The journey.... Gatwick was fairly quiet and we didn't have to queue to check in which was a blessing with so many bags and a very excited two year old!
However they couldn't find any mention of the 30kg charity luggage allowance which they gave to us (and which I confirmed a few days ago!) This was slightly concerning for a few minutes since we have two MASSIVE bags of presents! (A whopping actual 35kg worth thanks to all you guys!) You will be pleased to know that they let the luggage on though!
Violet has been very excited and very attached to the "holiday bear" the nursery gave to take with her. I've never seen her so attached to a cuddly toy before so I issued its visa! It was a close call!
The 8.45hour journey was uneventful, thankfully. Who ever moans about toddlers on long haul flights haven't been on a flight with the angelic Violet.
She was her usual amazing self and she played inflight games on the screen, we read a story, drank milk and chatted about Goa and all the animals she wants to see when we arrive. The only toddler noise the other passengers may have been subjected to would have been the fantastic elephant impressions she made, she can't wait to see the elephants. She's also looking forward to seeing the giraffes but I'm trying to let her down gently on this one!
Arriving at the airport- first thing that hits you is the warmth and then the smoky balmy smell... Then it's the queue for immigration! Such a long queue and such a slow pace! No urgency what so ever. Well I suppose I have been planning to adopt a different pace during this holiday so why not start straight away!
Violet was fine, as long as I carried her! Not Davidson.... ME! We queued for around an hour with Violet continuously saying "my turn mummy?" Whilst pointing to the front of the queue and giving me arm ache. I wish bubba I wish!
Finally we are through! It's about 5.30am. There are people hustling to take our bags and offering us cabs, there are reps and horns honking and random dogs just hanging around. We've booked a car through the hotel and I'm scanning the signs looking for my name.... Looking.... Looking.... Nothing! I call the hotel and they say "oh slight miscommunication we have you down as collection at 10am!"
Seriously.
I don't have any rupees- I got told to get them here!
I have a miserable baby moaning away, he had the right hump about the car not being there, Violet was ok but was strapped in her pushchair and wanted me to carry her.
I mange to get the hotel to speak to a cabby and to agree to pay him when we arrive.
So now we are in the car.... Time to relax for the 90 minute journey to our hotel.... Or not! We nearly had a head on collision within five minutes of being in the car, a car in the opposite direction overtook on the wrong side of the road and came straight at us!
I actually thought we were going to crash. We didn't and after another twenty minutes of the journey I got used to the fear. I was holding on to Violet for dear life and she in turn was holding on to her bear... She was calm and was enjoying the breeze from the open window and saying wow a lot.
We overtook on the wrong side of the road a lot, we hooted out horn, we dodged three legged dogs in the road and random people in the dark on the side of the road, we then put our lights on and the driver could see the road a bit better! How we survived I don't know! Haha
We all fell asleep cuddled up in the back of the cab. I woke up at one stage to about twenty faces staring out the back of the open truck in front of us- about twenty woman in saris, no seat belts, hell I don't think they even had seats.
I tried to wake D to show him and I pointed at the truck, D just mumbled and fell back to sleep and one of the women in the truck pointed straight back at me.
Back to sleep.... Woke again to people riding side saddle on mopeds carrying huge bags of flowers - passing shacks built of little bits of wood and plastic sheeting- dirt roads and finally our hotel... First thoughts? What the heck have we booked!