28/03/2011 Decided to go on a few kilometres walk to see a lake around the headland. It was as beautiful as the girls as had made out, with navy blue waters leading into the hills, sandbanks and palm trees and birds hovering around, even a lifeguard or two on duty. Surprisingly, it attracted more tourists than the white sandy beach just in front of it. It was a bit of a mission to get to, walking up into the guesthouses overlooking the horizon and souvenir shops...

27/03/2011 A short tuctuc to the coast where we bumped into Sarah who I met in Mumbai and she advised us of a good place to stay. Villa Rodrigues! Got a 200-rupee double bed, shower and western toilet, even a mosquito net and fan! So I couldn't grumble for 1.50 pound each a night! And, practically on the beach. Got the sungod straight out and was playing beach cricket in no time with the local Indians! They had a load of absolutely mental rules such as no runs ...

26/03/2011 Arrived in Mumbai at like 5am and back to the Anjali Inn after I had haggled half price for me and Chris to have a nice room to sleep for the day and watch the cricket! Had to have a shower first as my feet were literally black and I hadn't showered in two days. Sexy. After a nap, we had some local grub and watched England get humiliated by Sri Lanka before heading back to the train station for the overnight train to Goa. On the train we had two Dan...

25/03/2011 Guy at hotel was trying to charge me for two nights as I stayed from 5am until 11am the next day, threatening to call the police because I wouldn't pay so I gave him another 100 and told him he shouldn't even have that. He moaned and told me that it wasn't good business but he had definitely squeezed some out of me! But after going to the train station and finding that I couldn't get a train until the evening, I had to go back and give him a further ...

24/03/2011 Arrived in Ahmedabad around 5am after a 9-hour train. Got robbed at the station with a 56-rupee tuctuc (should be no more than 20 but I was treated with a 'night charge') to take me Hotel Cadillac. The place sounded ok for 200 rupees-a-night, but I had officially hit real India. For this price (under 3 quid), I had a terrible hard, filthy-sheeted bed and dirty cushion for a pillow, dozens of old, deteriorating duvets all piled on a bed behind me and ...