Our place in the Sun; Goa, India 2007

It is a grim prospect to have a horrible cold and have to get on a plane for a 12 hour trip…but that's what we did when we went to India in March. Faced with our second cold since Christmas, I put the blame for that squarely on Jim's petri dish of an office, we loaded up with antihistamines and set sail to London-Mumbai(the old Bombay)-Goa. Let's just say by the time we landed at the Goa airport we were ready for bed (at 1:00 in the afternoon) but had already experienced Indian food, cows on the loose everywhere (you know they're sacred in India), seen beautiful old colonial Portugese houses, and been driven over some of the worst paved roads I've ever been on (and that's saying a lot for someone who grew up in Mississippi). We found the Goa Park Hyatt to be an absolute oasis .... just what we needed under the circumstances.

Our days passed in a lulling blur of monotonous activity – breakfast on the outside terrace, securing the perfect shady spot by the pool (and conveniently located to the pool bar for those all important ice-cold Belo beers– affectionately known as the Goa Corona),

out to the beach for a morning swim and then back to the pool lounging, rousing ourselves just in time for lunch (the gazpacho soup was incredible), then a little naptime, some swimming, more beers!, a late afternoon walk on one of the prettiest beaches I've ever seen. We did see some local color on our beach walks, the infamous beach shack restaurants and bars….we actually spent several delightful hours at the Wen Den in their hanging basket chairs watching glorious sunsets. We did vary the routine one day by taking a boat trip to the well known Wednesday market at Arjuna.

It doesn't sound it but it was a very exciting trip that involved a jetski ride to get to and from the boat and a hour long boat ride, each way, that was like something out of a James Bond movie.

We were reassured by the plasticVirgin Mary on the dashboard of the boat.

We did have a little trouble (!)on the way home when, through no fault of our own, we barely missed the flight from Goa to Mumbai (somebody at the Hyatt got a wakeup call, twice, at 5:00am!). In somewhat of a panic to get out of Goa so we could make an afternoon connection in Mumbai, we were desperate enough to flash our York Minster Card (we're going to hell for lying with church property) in a misguided attempt to get into the Minister's Lounge - I thought it must be like the Delta Crown Room where we could use the phone, get on the internet, get drinks and snacks, etc. Once we managed to momentarily talk our way past the surly door guard, we saw it was no better than the public waiting room- it was in fact it was a completely empty room with a bunch of badly mismatched furniture from the 70's, no telephones, and a door guard was astute enough to immediately determine we did not fit the "profile" of an Indian Minister. He couldn't even be bribed!

What made it happen was the beach nights ....

It was a long trip home .... see ya,

b'bu

Today a day travel .... India here we come!

This time we departed for places we have never been. Namely our destination is India. Betty and I were in an all out war with the what I call the "english" cold and cough. She seemed to trail my ailment by a couple of days. I fully blame a family of un-named cow-orkers who have introduced this super strain of misery. Not to dwell, but mine spread to my eyes and ears. After much antibiotics and all the over the counter crap you can purchase we've got this down to a hacking cough which just irritates the hell out of all around. Our little coughs are disgusting because sometimes they continue to a breathless stage which feels like what's inside is out. The good news is the beach cures a lot of things. Here's hoping. There's always some bitter with the sweet. But as they say in St Simons , Georgia

If you're lucky enough to have a place at the beach

.... you're lucky enough!

Anyway, what we have here is a loss of all our 2007 posts. Hopefully, I'll be able to reconstruct these. I think i have parts of them all over place, just have to find them. So as luck would have it, I will again have to reconstruct my blog in 2007. Which brings me to the question, should I move on to yet another blogging service? Guess we'll answer that another day.... see ya,

j'bu

Monday, May 29, 2006, 30 hours of All day Bush TV

Words are useless to describe the Kruger experience. We spend the next 30 hours with the sights and scenes of the Bush. Unbelievable, what good fortune we have.

We arrive in Capetown, rent the car and head out for Stellenbosch, South Africa. 22 minutes, I think we stayed here at this BB, in the Honeymoon Suite. What a place, short walk to the “Wine House” (completely my spelling) on church street. Dutch colonial architecture, but one

word sums it up the atmosphere for us “Calamari”. The worlds’ best can be found in South Africa.

We ate here twice, beautiful Italian, Vino, and the smells of a great kitchen. My gawd, we closed it down both nights we were in town.

Could be the best Museum we’ve ever had the pleasure of, it’s housed in the old music school at the University of Stellenbosch.Sad that there’s no Internets. Just only one place in the world you are ever going to see such South African collection of things and Art. Great. The building alone is worth the visit.

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Our last day here in wine country we visited Thelima and Waterford wineries. At Waterford, your gift was a vision of beauty, wine and chocolate. We spent about two hours there and we were the only guests during that time. Unbelievable. What a start for this day.

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We spent the rest of this day in Cape Town. We walked down Front street, ate at the “Ocean Basket” lovely little joint with the smell of seafood cooking. Calamari and the gifts of the sea are found there.

When we left, we walked to the Victoria & Albert Harbor and the back to the BB in the ocean mist of Cape Town. Our legs were like spaghetti. Another big day in South Africa.

Continued ... see ya,

j'bu