Goa…….Simon tried to put me offbut it didn't work. After what I'd seen over the last 6 weeks anything could surprise me and Goa most definitely did.

For the first time we booked our plane ticket through a travel agent because when Simon tried to book over the net the flights seem to have been all sold out (whatever - he just doesn't know how to surf the internet properly, but I'm giving him lessons and he is getting better). For some reason we thought we had booked the only direct flight form Cochin to Goa, and it hadn't clicked that the flight time was 4 hours when Goa is only 1 hour up the coast. By the time we checked in we realised that we were making 2 stops, one in Calicut and one in Mangalore (where ever that is) before arriving in Goa. The only upside was that Kingfisher airlines is a very hospitable airline, and as Simon has mentioned in the earlier blog he was looking forward to his Kingfisher curry - little did he know that he would get 3 meals in the course of 4 hours!!

On the first leg to Calicut it was a snack box with samosa's and we ate it all. On the second leg we had a full on curry, salad and dessert - and again we ate it all. On the third leg I was envisaging a fruit platter, which suddenly appeared on our neighbours tables, but they had run out so we had another full on curry - this time all I ate was the container of pickle (by now I have a thing for airline pickle and I can eat it straight out of the container without any food to accompany it - a proper Indian!). I forgot to mention we were on one of those small planes with the propellers, you know the ones with the turbulence, the skidding over the tarmac on landing and the general feeling that you are going to die any second, eating all that food was not a good move.

We once again arrived in sweltering heat but luckily this time our driver was on time. We had made an executive decision to upgrade ourselves to a better class of hotel for our stay in Goa for 3 nights. The Lemon Tree Amarante Hotel in Candolim was our destination, meant to have some of the best beaches inGoa and it didn't disappoint. We had a big pool!! We had a clean beach!! We had a free buffet breakfast!! We had a proper power shower in it's own enclosed cubicle!! We had a TV with cable!! We had free drinks 6-8pm!!We had wi-fi (but that doesn't count because skype was rubbish and I didn't get to speak to my nephews).

Breakfast was something of a love affair for me. It would start with a bowl of choco pops (my first taste of dairy in 6 weeks), then a fry up (egg, beans on toast, bacon, potatoes), pancakes with maple syrup and finally a fruit bowl, sometimes followed by a chocolate doughnut, (but not always!). Simon turned all Indian half way through the week and had chickpea curry and puris followed by a dosa, I still haven't got to that stage. It's fair to say that I may have put on a few pounds over the course of the week, which should make you happy mum!

It was amazing how when out here, you only need a couple of things to fill your whole day. We would eat breakfast, swim, read, maybe visit the beach, have lunch, a snooze and then dinner, with the whole day passing in a blur. Simon tried to help me exercise in the pool to get rid of my flabby thighs but after attempts to drown me I declined his offer of help to get me trim. I may join the gym again when I get home…but maybe I won't.

So back to Goa, the beach was much cleaner and nicer than what I had seen in Kovalam, Kerala. Funky beach shacks lined the beach in a long row stretching as far as the eye could see, all desperate for any business. They did amazing sea food according to Simon, King Prawns, Tiger Prawns, Calamari, Curries, he was in his element.If you ate in one of the shacks you could use their sun loungers for free, but we very rarely used them as it was far too hot with little shade and the sand would burn your feet on the walk to and from the hotel.

On the main road outside of the hotel it looked very much like the rest of the India we had seen, but again like Kerala quite clean and no horrible smells - lots of taxi drivers - 'Hello my friend, Taxi, Night market, Spice market, Taxi, Taxi'- bog off!!! Other than a few people on holiday with their children we seemed to be the youngest people there. Simon didn't have to worry about scaring childres with his belly coming out because 90% of the people in our area of goa were middle aged or retired couples and I have never seen such big bellies, and I'm not just talking about the men!

- at the weekend the Indian boys arrived; eight to fifteen, 25 to 40 year old blokes of all shapes and sizes wearing nothing but their speedo's, frolicked in the pool with frisbies and beach-balls (…..and each other as only happens in India!)

Our only 'touristy' activity was a visit to a spice plantation about an hour away from our hotel.We were welcomed with a lovely garland of flowers and a cup of steaming ginger tea which would have been nice to drink had it not been 33 degrees.A tour guide took a group of us around an area that they had specifically cultivated for these tours, showing us all the spices and herbs that they grow. It was particularly interesting for me as I learnt where all the spices come from that my mum uses in the kitchen. We saw cashews (you only get one cashew per apple and only 250 apples per tree, now you all know why they are so expensive) , wild coriander, lemon grass, curry leaves, coconut trees, banana trees, pineapple shrubs, nutmeg, peri peri chillies (left behind by the Portuguese), pepper corns, cinnamon and curry leaves. At the end of the tour the resident 'monkey man' showed us how he climbs the trees to collect fruits and he actually jumps between the trees;.brave man. The tour ended with a fabulous eat as much as you want buffet lunch…so we did! The spice plantation also had some elephant activities, but I am well and truly against any locking up animals (unless they are rabid dogs) and using them for entertainment so refused to partake.

Our driver then took us to Old Goa for some sightseeing of the old churches and architecture, but after one seeing The Basilica of Bom Jesus (which contains the tomb and mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, who in 1541 was given the task of spreading Christianity among the subjects of the Portuguese colonies in the East) the heat took it's toll and we headed back to the hotel drenched in sweat.

We had planned to stay at the Lemontree for three nights but under the circumstances that changed to five…..and then six …… and then seven.