may not be able to remember exactly what happened and when. In the mean time, I thought I would bore you with our planning phase, if we have forgotten something, please feel free to remind us!Visas
We sent our applications by post just before Christmas and we had them back a wek later. This was the quickest yet, the longest they have taken was 17 days. The bits about the two referees were left blank. Our passports expire next Oct so we will have to re-new when we return
Cash
We have a couple of thousand Rupees left from last year & have enough for the taxi etc. Our spending loot is in American Express TCs, was going to take cash this time but TCs come with peace of mind.
Communication
We take our mobiles with us and get a local IDEA pay as you go sim when we get there. We keep in touch with the bar lads at the Marinha Dourada and they get the sim card for us, saves a lot of messing about! We have both upgraded our phones and the old ones will make great pressies.
Packing
Got the cases out the other day and to be honest they have seen better days. Numerous trips to Goa, Gambia, Turkey etc have taken their toll and it's time to put them out to pasture (give them to my sis
) So off we went to the suitcase shop and got some new ones. I wanted bright pink ones but GC said they would soon look scruffy after a couple of trips and we got grey ones. More like he didn't want to be seen pulling the pink ones about 
We also got some of those strappy things that go round the cases to aid in id. Started packing the cases and realised that the new ones will hold more than the old ones, I will deffo be living up to my name on this holiday!Tickets
These arrived through the post yesterday, all the documentation is contained in a genuine leather (effect) document wallet and 4 genuine leather (effect) address tags were included. A nice touch, our tour operator for this year is Somak.
Taxi
As soon as the tickets arrive we usually book a taxi to take us to Manchester Airport. Last year a family member took us and picked us back up. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!. We saved a few quid but it was the scaryest ride we have ever had. We would rather get a taxi from Bombay to Goa with an alcaholic blind driver who can't drive than go through that again. Anyway, GC rang the guy that usually takes us, the conversation went as follows.
GC - "Hi Ian it's Richard"
Ian - "Long time no see, you going to Goa? I'll get a pen....."
Are we predictable or what?
We got a text from Sachin who works behind the bar at the Marinha Dourada and he is sorting us a taxi to pick us up from Dabolim. I know this isn't necessary but it will be nice to have a familiar face pick us up at that end.
Well, that's it for now. Just got the rest of the packing to do and 3 weeks today we are off!
