Arrived at Manchester Airport roughly 3 hours before take off and proceeded to the Monarch check in desk which was very busy, the belts at the back of check in had packed up and after check in had to drag our bags to the bottom end of the airport to be placed on the only working belt there was, the queue was getting as bad as the check in. Stood in the new queue we got chatting to another couple and discovered they were staying at the same Hotel as us (So My Resort, Calangute) and had checked it out on a previous visit and assured us it was a good choice much to our relief.
Everything was on schedule so we decided on a trip to the bar for the first holiday beer then a walk round the shops as dozy old me had forgot my baseball cap which isn't good if you have a head like a billiard ball. Got on the plane all nice and tidy and pulled out from the walkway then as the trolley dollies strapped themselves in for take off "¦"¦ . false start and they were back out of their seats telling us that there was a small fault with the plane and a slight delay would follow, I knew it was just too good to be true. Anyway plane fixed and strapped back in we were finally on our way down the runway an hour late which wasn't too bad as we would make time up on the flight down to Goa.
Just the usual Monarchy annoyances of no leg room and cramped seats, food was ok and Casino Royale was one of the movies so that was a couple of hours gone from the 9 . "Cabin crew return to your seats" was the cry as the seat belt signs came on and we hit some crazy turbulence and the plane was all over the shop as I contemplated this years Karma account which I worked out was pretty good and that the gods would allow me safe passage, unfortunately other people were having a torrid time of things which were made worse due to lack of the all important sick bag, luckily I have a pretty strong stomach and the minor crisis soon subsided to normality and calm or was that due to the sleeping tablet I had taken an hour previous ? Before we knew it the decent into Goa was upon us"¦"¦"¦"¦ TBC
Part Deux to follow soon
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