Planes,trains,tubes,taxis, buses and a mono rail
It only took three and a half days to get to Goa. Our original flight via Aer Fungus was cancelled, so we re booked at 5 am to Gatwick with Monarch. After a five hour delay, we were re routed to Birmingham. Rather than get the free bus to Gatwick and get stuck there, we got the train to Euston (beautiful Virgin train, well quick) and a tube and another train to heathrow, just in time to miss our connecting flight...
Gina managed to rebook us for the following evenings flight, which after queueing for five hours was cancelled at the last minute. Free hotel care of two hours queueing at another BA conter, and we returned to Heathrow just before 6am the next day. NO seats but we could wait on standby... on the gate side fortunately as we had no hold luggage.
Tears in our eyes as we were allowed to board followed by a four hour wait on the tarmac.. whilst queuing for more de icing, the auxilary engine failed, than heathrows portable power supply failed, then we were towed to their main supply that also failed. We all got out and bump started the pig in the end.
We arrived in Mumbai at 4am their time - man so busy, when do they sleep. Taxi from International airport to domestic one and six hour wait for next flight to Goa (regardless to say two hour delay...
At Goa, man in a Newcastle shirt met us and took us on a two hour terrifying ride across country. Goa is not third world - it is the third world, the biggest truck on the road wins, de rigeur is to overtake on blind corners. Somehow it works, but having lost two nights pre paid accomodation and being ripped off by the pyseudo geordie taxi man and not having slept for a few days made me start to wonder what we were doing.
We left the posh hotel on principle (three nights for the price of one..) and moved next door into a co co hut - a bamboo shed on stilts. Several Kingfisher beers, good curries, swmming in warm warm waters later, this place is starting to grow on me. There is no infrastructure, fly tipping must be an olympic sport (Portuguese are real amatuers by comparison!!), mayhem between taxis rickshaws, motorbikes and people on tiny roads - but it works, and if you want anything, its around.
We are now in Arambol, on the North coast of Goa, a small town full of life, staying in an apartment hanging over the Arabian Sea, a nice breeze, fine life! I have just booked a 350cc Royal Enfield to go North to Fort Teracol - it's only 20 years since I rode a big heavy motorbike - with Owl on the back through crowded streets!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish me luck, Stu x
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