Get local bus at 7am from Patnem to Margao, cost 25 rupees.We have advance train tickets to Thivim.The train station beggars aside,is great -clean lots of info and plenty of food.I have Thali 4 dishes & rice 30 rs.Even see motorcycles with addresses on being posted cross country.We find our carriage among the 24 and see our names listed on window. Train ride is interesting and chai & food wallahs abound.At Thivim we taxi (Bedford Rascal minibus) to Arambol. This is a well known hippy beach in the North. Dreads and white blokes on Enfields, tye dye, cows on the beach you get the picture.Still it's less commercialised than much of Goa beaches. We haggle a taxi to Chapora fort which dominates the skyline. We climb to its ramparts to look down on Chapora beach, think Robinson Crusoe with scarf-sellers.One of these sari clad Indian girls introduces herself "Alright mate, what's your name then?" in broad Essex...
We are here to walk through Vagator & Anjuna beaches home of the famous raves & Goa trance music. We are stunned by how small they are (2000 ravers, where?) and the daytime occupants,more Saga than soundsystem.The plan is to stay in Anjuna, we ask a coupla places and bag a clean room for 2 around a pool complex and cafe for 700rs.We pile over to Sunset Bar to watch the sun do its stuff over Anjuna beach. We drink KFs while Dave takes 200 pictures of the waning moon.
Off to Baga (the package hoilday nightmare of Goa) I show Dave the Karaoke type bars,nightclub etc. It seems so quiet on the wobbly white fleshometer this year.We hit the Sports bar upstairs for vodka & beer.Good move.As we look down Tito's Rd we can see all the girls coming out for the night! I've returned to Baga to meet Alven a great bar owner and Alwyn a top Welsh bloke I drank til dawn with last year. Both are AWOL tonight, shame.2 more vodkas at Alven's and back to our room. Find a shop open nearby its 12.30am and I get beers.Dave hasn't noticed my sneak mission and can't find me.An Indian guy spots me "Your friend looks for you!" he takes me on the back of his bike,Dave turns see me on the bike -clutching beer.Indian guy asks me for 50 rupees 'to buy a tab of acid'.He is over 60 yrs old.
Return to room to guzzle beer and chuckle like kids.
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