Goa - Panjim & Anjuna

After all the cities and travelling around we are ready for some quiet beach time. So where better to go to as famous Goa, we think. Our expectations are high when we board the overnight train from Mumbai to Panjim - a sleepy little city in the heart of Goa. This time the train journey was more enjoyable, as we managed to get some tickets in the air-conditioned class. Even though it is still basic from a European point of view, the temperature is fine and they even give you blankets and pillows. So we manage to get some sleep and arrive reasonably rested in Panjim. Here we are staying only one night, before we head off to the beach.

Panjim has a little under 100,000 inhabitants and a strong Portuguese influence which you can see in the architecture. Lot's of catholic churches for Paul to choose from! The people here are very relaxed and helpful. The next day with some local assistance we find our busses to Anjuna - a costal village - and arrive in this famous place, which has been an old time favourite with hippies and backpackers. The guest house we pick out of the Lonely Planet guide is apparently located on top off the cliffs at the coastline. So we get of the bus in the village centre and walk for maybe five minutes along the road towards the Arabian Sea, which can be heard from a distance.

However the more of the coastline comes into view, the more disappointed our faces become. Yes, the guest house is close to the cliffs, but you can't see them! Thanks to the horrible ramshackle stalls of the beach vendors, who are selling a lot of rubbish nobody really needs. It looks awful. The most alluring and relaxed stretch of sand, quote LP?? We don't think so! Nonetheless we check in the guesthouse and go on a little reckie. No sandy beach, the monsoonal sea looks vicious and the beach vendors are one of a kind. They cling to you like ticks. No polite 'Thank you, no we don't want anything' helps. They are simply relentless. So our first day in Goa ends a little on the down side.

The cliffs in front of our guest house - not so nice

Where is the beach??

The next morning - Saturday. We descide to rent a scooter. This is the preferred form of transport here and opens up a new world for us. We are cruising all the little roads along the coast and in the backland and discover a truely beautiful rural Goa - lush green with a dschungel like forrest, doted with rice fields. Even though it is quite warm here, the sun takes turn with outbreaks of the monsoon rain and then we quickly stop and hide in a cafe or bar for a lassi or chai, until we can go on.

Sitting out the rain

And after a few hours of driving around, we finally find them - the famous sandy beaches of Goa! In the neighbouring village of Baga. This was described in the guidebook as a long sweep of very crowded beach overloaded with beach shacks backed by mid-range concrete-block hotel. We don't know what Lonely Planet is on about, because it's lovely here and quiet and we enjoy the day getting sunburned.

Finally! The long sandy beach - Paul getting wet feet in the Arabian sea