Been a few weeks since we last posted as we have had a few internet problems and we went 'on holiday' for 1 week. Thought I better get posting as we are now making plans to leave India as our visas run out at the end of February (can't believe we have been here for nearly 6 months). We have to stay out of India for 2 months before we can re-apply for another visa. We will probably head to Malaysia and travel up towards Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. I also need to get a new passport - hopefully we can orginise that in Malaysia. Not looking forward to that as no doubt it will not be straightforward.
Anyway hope everyone had a great Xmas and New Year. We had a quiet Xmas but we more than made up for it at New Year. Xmas in Goa is a really big thing as it is predominately Catholic. It is not about having parties and giving presents, it is about celebrating the Birth of Jesus. All the houses in the village have nativity scenes in their gardens, some really quite big. The main chapel is huge and is right on the beach front. It is overflowing for midnight mass and Xmas Day mass. There were carol singers all in the village and on the beach. It was nice at sunset on the beach when all the local children were dressed in nativity costumes and singing Xmas carols.
We went to our usual hangout, Tina Beach Resort, for New Year. Tina and Ragu now have a new partner, an English guy called Michael, who we met last year when we were here in March/April. The only way to describe Michael is totally bonkers and has more money than sense!
When we arrived at the resort Michael told us that tonight everything was on the house for Colin and I. He had bought cases of imported Italian Prosecco and various French and Australian sparkling wines and champagne - probably about £30-£40 a bottle. Colin and I haven't had wine since we left the UK as Indian wine is relatively expensive and pretty crap (the toilet cleaner tasting wine is about £4 and then the prices of other bottles rise significantly whereas a bottle of whiskey, gin or vodka is £2). We protested (very weakly)about everything being on the house as New Year is the time when the resorts make most of their money, but the lure of nice wine was too much for us and we caved in.
The only unfortunate thing that happened was that Colin's tandoor cooked chicken was raw inside. He only realised this after he had chomped his way through half of it. He just gave it back and asked for another one. I couldn't believe it, as I couldn't even eat my well cooked chicken after seeing his raw one. After his properly cooked chicken he chomped his way through a full lobster. I thought that he would spend Boxing Day on the toilet but, as usual, iron-clad bowels Colin had no ill effects from eating raw chicken.
In our company were an English couple, a Kashmiri guy, a polish girl and Tina, Ragu and Michael. We headed down onto the beach for the bells. There was a huge bonfire and £100s of pounds worth of fireworks courtesy of Michael. Our friends Tracey and Flo, the Canadian and German couple, came to see us just after the bells which was really nice and we had a second celebration. We headed home back to the village at one thirty, rather worse for wear. Colin poured us both a wee New Year beer, I took one sip and it was lights out for me. Needless to say it took a few days to recover.
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