Return to Palolem

We enjoy our next few days in Palolem. The weather is actually quite sunny, and we prefer the mosquitoes here over the fleas and cockroaches in Gokarna any time!

We spend our time updating the web site, sorting photographs and taking it easy.

We decide to eat late lunch at the Cafe Inn and have a Laffa, which is a flat bread filled with grilled meat of your choice and topped with a selection of fresh salads and pickles. Absolutely delicious!

Also we try the Cheeky Chapati, a cosy wood-finished restaurant run by an English expatriate, where they do an excellent tandoor meal of meat and vegetables marinated in yoghurt and spices on a large skewer. Yum! He also seems to take his beer pretty seriously, so it comes ice cold out of the freezer, taking the edge of that indian-brewed beer taste.

I also have the chance to do some hand-line fishing off the beach. It’s great and I catch about 5 catfish (2 of them too small to eat) and one beautiful fish with black and golden stripes along its horizontal. Our plan is to braai them in the evening but the weather turns out too rainy so we end up giving them to the guest house owner when we leave.

We take the bus from Palolem aroung 15:00 to ensure we make it to Dabolim airport before 19:00. The journey, with change in Margao, is pretty smooth despite rush hour traffic.

We check in and clear security in Dabolim. it’s raining cats and dogs outside and are soon informed that our flight is delayed by 30 minutes. Later we’re informed that it will be delayed until 23:30 – I gather as the plane is unable to land here in these conditions.

A fair bit of hoo-haa arises, with SpiceJet staff getting absolutley minced by dozens of shouting Indians, each drawing an additional crowd of their own to watch the spectacle. Finally, at about 23:00 the jet lands to a roar of applause and cheers from the waiting passengers.

Delhi here we come!