Hello again! This time from Goa...think we're getting used to this travelling lark a bit now...we even got an overnight train up to Goa!! Which was actually quite nice, we got fed curry for tea and managed a reasonable night of rocking and sleeping in our top bunks, which I managed to climb onto oh-so-gracefully!!

Arrived in Margao on Friday morning and got a tuk tuk for the short journey to Benaulim and found ourselves some digs for around 4 quid a night - bargain! We're a short walk from the beach, which is lovely, really gorgeous. The beach in Kovalam was nice but quite small, this one is huge! And a lot calmer sea so more fun to play in!

Benaulim seems pretty popular with Europeans and long stay tourists, it's pretty chilled with lots of beach restaurants and bars and a few shops etc in the town...also there are not as many naughty barking dogs here as other places we have been which is a relief!

We rented bikes the other day and went off tootling around, which was really good fun although hard work, especially when you leave the shade of the palms! After a few hours cycling up and down the coast we rode back along the beach, it was a really good day but I was more than ready to hand the bike back!!

We are both getting very tanned now and starting to get used to the heat a bit better, it's less humid here but the sun is very hot, I think it is around the mid 30's...bit warmer than home I imagine!!

As we are in Goa...the home of the vindaloo, I decided it was only right to indulge the other night...really tasty but rather spicy! We have had some excellent curries in the last few days, we are getting our fill of them in our last few days in India! Can't believe we only have a couple of days left, crazy! I think we've both enjoyed India a lot, it really is a huge place that changes from one town to the next, and one day to the next too! But it's a lot of fun and the people are (for the main) pretty friendly, especially in Kerala and Goa, it must be more relaxing to live by the sea!!

Anyway...will hand over to Nick for a chat now...but Happy Birthday to Beaves for the other day and hello one and all, hope you are all well and good and managing without me, ha ha...xxx

Hi there everyone...Nixon reporting in for duty!!!

Like Cooper says, Goa and Kerala have been far more relaxing and far more friendly to us than Rajasthan...not that Rajasthan was bad, but it's been nice to slow down! Looking forward now to Singapore and Malaysia, again...I can't believe we're leaving India already! It seemed such a long time before we left, I hope we can keep up the high standards!

Anywho...just to expand on Cooper's tellings (in true Nixon fashion) it happened that we shared our overnight train to Goa with two Brits...both travelling together on a pub outing from Glasgow! John and Adie were a bit of an odd couple but very friendly, John had clearly been to India (particularly Goa) a few times previously and liked to talk about it...a lot! Adie is a first timer to India although well travelled in his own right. Adie was considerably quieter though, probably because getting a word in edgeways around John is like ... err... I don't know...something VERY difficult!

Anywho, we shared a tuk tuk with them and found some accommodation (thankfully well away from John and his tales!) and went off to "discover" Benaulim - whereupon we bumped right into some pals of mine from uni!! While a major coinkidink, we were aware that they were in Goa and had said we'd be in Benaulim but still a shock to walk right into them with no prior arrangement! For those who will know them, Nick and Rob from the TASC Hockey team have been welcome companions for the last few days, it's been interesting to hear about their own Indian experience and also just to talk normally with people other than ourselves!

Random other events in Goa... 1. I ate a SHARK!!! Oh yeah...well, a bit of one...in a curry!
2. I have now played cricket with Indians...albeit beach cricket with Rob and Nick and we were hammered! One Indian in particular gave me a taste of my own medicine by being totally over competitive, bowling us out and batting us all over the beach! 3. I've discovered the best hotel in the world!! This may be an exaggeration, but after 4 weeks of budget accommodation it looks really nice and for a good price - it has a swimming pool and everything! If/when we return on holiday, we're going to stay there!

I think that's probably enough of my drivel for now, so no doubt we'll be blogging in again shortly from either Singapore or Malaysia! How exciting!

Love to all, especially Granny Nixon, the birthday girl! Glad Jacob's finding his feet and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of him tramping in his Thomas Tank wellies!

Nick and Katie

xxx