Put on a Smiling Face

Monday 1 December 2008
Baga – Palolem Beach, Goa

So we get the hell outta dodge. Baga really is a shithole, full of fat, ugly, old people and Brits drinking lager for breakfast. Don't go there.

Crows wake us up. There seems to be a small battle going on between some rival crow nations just outside our room as they're making a loud fucking noise. I eat some breakfast while Evan talks to taxi drivers about how much it costs to get to Palolem in the far south of Goa.

With that sorted we head off, though my laundry from the night before isn't dry, so we have to pack it in some plastic bags and take it with us. The drive is pretty sweet, through a bunch of mountain roads with suicidal overtaking manoeuvres. The only thing of note was that we tried about six or seven different cash machines before we could find one that worked.

Once in Palolem we sorted out a place to stay pretty much on the beach and had some lunch. This place looks almost more beautiful than Arambol. Smaller waves, possibly a smaller beach but slightly more developed, but only by a fraction, but enough to make you think that there's something happening here.

I have a brief swim but then walk down the beach to check out the scene. It's a whole bunch of awesome wrapped around a slice of fun, sprinkled with some more awesome for good measure. We shall do well here.

There's a devastating sunset. The cloud cover that's been pestering us for the last few days seems to be breaking up a bit now, although I did hear some rumbles of thunder today.

Night falls and we walk to the restaurant next door and as we turn the corner we see an event of astronomical proportions. Two planets have been visible to the west for some time, usually one vertically above the other. However today they were alongside roughly horizontal. And with a waxing crescent moon pointing downwards just beneath them, it looked like a smiling face in the sky. I managed to take a picture of it with my camera. In the papers the next day they had a picture too – apparently the two planets were Jupiter and Venus. I didn't know you could see Jupiter with the naked eye. And it was brighter than Venus too.

We have some dinner and it's top quality. I have some chicken noodles and it's one of the best meals I've had in India. After that Evan is feeling ill so he goes back to bed. I venture out first into town and then along the beach. I can't find many places that are jumping so I check out the internet for a bit, then have one beer back at the restaurant and call it a night.