So glad your having a great time Gayle, your be back on the honeybee tomorrow

Hi Gayle,

So pleased you went away, hope you can relax (sounds as if you have .)

great report keep it comming, I will be out there in 15 days wit woo cant wait, will you be at any of the meets at lazydays

Pip

x

Great to hear you've slotted straight into things and having a great time - there seem to be rumbles of discontent from some regulars so it's great to learn that you're enjoying Goa as much as ever. Sounds like you're enjoying the Honeybee a bit too much though.....we're slow learners, aren't we?

Fantastic!! so pleased your enjoying yourself!

Our first few trips to Goa we couldn't get on with the mattresses, we used to take the cushions off of the settee and put them under the mattress, made all the difference, the room boy soon learnt and left them there!

Excellent Gayle so glad you are enjoying yourself.

Shoes you say Ill have to have a trip to Panjim most definitely. Which day do they have the Market? Is it only on a Thursday?

yes
Its great to here you are having a good time. You deserve it.

Elliebee - that's exactly what I thought - I will trick my boyfriend into a trip to the market!!

That is great news!

Have a fab time and enjoy urselves

Have a great christmas

Curlylocksm xx

Miccie we also put all the settee backs ect under the mattress
at the Highland as they were so hard had a better nights sleep
with them under us.
ann

Ann, we only ever asked for a change of mattress once, and having watched those poor room boys carry the blasted thing all the way around the pool and up floor flights, only to find that it was no better, we decided against saying anything further - that was our first visit to Goa. I think we've got used to it since then, in fact last year at the MD we were very comfortable.

Gayle, try the settee cushions, you never know it just might work!

Its really great that Tomitma is enjoying her holiday and like everyone else I shall look forward to her trip report and hotel review. Even with the other debate going on, there is still much to enjoy so to anyone who is joining Tomitma in Goa soon - have a lovely time and yes, I still wish I was coming with you all

Gayle, glad to here your husbands a 'mattress fanatic' i thought it was just me. I nearly drove my wife to despair when we stayed at the MD last Feb. :bhead, i can honestly say the lack of sleep spoilt my holiday. Mind you, the mattress at the Villa we stayed at in Kefalonia in Sept. was not much better !! Never tried putting cushions etc. underneath, will have to give it a go next time.

Well the matress saga is still on going, he has now decided that the only thing to do is to buy our own, and leave it at the apartment, ready for next year, I am begining to agree with him, as this is now day 11, and he swears that he still hasent had a good nights sleep, maybe that is the reason that he dosent get out of bed until 11.30 every day.

The market in Panjim is open every day, as you come off the Panjim ferry turn right and it is about five minutes walk up that road, and the left hand side. The shoe stalls are a shoe lovers dream, and the most expensive shoes are around 500 rps, ( 6 pounds approx) I have never spent that much, but they are so unusual.

I am afraid that a lot have people have used there feet and walked away from Sam's Pardise Shack, us included, his prices last year were higher than most shacks, but this year they are nearly three times higher than the other shacks. some days he has hardly any one in his shack, or on the beds, where as for the past few years, you had to be there early to get a bed. As I was walking along the beach the other day, I meet Sam and he asked us why we no longer use his shack, we told him bluntly, it was his prices, people won't use him, when the shack next door, has just as good food for a third of the price. He honestly dosen't think that his prices are high, still its his loss not ours. We are now using Bay View, formerly known as Bay Watch. The boys in there are great. and the food is excellent.

I have just been to Romano's in Calungute to get a pair of prescription sunglasses, they are excellent in there, a really wide choice of frames, and good service, it cost me about 30 pounds for the frames and lenses, a fraction of what they would have cost me at home. This morning I went to Mapusa looking for glasses to be quite truthful, the frames on offer were really old fashioned, so I am pleased with my bargain.

Candolim, has really started to go up market, there are new shops being built everywhere, trouble is the prices are going up as well. I am missing the roadside shacks, where you can haggle to your hearts content, the shops have got to be paid for some how, so the prices reflect this. I know that modernisation is needed, but this is being done, just to make more money from the tourists, the locals, cant afford to use these shops, it is a reflection of the times I soppose.

I am out on my own shopping today, as hubby has made another boo boo. He decided to go and get his hair cut, as a friend told him that this certain barber, only charged 40 rps ( about 50 pence) so off he goes to the barbers, this is the one opposite Candolim market, well I dont know what he asked for, but what he got is flaming awful, they shaved all his hair off, he said that it would save him money as he won't have to have his hair cut again for a while, (shows he's tight) I have flatly refused to go out with him unless he wears a hat. Yesterday he decided to go for a walk along the beach, it was a big mistake walking along a beach with out a hat. His head got burnt, and it is bright red, and so sore that he can not put a hat on any way. So he decided that it was safer to stay in the apartment today. My phone kept on ringing this morning, so I ignored it, as I thought it would only be the Indian advertisments, that you get when you buy a sim card. As it kept on ringing I answered it, and it as my son on the phone, he had phoned to wish us a happy anniversary. Well to be quite truthful. I had forgotten all about it, and I know for a fact that hubby had too, so I am thinking of being really horrible and buying him an anniversary card and a little present and taking it back to the apartment. He won't have anything for me, so I can spend the rest of the day sulking, because he had forgotten about our Wedding anniversary, ha ha ha (Well it will be a way of having a bit of peace and quiet)

The apartment is really nice, it is situated just behind Candolim football field, there is a little village there, mainly of Portugese houses, and they nearly all let out rooms, and apartments. The prices are really cheap, our apartment, a one bedroom flat, is costing 350 rps per night, and it is spotless.

Calangute hasent changed much, it is the same as last year, same stalls, same people, and the same beggers. This year the beggers are getting even younger, there are young kids of 2 or 3 walking all over on there own. I am sorry but I can't give them money, because they will descend upon you like a Sunday school outing, so I have been offering them lollipops or fruit, it seems funny that they won't accept that, and demand money. Will write some more soon I am off for my lunch, and a few honey bees.

Gayle

please do I'm dying to hear if you do buy husband a present or not

That was an interesting read Gayle
Keep it up
Nicola

Gayle, you are wicked, go on buy the pressie and card and make him feel bad

Just picturing your OH with is nearly bald head just so that he could save a few bob!

At least hes festive, I bet he looks like a Christmas Bauble

Sorry shouldn't mock I bet his head is sore. Aww buy him a pressie Gayle it sounds like he deserves it after the haircut hes had.

Thanks for the info on the shoes, a trip to Panjim is on the cards, ill wait till we have been there a few days and hubby has his 'yea whatever, im so relaxed' head on

Great stuff I can sympathise with your fella, OUCH ! yes it does hurt a bit, ok a lot get some plain yoghurt on it, it will take the sting out He will now have to be re named coconut head by the beach sellers, as they do with me. This almost beats my eyebrow shaving fiasco last year, we could start a `Barber Watch` thread for other people to ignore at their peril keep it coming.

Now he really will look silly walking around with yoghurt on his red head!