my facebook page, link below.

The photo's on Flick'r are better quality but still only taken with a small point and shoot Panasonic camera that I could fit into my jeans pocket. I wasn't going to flash around an expensive big camera in India
Facebook page for video clips and random Indian life photo's

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=640131402

Enjoy,

Paul Holmes, Norwich, Norfolk.

Despite ceiling fans, the carriage did get quite hot, particularly for those on bunks close to the roof. Overall, I wouldn't recommend travelling this way on long distances....

Calangute to Kerala..Cont'd

The station I needed to get off at was called Ernakulam Junction, otherwise I was going to end up in the far South, looking across the ocean at Sri Lanka! Aluva, Ernakulem Town, ok so the next station must be Ernakulam Junction - it was not. My concern grows as the train passes from urban to rural - it's not looking good right now! I ask around and eventaully I'm told this train doesn't stop at the junction - infact the Ernakulam Junction is on a separate line some miles away! Next station is an hour down the line with two options. Get a bus back which will take 2 ½ hours or hope for a Northbound train that stops at the Ernakulam station. Eitherway, getting on a bus to Munnar today was now looking unlikely. At this juncture I decided to dispense with the train ride home and buy an air ticket at the first opportunity. Luck at last! There was a northbound train with a stop at Ernakulam Town station, the closest point I could get to the Junction. The Bangalore express rolls into a very busy, bustling station an hour later, having to push my way through the train before it rolls on again - you get 3 minutes to disembark.

First thing to do is buy an airplane ticket, second, find somewhere to sleep. Directly outside the station are numerous hotels, restaurants, cafes, ATM, shops and a travel agents - everything I needed within 500 yards. I booked an airplane seat back to Goa leaving Tuesday morning, found out where to get the bus to Munnar and how to get to the airport. Also, the travel agent was able to direct me to a nice inexpensive (500 r) hotel room. I was all set for a night in Kochi, and without the prospect of a horrible 15 hour train ride back I was starting to enjoy things a little more. So, with a hotel room secured, just time to explore and get something to eat. As any visitor to India would expect, much of the cuisine is native with the odd Chinese dish available for good measure, but more significant is the improved level of hygiene. In making comaprisons between Goa and Kerala, cafes and resaurants are very clean, and are all moderately busy. Prices in general seem to be less by about 1/3rd . For example, a set breakfast will cost around 50 r, lunch 90 r and similar at dinner. Whilst a coffee in Goa (Calangute) will cost 30-40 r, expect to pay around 10-15 r in Kerala (Kochi). Lots of shops, cafes, churches, mosques and of course traffic, but an early start becons an early night.

The bus to Munnar leaves from the main stand at Ernakulem Junction also know as the South Station - a 10 minute and 20 rupee tuktuk ride. Here is a bus station of contrasts with new modern buaes alongside some distinctly older models, many without glass in the windows! Very little is printed in English and searching for the correct bus was somewhat frustrating. Ask three different officials and each will give a different answer! The bus to Munnar was large and had comfortable seating, with plenty of leg room and was clean! 06.40 the bus pulls away from the stand and heads for the mountains of Kerala known as the Western Ghats. Munnar hill station is 4 hours away - time for a short knap!

1 ½ hours into the journey and first sight of hills. Soon the mountains loom, grey and shrouded in mist. The road is narrow, single track in places and on the edge of some vey deep ravines. On the right - panoramic views across valleys whilst on the left, rocks and mountainsides. Hamlets, villages and the occasional bungalow passes by, nestled in valleys and hillsides. Tea stalls pop into view sporadically, constructed of any material close to hand - bamboo, corrugated tin, old bricks and plastic sheets.