New years eve, I followed my pattern of brekkie and off on my bike, on my way to little colva, I past a young couple on the road, as I turned the corner there was a snake onth edge of the road moving towards the grass, the snake would be about a foot long and lime green, I thought it was best to tell the couple about the snake, so I turned the bike around and went back, they were english and had just passed the place were I had saw the snake, I toldthem,and they thanked me, and asked if I would join them on the beach for a drink, what a fascinating couple, they were there to study snakes for a university project, I spent about an hour with them, they told me the snake I had seen was highly venamous, and quite rare, because of it's scaresness there is no antidote for it's bite so a bite would be most likely fatal, he also told me that there was more chance of suvining a bite from a cobra because that has got an antidote, the lady with him said she had been in the sea and a sea snake had rapped itsellf around her legs, but apparently they can not open thier mouths wide enough to bite you( something like the highly venemous crane fly in England), a very entertaining hour and another young couple who seemed to tollerate an old man. Back on my bike and into colva to sort out the bits and bobs for taking home, I'm still not happy with the price that they want to charge me so I say no and I would go elsewere as I wasgoing home soon and didn't want to mess about any longer, they called me back and we did a deal that was more acceptable to me, but I didn't have my wallet with me, I would have to go back, they didn't like that idea much, but when I promised to go back, that was o/k, it seems a promise is enough to satisfy them, so back to my room, get my wallet, not enough money really to last the holiday, so it's off to the bank of Baroda at Maria hall, and that is were the most amazing thing happened that I will carry forward for the rest of my life, when I came out of the bank, 2 men came towards me, hello sir, it was Manny and a lad who's name I can never remember, they were 2 tuktuk drivers that I had used for a few years, Manny had taken me backwards and forwards to the appollo hospital, either taking Lynn into hospital or taking me to visit her every day sometimes twice a day, he said he was very sorry about madams death and would I mind if we could say a prayer for Lynn, so the 3 of us stood in the middle of Maria hall praying in asort of footballers huddle( yes I did cry)that one gesture brings back all faith in human nature, I went back down to Colva, the police had built a road block and was diverting the cars down on to the spare ground were they hold the market, I was wearing just a pair of shorts,I edged forward in the line of traffic, O NO, it's same 2 policemen, the 1 who had waved at me a couple of days earlier came to me, who's bike he asked again, my mates said I, he must be a good mate, he walks around my bike and said are you carrying any weapons, I'm starkers except for a pair of shorts, I've got a bazzooka down my shorts I said without thinking, he laughed( thank goodness) and said carry on, that was the last time I was to see those 2, he left me laughing and I left him thinking I wish I had a gun, I got all me pressies and went back to my room for a kip, roll on tonight.
Up shower and out, I met Bob in funnys, he was already drunk, I told him about the tuk tuk drivers, I had to stop half way through to gain some composure, I had been with Bob almost every day for 3 weeks, most of those days he was drunk, he said to me, you don't remember me do you, I thought what a strange thing to say, he told me that the year before he was staying in the lotus suite in the room opposite ours, he told me that I had spoken to him twice a day every day for 2 weeks, he said I was always sitting on the balcony with Lynn, I of course then remembered him, I asked when did you realise who I was,Day one he said, thats why I came and sat with you, why didn't you say so earlier, He said he didn't want to upset me by jogging my memory, we sat there about 2 hours, I had my evening meal, Bob had beer,He told me his story of life, it is a tragic story, a story he said he had not told anyone else, of all the life stories I had listened to on the beach Kevs was the only one were I thought, well that seems just an excuse to get permantly Drunk, he had to go to the doctors after the boat trip because he was physically sickfor 2 days, he thought it was malaria, I thought it was alcohol poisoning, the doctor thought any one who goes to the island were there is no shade in just shorts and no hat deserves everything that he gets.
We moved on to Domniks were mrs b and family, kev, baz, and Joand Adam wee going to bring in the new year, there was no music anywere, mrs b came over and said I hope you 2 are not thinking of joining us,Bob looked a little dissappointed, I said, no, thank you, as we had come out to enjoy ourselves and we went to the bar, we sat there about 10 mins, just generally chatting when a woman stood by Bob at the end of the bar, g'day she said, we said hello, much more british,, then she started, have you noticed how many gay english men there are in Goa she said, erm no we haven't said Bob,then she started on about India, Goans, Mumbai, they were all dirty, and they should be ashamed of themselves, were she lived that had a national clean up day, she went on and on, then she touched a nerve, you know the one, please pee off nerve, I told bob I was going back to funnys to bring in the new year and I would see him later, but he wanted to come back with me, so off we went to funnys, I got the waiter to take 2 cases of kings to my room and a bottle of honeybee, plus glasses and an opener, and just sat back, if anyone was in Goa at that time they will have seen the clear sky and the harvest moonwith the two bright stars that someone said was Venus and pluto, a lovely sight that many people have photographed, while looking at the moon Bob said, what you looking at, and I told him I was trying to think of the name of the astrologer or phylosypher who said that there are more stars inthe sky than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of the world, Bob said who the counted all that sand, I knew I had lost him for the night, at midnight there was a tremendous firework display, coming from pedros,johnsys, rogers and coco's, nothing to left of the beach, I looked behind me ,and there stood 3 three soldiers watching the display, good yes said the older one, yes good I said, i've never bought the new year in with armed solders standing at my shoulder before, 10 mins later there was amass exodus from the beach, all Indians, it left very few on the beach, I heared some music start up at Domniks, the police soon closed it down, I went back to my room and sat outside with 2 security gaurds, a fisherman and a couple of German holiday makers, Jo came off the beach to wish me a happy new year and sat with us for about 1/2 an hour, a nice friendly girl, she left and I went to bed at about one o'clock, a very quiet new year, except for the scrap.Up early and out,I thought I would have breakfast at zeebops on mejorda beach,I drove for about a quarter of an hour,I syopped in the middle of nowere looking around me and taking in the sights and smells on a fresh new year, I became aware of somebody standing behind me, hello I said, he said TAXI, I'm sitting on a motor bike, why would I want a taxi, because you are lost, he said, for goodness sake, I went to zeebops, very disappointing, it was now surrounded by other shacks, so it was back to funnys for something to eat, it was perhaps time to sunbathe, and thats what I did for almost a week, in that week I got bob to eat 3 meals in one day, and I can recall, in one month, I didn't see adrop of rain, not a cloud in the sky, and not one Dolphin, the day before I was due to leave i saw cocopop for 10 mins and told him why I had let him down and my experience at O'palmar, before he went he asked what I thought of goan prisons, so perhaps it wasn't a closely gaurded secret. when I left the beach the following afternoon, 21 people came to see me off, white and Indian, lovely people who I hope to meet again one day, I stayed 2 days in Mumbai, and had a bad trip home, on unpacking I found a cockroach, it was still alive how did he do that?
I said in my first post it was more of an adventure than a holiday, thank you for reading my report and thank you for all your contributions and concerns.
Take care and God bless Danny