Sunny Goa

Hey Guys

Goa is incredible. The best place we've been in India and I haven't disliked any of it so far! Shall I tell you about our day yesterday? It was lush and went a little something like this:

9:15am - woke, to the sound of our rushing fan and the waves in the distance. Rose, showered, and walked to 'town' to get some cash. We have an adventure planned.
10.00am - returned, Tom still asleep (not surprising) and read my book (Anybody Out There by Marian Keys - so funny I laughed out loud several times, shocking the dog called Mummy who sleeps by our door).
11.00am - Tom wakes, opens the door to see me on the balcony reading, a huge smile lights my face and my real day begins.
11.30am - Tom has showered whilst I cut up fresh pineapple and bananas and make a cocktail from mango juice, pineapple juice and freezing cold water. It's a great breakfast.
11.45am - we wander to a local restaurant, Fernandoes, to meet up with Sashoo, who has arranged a fishing trip for us (eat your heart out Foo and Kris!). We get in the boat.
12.00pm - cast off into the blue green water on a small canoe like boat. Cannot see any fishing gear. Oh well. A boat out on the calm water will do me just fine.
12.15pm - arrive in a small cove by big boulders - looks promising for massive fish I plan to catch. The fishing gear comes out.... a few tiny lines wound around a piece of polystyrene - the sinkers look like flattened bullets.
12.20pm - some nibbles. Nothing too exciting.
12.28pm - captain of boat catches small fish - he says it's a cat fish but not like the ones we know with the whiskers - it's lovely - little blue spots and a lovely charcoal colour. Good one!
12.31pm - she's got something - Kaz starts to reel it in - it's... it's... a crab. Yes, Karen has caught crabs. Ha ha.
12.38pm - Tom getting bites, nothing too exciting.
12.43pm - she's got something else - feels like a fish this time - it's fighting against the hook in it's lip. Yes, another "cat" fish - bigger than the captains but still small - 10inches from head to tail. But still.... I've got the biggest - ha ha!
12.55pm - move to another spot - we've seen big fish jumping from the water - they want to be caught.
1.15pm - nope, that didn't work - let's go back.
1.25pm - Tom's hooked something. A very big something. It's fighting and I look into the water to see it. It looks big. It IS big. It's AN EEL! A big eel! Ha ha ha. As he pulls it from the water, the eel winds itself into indescribable contortions... he's not happy. A 5 minute struggle ensues where the stupid damn eel gets very caught up in the line. But our captain frees the eel (with minor injuries) and doesn't have to cut the line. Obviously hooks are expensive here?
1.37pm - Kaz catches another crab. What I don't understand is that you dont hook these guys. They just hold onto the food all the way up through the water and out into the air. Just let go you dill!
1.48pm - nothing more - some bites but nothing special.
2.00pm - back on the beach. The tide has gone out a bit and the boat drags on the sand. The captain and his mate get out to push us. The embarrassment.
2.15pm - lunch - palak paneer (a spinach and cheese dish which is incredible), rice and spring rolls. All that fishing made us hungry!
4pm - have sat on beach for a while, reading, drinking water.
5.15pm - time for a shower. Feel salty and gritty.
5.30pm - mmmm... shower delightful.
6.00pm - have arranged dinner with Tom and Jas from Sydney - lovely couple who we get along with really well. Hours of beer and good Thai food from the Banyan tree restaurant follows.
10.00pm - a bit pissed. Time for bed.
Brush teeth, brush sand from feet, hop in bed. Sleep.

So you see.... life for us is pretty simple. And very good.