Candolim Beach, Goa

After another 8 hour, 340 km journey by car through open plains and lush jungle forest we descended into the state of Goa and are now parked here in Candolim Beach for the next three weeks. Total road distance from our starting point in Chennai is just under 1,900 km’s with many hours of often white knuckle speed bump infested holy cow (and goat) road blocks, highway construction diversions, pot holes, dogs, some squashed, a few “oh no’s!” from Joyce in the back seat seeing the inevitable head on collisions that we were about to be in and ultimately an amazing drive through the east, south central, central and the west of southern India. All in all four states; Tamil Nadu, Puducheri, Karnataka and Goa.

We have a nice apartment here in Candolim however the area isn’t quite our style but it will do for the next 3 weeks and we’re sure we’ll make it a nice relaxing time. The beach is clean and very long and is strewn with sun beds and temporary thatch and bamboo/wood built restaurants with lots of very overweight tourists primarily from Russia and the UK and about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. We paid a Christmas/New Year premium so we ain’t going nowhere until the 3rd of January when we may head a little south or a little north for a little more chillin. There is a huge Goa Reggae Sunfest happening in the north of Goa mid January at Ajuna Beach (major old hippie hang out) so we might just stick around for a bit or we’ll start making our way to the north to explore four more states; Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. If we really feel adventurous after all of this then maybe we’ll try ro venture into Pakistan. We shall see. It’s called “winging it” and so far, so good.