We only had a day and a half in Goa, so just decided to stay in South Goa, in Palolem. Although its supposedly their busiest beach in the South, it was quite quiet (guess it must be out of season) and had a really nice vibe. I wasn't sure what to expect from Goa, as I thought it would be overly touristy, but I enjoyed it. The beach was nice enough, though the sea was rough (a number of waves crashed over our heads), but it was definitely relaxing and cooler than the rest of Southern India, so we both liked it! From Palolem, we got our final overnight train (9 in total, not that I'm counting), without too many dramas (though for this reservation, they insisted on me proving a photocopy of my passport. They obviously didn't have a photocopier, so insisted that I went and found a photocopier and bring a copy back. Luckily I had one spare one in my bag, so that crisis was averted).

Our final destination in India is Mumbai. Again despite annoying hotel personnel (whoever decides to introduce basic customer service to India should receive a knighthood), we've actually enjoyed this city. Again its very civilised, pretty Westernised and extremely British - more so than Kolkata. Much of the architecture is beautiful and grand Victorian era, though unfortunately some of the general colonial buildings are greatly decayed. Its also got a nice atmosphere - we visited the Taj hotel (most iconic unfortunately for the 2008 terrorist attack, but renovated beautifully), plus the slums made famous by Slumdog Millionnaire (interesting but probably on the same deprivation level as parts of Africa). I'm also in the middle of reading Shantaram, and we ate in Leopolds (the cafe mentioned numerous times in the book - only those who have read it will understand the reference!). I would say the book describes the city and general India culture perfectly (our favourite is that everyone, especially in Southern India, shakes their head from side to side when speaking. Its such a sweet movement, but it also looks extremely funny, so we have to hold back laughter whenever we talk to anyone!).

So after 5 weeks in India, I'm finally leaving tomorrow for Nepal. Despite my moanings, I have really enjoyed India (on the whole), but I have no desire to ever return. Its one of the most frustrating countries I've ever visited, but culturally its been interesting. I've always wanted to visit and the best bits have more than made up for the worst bits. I would definitely recommend coming here, but I think the best sites of the country could be done in 3 weeks: Delhi, Agra and Varanasi in the North (though if you had time, visit Udaipur as well), plus Kerala, Goa and Mumbai in the South.

So after 6 months of travelling so far, this is my conclusion: Africa smells of BO and India of s***. See you in Nepal! xx