Spicy Flights and Delhi Bellies
It’s an early start, we pay our room bill and meet our taxi driver whom we met and pre-booked for 8AM last night, on the main bazaar. We manage to beat most of the rush hour and get to the airport well ahead of our flight. Something is different today.. and it would have been too much to expect of India to spare us this experience… we have the Delhi Belly.
Following check-in we make our way immediately to the COSTA coffee stand which we spotted on entry and have our first cup of good coffe in India. I’ve decided to dub the stuff “Black Gold” because it seems to be so rare around here. We relish the experience and feel energized. Then we get up and scuttle swiftly off to the toilets to quiesce the rumbles in our stomach.
A small Pizza Hut Marsala Pizza and KFC Paneer Zinger burger later, we’re off to our gate and boarding our plane. SpiceJet seems to be the domestic RyanAir/EasyJet equivalent, however in terms of passenger comfort they seem to be a few steps ahead.
On alighting the plane in Goa I pull Ebru close and try to take a snap of us with the plane behind us on the compact cam, but immediately an official shouts to put it away – how disappointing. Later I check and find that the shot was actually captured – RESULT!
Ebru has become intimately attached to our RoughGuide and upon her advice we take a passenger bus from the main road-side to Benaulim, 7km away. The journey takes us through a lush green landscape with coconut palms and banyan trees and colourful houses dotted between them. Cows, dogs and buffalo walk the streets and fields. Of course there is still litter everywhere but this is definitely easier going the Delhi.
We arrive there after about 40 minutes journey and take a long walk up and down the few roads in the village to find accommodation. It’s the first opportunity Ebru’s had to walk with her baggage strapped on and I don’t think she was expecting it to be so heavy. It’s a good initiation anyway and she grits her teeth and pulls through it.
We end up at Antonette’s Guest House, about 15 minutes walk south from the main road, as we were unimpressed by other options and a German couple I asked on the way has said they’re quite happy there. Antonette’s is a quaint purple double story building in deep purple just past the fishermens’ bar at Jack’s Corner. The owner Gerard is probably in his fifties and has worked as a chef in the Gulf and saved enough cash to build this place. He knows how to run a guest house: he’s friendly and helpful, the place is clean, his rates are reasonable and he even has a fridge in the corridoor which he stocks with water and beer and a small log book where guests can note what they use and pay when they leave.
Ebru’s happy here but she hasn’t mustered the courage to try any food anywhere, so we get some cream cheese, bread and marmite from the local store (yes, marmite) and have a romantic dinner with a quart of beer on the balcony of our room, listening to my world receiver.
15 Comments
Barbara Vokes
Hey,
Your adventure so far looks awesome. I will definitly keep checking this site. Have a blast and keep safe.
Barbara from SA
zulal
muck muck muckk :))))missing you too
ken
Hey B, definitely been awesome and already seems alike we’ve been on the road a long time. Hope u njoy the updates. 🙂
Claudia
Hey, how are you doing? I told you, I got a decent contact in Dehli… and I have a friend in Goa and I stayed in Benaulem. If you need tips etc. in Goa, my good friends husband is there (he´s Goan). I am sure you could phone Glen if you need tips, advise etc…. let me know. Enjoy and keep us posted ;-9 Much luv
ebru
Thank you Claudia, eventually we found our feet in Goa and have been staying rather nice places:)Love
Juergie + Cathie
Hey Ken and Ebru,
we wish you a superb one-year-round-the globe, plenty of adventures, many nice people to meet, unforgettable memories and always a chilled beer to soothe the Delhi belly.
India seems to be rather different from the one shown in the documentaries made by the reputable Bohli Wuuhd, where even
the poorest are stuffed with jewelry and colorful dresses, live in an apartment the size of an average Tescos and only Buddha knows what they take
so they sing and dance all day round.
Hope you have/had a wonderful time in Goa.
Many greetings
Juergie + Cathie
(feeling like Cricetus Cricetus, still trapped in making the ferris wheel spin…)
ken
Hi J and C, nice to hear from you. Yes it’s definitely gonna be unforgettable and we already feel like we have been away for ages. Leaving Goa tomorrow to Delhi to pick up my bike and then it’s off to the Himalayas! Yaaaay 🙂
The part about the jewellery seems true to an extent – all ladies tend to be well decorated in one way or another. But about the living quarters I don’tknow as I’m only in the tourist rooms, and interestingly no one is dancing around here…. maybe it’s not in season.. ? 😉
Best regards and don’t tread that wheel too hard!
kaizer
hi there, we are waiting for the latest news and developments, dont get lazy.
all the best
dad
Sumitra
Hey Ebru,
Looks like both of you are having a rolicking time! 🙂 Skimmed through Ken’s posts, and loved the pics, post some more!
Things are fine here and my little girl turned one! (time really flies!)
Good luck to your future adventures and beware of Delhi Bellies! 😉
ebru
Hey Sumitra,
We are having a smashing time here, India is crazy and incredible, now we are up on Himalayas and we will update the site soon:) Please send my regards to everyone and two kisses from me to your lovely daughter
LoveXXX
Padma
Hi Ken and Ebru
enjoying the stories and pics alot, really does sound like Ebru reacted as I expected of the Indian first look and feel 🙂 It’s always different when you are actually there.
Himalayas on a bike sounds amazing!
I keep checking for updates, as my own life is still on pause – need some excitement!!
Miss you, and hope you both will roll with the flow… you never know what will come.
Greetings from the brown man too!
PADMA
ebru
Hello Padma,
It’s great to hear from you:) I missed you too, especially your songs, send me some songs:) WE are in China now:) updates are coming soon
Love
Ebru
Claudsch
Mei Bua jetzt wochst da is Gsicht scho ganz zua 🙂 Boid schaust aus wie da Kaiser Franz Josef 😉 Enjoy it…. Bussal aus good old STYRIA
jen
At last I have managed to get to read your info, wow, keep it up. Still have to go thru the photos, I will do that after the exhibition. Loved seeing you both on Skype.
lol 2 both, Ma
travel the world
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