Time to meet our first host!
The night before, we arranged a tuk tuk to take us to the train station early at 6am. We needed to take a train and two buses to Anjuna. We brought our tickets for a ridiculously cheap price and just managed to get on the busy, four carriage train with the expected giving of apologies and shuffling around with our backpacks. Other than the people sitting on the floor sleeping and the odd person sprawled across the laps of others, everyone was staring at us, especially at Kirsty! The open doored train kept on getting busier until we got to the large town of Margao, then the train emptied! The rest of the journey was spent just admiring the scenery.
We came to the town of Trivim and jumped off, we then took a short walk and hailed down a bus, we managed to put our bags in the back of this old 70's looking hunk of junk and squeezed on! Goa has the smallest population in India however it didn't feel that way on the bus, with all people cramming on. The bus braking heavily, beeping, swerving and stopping a lot made it a hectic journey. We got off at the main bus station, grabbed our bags and ended up taking a tuk tuk to the Town of Anjuna, then the mission in this touristy place of finding our host's house commenced! It took us around three hours to get to Anjuna, then a further three walking around trying to find our host Maryse (her phone died so she was unable to guide us) and her resort! It was a nightmare and the 38 degree weather didn't help our quest! But after asking loads of people (who didn't know), and dumping our bags at a hotel to continue without the heavy burdens, we eventually found the place! It turned out that her property was quite straight forward to find. Looking like we just crossed the Sahara, we greeted the little French lady, was given some water and headed back to the friendly hotel to grab our bags! When we got back we were shown our room, it was small room in a separate tower type building overlooking the three pretty countryside cottages and surrounding gardens with rice fields in the distance! It is a peaceful escape from the shabby, touristic and busy town!
The Work There was always something to do around the resort, and we were kept busy, especially when the other helpers (A couple from France who had been travelling around India for a few months, it was interesting to hear their stories) left. Our working day was 3/4 hours long and started around 8am, we stopped for breakfast (usually eggs) around 9 then we continued until 12/1 o'clock, had lunch, then the rest of the day was ours! Our work consisted of; * Raking leaves, this was the never ending job that consumed most of our days here, and just who you think you are finished, a gust of wind would come and cover the gardens with leaves! We had to put all the raked leaves into the fire pits and burn them, along with most other things as there is no rubbish collection in Anjuna. * Making a path, during monsoon season, the garden paths are full of mud and as a result of this the cottages become extremely dirty. All around the flowerbeds and the back of the cottages were old roofing tiles so our job was to dig them up and gather them, then smash the tiles into smaller pieces with hammers like ancient Egyptian slaves, It was a little back breaking but nethertheless a fun job (whilst hitting the tiles we noticed that most of them came from 'Bang'alore, it made me chuckle)! Unfortunately we ran out of tiles and were unable to finish the job.
* Watering the garden, this had to be done every other day, it took around two hours but it was a relaxing job! * Cleaning the cottages, this was mainly Kirsty's daily duty! While there were guests, the cottages were swept everyday, and when they left the cottages were cleaned thoroughly, this meant sweeping, dusting (When we arrived there were a lot of cobwebs!), changing over bed sheets, moping and generally giving it a once over! The cottages were not big so it didn't take that long to complete! However there always seemed to be something that we missed which became a little frustrating! * Creating a BBQ, using only a few little tools (no shovel) and my bare hands I had the project of making a BBQ. After soaking the ground to soften it, the circular trench was dug, it didn't take long but it was pretty tough going using just the end of a large hoe it was also a mucky affair! Then using old bricks found in the garden I tapped, banged and manoeuvred them into place. I was quite happy with the finished product and Maryse was well chuffed!
Other than the jobs listed, it was just general maintenance and tidying of the gardens, the work here wasn't that hard, just a little tedious (especially the leaf raking and the tile smashing), and sometimes we were scratching around for something to do! We did however find some Interesting things in the garden like snakeskin, coconuts, tiny frogs, lizards, and giant caterpillars! Maryse and the animals After losing her husband In the early 2000's, the fed up Parisian left the French capital and her job as a magazine editor and went travelling. Maryse conquered many countries on her adventure including Spain, Thailand, other parts of Europe, America and of course India where she eventually settled! She said it wasn't easy to move to India, cows receive more respect than a single foreign women in her words! But the heat and smell of spices in the air take her back to the place she was born before moving to France as a wee nipper, Algeria. Small in stature, but a no nonsense kind of woman and not really one for small talk. After a week or so we started to get on a lot better (probably because she got used to and could understand our accents), we played cards and discussed movies and her trials and tribulations of her life so far in India! After her meals we were never left wanting, from traditional Goan cuisine to pasta in creamy sauce, the food was varied, tasty and plentiful! She also catered for Kirsty's vegan needs with no problem. Her side of the bargain was to cook breakfast and lunch, then in the evenings we had to cook for ourselves, so being travellers on a budget we opted for cheap and easy meals of rice/pasta and vegetables! Maryse could be concise at times and had a particular way of doing things, she expected us to know and do things which she hadn't told us to do, for example turning the water pump off when the tank was full, even though we would be the other end of the garden completely unaware that the water pump even existed! Nethertheless we got on well in the end (despite the occasional moan). She was also very knowledgable which helped us getting about and where not to shop. The longer we were here the faster the time went and the more we enjoyed the daily tasks (Apart from the cleaning which Kirsty hated). Maryse only really owned one dog but there were four other locals that resided around the resort! Mr Pee, named this simply because he urinates everywhere, the other helpers had a moped and every morning he would cock his leg and let fly on it!
Pape, at 16 years old he was the oldest, the largest, and most aggressive! He was losing his mind and only certain people were able to touch him without being bitten, he even bit a guest staying at the resort! He also was a pain most mealtimes, always trying to get the table and barking at us! Anjuna, this dog was abandoned by its owner, a scruffy looking mutt, she was always dirty with muddy paws from the shallow river, she had flees and as a result she'd bitten and scratched chunks of fur off her body. She was a cute dog but a scatty one! Angelina was her dog, she had black and white patches similar to those of a milking cow and would shake her head as she ran! Rocky, he was our favourite and also the most sociable! During the night he would sometimes bark and howl for no reason just outside our window, so we was always throwing water at him. These five and the two cats (Lucky and Moneypenny )added a lot of character to the place!
Spare time
Markets, In Anjuna there are a few markets but there're two in particular that attract the most people, the Anjuna flee market and the Saturday night bizarre! The flee market was similar to most other markets, just a lot bigger, and the traders seemed more persistent, we've forgotten the amount of pinky promises we have made and the amount of times I've said 'nah I'm alright mate cheers, I don't want a massive bongo drum!' But they're always fun to go too, they get incredibly busy and there's always something interesting to look at, even if most stalls sell the same things, the usual saris, maxi dresses and knock off Ray Ban sunglasses (Rai Bayo), it's also mad how much they're willing to bargain! Sometimes If you drive hard enough the price comes down by two thirds, and sometimes more!
We hadn't been out much at night so far in India, mainly to conserve funds, but we did go to the busy Saturday night market! When we walked through the metal detectors at one of the many entrances to this popular market, we instantly noticed and appreciated the calmer atmosphere, unlike the flee market which was just hassle, hassle, hassle, no, no, NO! The stalls were better presented and had better range of goodies which Kirsty enjoyed! Elephant ornaments with Intricate designs to tacky 'I love Goa' T-shirts, colourful '100%' Kashmir cloth and genuine leather handbags to flip flops, this market had everything in including multiple bars, food stalls and a live band! Went twice however the second time many stalls were closed, there weren't many people, and the live band named Rise Nation were pretty awful! The seven piece band sang songs of coffee and world peace, the lyrics were repetitive and the space hopper music failed to get the crowd going!
(Our camaras let us down a little bit at the night markets) Monkey beach and snorkelling The day began with excitement and high expectations, we were picked up at 8am and driven (The usual chaotic way) to a small, peaceful but dirty looking river, where there was a small walk way and a few long boats moored up, our driver left us with the young crew who were smashing ice blocks and we wondered if anyone else was going to turn up! Twenty long minutes later people started arriving, and the boats were filled and we set off! Our boat was full of Russians who were fine until they found out where the rum and beers were kept (Free food and drinks were included in the price however they took liberties)! After seeing an old prison and a millionaires house we headed out to the open ocean with generic club 'bangers' playing! The overcast morning brightened up (the spray from the sea was wonderfully refreshing) and on route to the snorkelling area we saw a tortoise but we passed too quickly, but some Dolphins were spotted so the boats gave chase and they came up to greet the cameras! Half an hour later the anchor was dropped beside a rocky little island, we had 45 minutes to swim, go snorkelling and fish. A tatty, battered box with five sorry looking snorkel masks in, was pulled from the cupboard on deck, there were around 20 people on our boat, so snorkelling was out of the question! Even when I did try one of the masks the goggles were broken! After this disappointment, we headed to Monkey Beach for the all you can eat BBQ lunch, we were hoping this would redeem the day. We arrived at a tiny beach, it had makeshift shelters providing shade and was already peppered with litter! our boat was the first to arrive but then six other boats appeared and soon the meager beach was terribly crowded! And there were no monkeys, just another bad point on the bleak day this was becoming. Despite the inappropriately loud club music booming (there were Indian families with young children looking extremely out of place alongside young rowdy Russians, a strange combination and clash of cultures) the lunch was good, fulfilling and plentiful, also the constant flow of beer was some consolation! After around an hour we made the trip back, it was probably the worst excursion we'd ever been on, made worse by the high expectations we had at the start of the day! Luckily it wasn't too expensive and the day was scorching hot! Beaches
As I've said a few times, the roads here are abundant with lunacy (you see a family of five on one moped, you even see tourists travelling with babies on them!) there was no way I was going to rent a moped! So we pretty much walked everywhere or took tuk tuks and taxis! We spent the majority of our free time on Anjuna beach, with it only being a 20 minute walk this was the place we went to most afternoons! We preferred the quiet beach in Patnem, but this was a good substitute, and as it was the end of the tourist season, this beach wasn't too crowded, however it looked a little sorry for itself, as if too much partying in the club shacks have exhausted the beauty, nethertheless we always found a good spot near the rocks. Baga beach was a completely different story! As far as the eye could see there were restaurant shacks, deck chairs, resorts and huge masses of people clustered around little water sport organising huts! Staff from the restaurant shacks were running at us and promoting their establishments and every 5 seconds we were being hassled to rent a sun bed, it was an annoyance that made you chuckle! As for the beach itself it's beautiful but quite bland just endless sand and ocean, however hundreds of boats gave the beach a little colour! There was one other beach we ventured to, Vaggato. With only two small restaurant shacks and no one trying to sell you stuff, this large beach was full of locals and a relaxing escape from the chaos over at Baga beach!
One day we decided to explore old Goa and the capital of Goa, Panjim! Panjim was obviously large and busy, but there you could find anything from electrical repairs and French bakeries to casinos on the river! We found a tiny restaurant serving up hefty portions so we stopped to fill our boots! After a visiting Panjim church, a walk through the nature reserve, a sit down by the river and a bit of dog stroking we made way to Goa's old town. The old town of Goa was a petite and pleasant little place, a few large churches dotted here and there with large grounds, we didn't stay too long as it was a stressful day with the buses and being sent in every which direction, we sat for a little while, declined a thousand ice creams and headed back! Other than the odd catching up with family, and wifi trips to cafès (the wifi where we were was terrible!) we didn't do a great deal, just took the chance to relax! After spending just over 3 weeks in Anjuna and a total of 5 weeks in Goa, it was time to get some travelling done, and leave the comforts of this touristy Indian state. We're heading east to the rocky terrain and the desert city of Hampi! We will be taking a sleeper bus through the night to get there. Our time here was thoroughly enjoyed, and we will probably come back in the future! There're a few things we will miss but most of all it'll be the beach, and getting a daily dose of the warm yet surprisingly refreshing ocean. During the past few weeks I feel we have acclimatised to heat (It's amazing how quick your fingernails, hair and toenails grow in a hot climate) and settled well, our time at the 3 Cottages resort seemed to fly, after lunch the seemed to just fall out of the sky! We feel that other than the markets, nightlife and beaches Goa doesn't have a lot more to offer (that sounds like a negative but it's not, Goa is a fantastic place with a little something for everyone!) We said our goodbyes to Maryse, she gave us a big thank you, and we left to jump on our first sleeper bus!
