As the train was not crowded, although we booked separately, Dev and I managed to secure a compartment to ourselves and slept blissfully until breakfast (included in the ticket price) was served at 8.30 am after which I dozed on and off until we arrived in Madgaon one of the stations serving both North and South Goa.
Outside the station is a prepaid taxi stand and for the increadably low price of 1150 Rupee we were whisked off on an hour long ride to the beautiful Agonda Beach which together with Palolem Beach are just two areas of South Goa people visit to avoid the hippie scene of North Goa. The others are Sunset Beach and Butterfly Beach.
The taxi ride almost became extremely costly as Dev suddenly realised she had left her purse in the cab after it had pulled away but quick thinking by the hotel staff who sent a message to a couple of Tuk Tuk drivers at either end of the resort and one managed to stop our taxi and recover the purse and coat from the back, big sigh of relief all round.
We had booked two nights in a beach hut at "Horno do Jardine" but on arrival we found we had been given one night only and not in a beach hut, they had also booked us into a sister hotel further down the beach, for the second night which on investigation also turned out not to be a beach hut.
Although the accommodation was good it was not a beach hut so after a bite to eat I sorted out laundry and had a quick dip in the warm sea, Dev headed off to sort out the accommodation.
Sorted, The girl with a heart of gold had managed to book us in for one night at "H2O" one of the best resorts on the beach and refused any extra money saying it was her treat.
The evening was taken up strolling the one street every bar and hotel is situated off of and enjoying a drink in a local bar. Be warned if you chose to come to Agonda Beach bars close at 11pm and the resort goes to sleep.
After breakfast second day, bags packed and killed time on the beach outside the resort until grabbing a Tuk Tuk to the other end of the beach and settling in at H2O.
Time until early afternoon was taken up swimming and sunbathing in an ideal location but as only one day left and the other beach had not been explored a 300 Rupee Tuk Tuk ride and we found ourselves at Palolem Beach.
We ate in a restaurant on the beach but found the food catered for European pallets
The beach there is more crowded with sea kayaks and boat trips all along the beach and although I think there may be a little more to do here, Agonda was the right choice for me..
When we arrived back I went to collect the laundry and treated myself to an Ayurvedic massage which took one hour and set me back 800 Rupee which is about one third of the amount wanted at our resort. I would definitely recommend the massage as I felt great afterwards. After a shower we settled down to watch the DJ in the resort who played a good mix of music (and we even had a pic taken for the publicity) until about 9.30 pm when we decided to return the the bar we had been in the night before.
After an enjoyable time chatting with Anna, a consultant social worker from Sweden who joined us at the bar it was back to H2O to pack the bag for my penultimate journey, a flight to Mumbai for a couple of days before back to Blighty, where did all the time go?
Last morning in Goa and Dev got up to share a farewell breakfast before I caught a Taxi at 9.30 am for the 90 minute ride to the airport at Dabolim.
I leave Dev behind to continue to enjoy Goa but can't leave without saying a big big thank you for sharing her time with me in Kerala and Goa and for her unselfish nature. I shall always be thankful and hope one day our paths will cross again.
