Gone Goan Again Part 1

Hard days at The Office



Fancy a dip, dear, or shall we just laze in the sun?



This is a place holder whilst we can't do very creative things with photos.

We are in Palolem once again, suffering 35 degrees C, warm sea and an even cheaper cost of living than last year, thanks to the exchange rate. Someone has to do it! Airmiles were changing the rules, so we got in quick and got our return London-Mumbai flights for nothing, building the trip in with the 50th birthday bash of Ruth's sister Lois.

 We left Corralejo with its closed and jellyfish-infested beaches and rather nasty weather on 15th Jan:- flying into Stansted, foaming at the mouth at prices various, and taking two cheap coaches to Heathrow, where we discovered there is no bus shuttle between Heathrow Central and T5. This is the sort of public transport rubbish that is going to make The Olympics a farce:- but that is another story and not the problem of retired ex-pats, so enough!!!! Anyway we worked round this and got ourselves to the hotel, where the public computers weren't working, and we spent an age on the concierge's own machine to get one boarding pass printed! We found it very cold that evening and the next morning, but all went smoothly and we had a flight on a 747 this time, which meant less viewing choice, but still many goodies in a cabin about a quarter full!
Mumbai airport was as chaotic as expected, but we eventually got ourselves transported to the Domestic Terminal for free as we failed to do last year, and with the wisdom accrued last year found a quiet spot to wait for the morning to arrive assisted by a bottle of wine from duty-free! The internal flight was almost empty and took off early, so with an immediate taxi ride with a madman we were in our room at the Hilias Retreat by 8 am, making it 42 hours in elapsed time since Dave picked us up in Corralejo!
Compared to last year our stay is more blighted by health. Ruth went down with a filthy cold just before we travelled, and Bob was a few days behind. We raided Boots at Heathrow, so were able to dose up, but it took the edge off the first week or so.
At The Office (see Feb 2011) the absence of Dick and Jane is evident, but the staff complement was increased for the first 10 days or so by Roger and Anna from Norwich who are parents to Ellie of The Nest, and when not helping with the two grandsons were on duty at the sunbeds! Within a week we had both the Office Party, and the Office Outing - documented in next posting!
Daily Life is a little changed. The sellers and beggars have been banned from the beach. This is enforced by a security guard of diminutive stature, but with a big stick and a whistle! The ban largely works, but is evaded by the DVD sellers, who can hide the goods quickly, and Julie who has a little shop and operates by befriending any newcomer, and pressurising them. We have fireworks every evening, and the Russians are just as numerous, but better behaved! The same cannot be said of a throng of young(!) Brits who now share The Nest. We are here until 9th Feb - so watch this space!