Had a hot airless night again last night - but sat out with the other fellow inmates of Heaven Goa Guesthouse and learned a lot more - that next time we would fly to Goa by Qatar Airways via Doha with a 2 hour stop there - apparently an excellent service. Also learned one of our fellows lives near Whitby - so may visit him next time enroute to Scotland in caravan. Also learned another couple are a musical partnership who work a lot around Whitby and their following there are mostly goth pirates! They are called Serenity.
Had our final breakfast in Benaulim village at Dinah's and got back to find our flight time had come forward 2 hours! New terminal at Goa airport in Dabolim - nice in Air con. Saw a few more parts of Goa enroute to airport and felt we need to come back to give it more time when we are fully fit.
We are ok but not daring to stop the tablets until we reach uk for fear of recurrence. Flight to Mumbai by Goair was fine - one hour duration. It is drier heat in Mumbai and comfortable 32 degrees - more like Spain- clothing and hair no longer stuck to you. We quite like Mumbai though we know many hate it.
Taxi met us to take us to hotel and stopped outside a slum street- 'this is it' said our driver - we looked in disbelief -a joke? Moira refused to enter - looked like a dead dog covered in flies on the bottom step we had to step over - turned out to be alive and waiting to be stroked! After the shock of climbing the grubby stairs - the receptionist seemed to be trying hard to please - when shown the rooms in the slum - they had no windows but a clean double bed, AC and fan and wifi - can't really complain - so Anjali Inn is ok really. Went across the very busy main road taking our lives into our hands (shut your eyes and just keep walking!) From there in a nice cafe over coffee and a somosa we planned our next strategy - got a tuktuk across town to a 'nice district'. This involves the most hectic tuktuk ride ever for 40 minutes in Mumbai rush hour. Imagine driving down the M1 in an open sided threewheeler with large trucks thundering past on each side and pedestrians leaping across your path on their mobile phones. Everyone hooting their horns as loudly as possible. But, unusually, no cows. Moira at one point said 'tell him to slow down'. We said to Moira: 'He's the driver, Moira, just don't look'. 40 minutes later and for the princely sum of 115 rupees (£1.10) we arrived at the best cocktail bar followed by the best 5 star restaurant in the district - a pina colada later and a glass of wine and we were feeling better - had a nice Indian meal in Caravan Serai and then tuktuked back to the slum to sleep - passed lots of interesting bazaars and shopping areas but pity there was no time to shop. In the morning we will have a leisurely breakfast after risking the motorway crossing again and then off to the airport and home. So this is India calling and India signing out after an amazing, interesting, gruelling 39 days - what an adventure!
This is what we left behind this morning in Goa...
even the crows prefer to go elsewhere!
This is the frontage of our hotel...
And this is what Moira looked like upon arrival
Anyway - suffice to say we are in our little beds along with a host of mosquitos that John is trying to swat while I write this - and we only have to survive the night - if we can stand the noise of the fan and ac working at once in the 8 by 8 foot room with flooded bathroom smelling of drains - but this is India folks - warts and all. See you soon in old Blighty!
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