Gone Goan Again Part 2

Strange times, indeed!

Still there on February 15th!

So - safely back in the Canarian sunshine Greyrocks gives some observations on Goa 2012 under the theme of peculiar timings. First - the Santa decoration hung from our balcony roof! When we arrived on January 17th there was also a larger and fully illuminated version, but that came down ten days or so afterwards. 

Second, the delights of the open-air cinema. It has been spruced up since last year with a stable screen replacing the bed sheet, a flash canopy and a self-supporting projector. It shows a good selection of films with BBC World TV before and after, and their varied menu available all night. Early on we went to see War Horse (well made and quite gripping, but over-sentimental especially at the end), then we had the night of the farce! There was a good turn-out for George Clooney's The Descendants. It starts with a dialogue-free dramatic incident, and then moves on to voice-over, so we were 15 mins or so into it before the serious lack of sound synchronisation was discovered. The projectionist started it again and the same thing happened, and then twice more, before two young Germans stopped him and made a public announcement that we were going have to choose between DVDs of The Debt (already seen) and (Oh Dear!) We Bought a Zoo! There was vote in which we abstained  and the latter was shown. We still had food to eat, so stayed. Mmm - at least it was free! 

We went twice more to The Steak House for films. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was superb but barely audible owing a noisy non-viewing party of (yes!) Russians; and we wondered if anything more suitable for Goa could be found after last year:- it was! Some bright spark requested Withnail and I. (Don't try the drinking game!) It was not well-attended. We sat next to Tracey and John from The Office, and Tracey left when the camera turned to the kitchen sink! Ex-copper John stayed the length, but possibly only to observe Bob in hysterics! At the end the guy who had organised came over to tell Bob that his enjoyment was greatly enhanced by said laughter. So apt!

In stark contrast were the goings-on at the Catholic church across the road from our guest house. Soon after we arrived a day was spent erecting a huge yellow and red canopy over the area in front of  it. Thereafter we had a week in which every evening there was a religious service with electric organ, fire-crackers on the patch below us and Bingo with numbers called in Indian English. Bizarre - but there was more to come! On Saturday evening a 5-piece Oompah band outside played such things as "Roll out the Barrel" and there were serious fireworks. OK, but they started playing again at 6.25 am next day. This went on for 25 minutes and resumed at 9.30, at which time the congregation started to assemble in great finery. Ruth tried hard to find out the nature of the festival and concluded it was something local.

Finally - the big Talking Point of Goan Tourism! With very little notice a ban on the sale of alcohol was introduced - first for 11pm and then 10pm. The logic of this - related to national elections in March escaped everyone! as there is a substantial body of tourists for whom nightly excess is the main purpose of trip, there has been tension - and threats of suing Thomas Cook! One benefit was improved Sundays at The Nest. In normal conditions it would be spewing out from early morning  the debris from the Silent Noise disco, but that event had to be cancelled. Shame!