The food bug got me at last.....

Almost at the finish line— and already my chest was puffed out to proclaim that I had survived India’s dodgy food sanitation standards, when it hit me as I was standing on Colva Beach along with 50,784 others. Legs buckled and up it came. Now some 18 hours later, still a little queasy, but at least functioning. Feel myself

End of service--all the nuns heading for the beach!!

lucky that it does not appear to be the 4 day variety that so many tourists to India experience.

            Yesterday was my day to take a tourist bus on a circular tour of the southern part of Goa. This western coastal state is effectively split into three touristic regions North, South with the central region, being the capital, Panaji, the beach resorts located at the two extremes of this very small state. My tour yesterday ---- I was the only westerner in a full bus load, encompassed a circle of the southern region and included ‘voluminous padding’ to include visits to a wax museum, a chamber of horrors, an aquarium and a children’s science museum. Anyway, a chance to see a little scenery away from my base in Panaji. Sunday and the narrow roads were clogged with families taking their new motor scooters out for a spin (four, or even five passengers loaded onto a single motorcycle).

Don't think these guys plan on swimming.....

              My tourist guide, a bright and knowledgeable young man, explained that this year, it appears as though foreign tourist arrivals are collapsing---foreign, as in Russian, are by far the major national group, with tour cancellations hitting the 70% mark. At Colva Beach, one had to wonder if it was not in fact a Black Sea resort---the advertising hoardings and store front come-ons, all in Russian script. Just the other day, President Putin was warning his fellow citizens of tough times (sanctions, oil price collapse) to come and it would seem in the exotic holiday category, it may have already arrived.

               I am staying in Colva Beach from where I am scheduled to move northwards up the coast in a couple of days,  reason being that it is near the railway station at Mangeon from where my 6am train departs for Mumbai. For some planning reason, the main rail station is an inconvenient 42 kms from the capital city, Panaji, the challenge of finding a taxi at 3.30am to be avoided. Colva Beach is like everything negative you have ever heard about Yarmouth, Morecombe and Blackpool, UK., rolled into one. Words like tacky, ugly & derelict jump to mind, but then add masses of people, all fully clothed, milling about on the fine white sand, loud rap music blasting from the beach beer shacks and I think that you have the picture. To be fair, suffering food poisoning on the sands, did not exactly help my perceptions.

Ladies outside the Hindu temple.

            Lying low today is on the agenda--- hungry, but with little appetite for yet another spicy meal—probably going purchase a kilo of very tasty local tangerine oranges and gorge!