"Goa jogging'

It’s definitely ‘joggers delight’ on my beach this morning. I regularly see the ‘odd’ jogger but today there was the full spectrum, from the true dedicated ‘jogged everyday for 20 years’ individual, to those that look as if they might not even reach the end of the beach and only reach their room via the paramedics. So why the sudden influx, no idea, not really bothered….. But the array was awesome:

Focused, hair swept back in a metronome ponytail with perfect pace and expensive trainers, as sleek as a racehorse and the epitome of grace, health and fitness, a rarity really unlike her companion who had obviously thought it was a good idea when it was discussed in the bar the previous evening. You can see it now, ‘Oh I run every morning without fail, it’s what keeps me slim and fit and full of energy’. The new chum thinks……Mmmmm….I can do that…  “So do I. Would not miss it for the world!’. “Come tomorrow then, it will be fun”. The chum thinks …oh shit…So there she was this morning, hair tied back, running a few paces back and wishing she was back in her room. Glowing slightly more than she should and checking out the two silhouettes on the sand and realizing the evidence was plain to see who may have been exaggerating…..

Two overweight mid-fifties men came next, Speedos (of course…it’s a generation thing) and running  to make it look as if they do it every day, they probably did in the 80’s but in 2012 it’s not really a good idea, presumably they checked if the lifeguards were on duty

Then there was the Eastern European in black designer swimsuit, turban, full make up and bare footed to show silver toe nails. Pace did not matter for our jogging Isadora Duncan, what mattered was to be seen….run to fast and people will not see you, run to slow and the ‘look’ does not work .

‘Miss Sharpei’ was very interesting to watch, yes, when people jog, ‘things’ tend to bob up and down, my son when he was younger called them ‘breastages’, but it wasn’t the breastages that you noticed, it was the jowls. Not a flattering look, a scarf under the chin and tied at the top of the head may be an option if she wants to continue and not get sand in her cheeks. 

Just a few of many sights this morning, but I have saved my favourite until last, when she ran her feet did not appear to leave the sand, her legs were def moving but it was unbelievable. Her arms were in full swing, two swings of the arm to one stride with a look of sheer determination. Putting it like this it sounds as if she was running at quite a pace, in fact she just gave the appearance of speed , people were actually passing her at a leisurely walk.   

………………..I know I should not criticize, I don’t jog I don’t do any exercise at all, but perhaps there should be a health warning on all of the beaches: don’t do anything you don’t usually do! The only problem is that it would spoil my entertainment!     

…………………will try and get video proof!

hoorah for being a wrinklie and saving money!

Well I finally got to a place I have wanted to be for a long time….at an age where I can take long holidays in the sun and not have to worry about going back to work or the British winter!

I always wanted to join the ‘Wrinklies’, nothing to do with age of course, more a case of too much sun! I had a passion for sunbathing from the time of the Beach Boys, now, I am a fully paid up member…on every count.

I retired to Goa but didn’t give up work completely, I now work had at getting a tan that will put the locals to shame but not to get too much of a good thing I restrict this to daylight hours only, (actually afternoons and weekends….of course).To keep me busy and at least have something to talk about at the dinner table, I started a website and blog, basically on where to go, where to eat and where to sleep in Goa, this landed me with an invitation for lunch at a small Boutique Hotel near Panjim….and where I suppose this blog really starts……..

A few minutes drive from Panjim (a great place to wander and wonder and small enough not to get lost……) I arrived in front of this beautifully restored Goan house. It has eight rooms, all ensuite and two cottages in the one acre garden. It’s owned by a Brit expat from ‘Up North’ and his Indian wife, (unfortunately I have been out of the UK for many years and not knowing whether the accent was left or right of the Pennines, decided simply not to ask). They describe the accommodation as simple but that’s probably not the word I would use, the rooms are clean, comfortable, and cosy and each has a very smart bathroom bouncy mattress and flat screen TV! The owners know they have a good property, what they don’t understand this is a beautiful ‘escape’ in a peaceful, quiet and idyllic location with beautiful interiors and quality fittings….a rarity in most Hotels here in India. Actually a  Hotel that feels like home, a concept let alone reality that most people would find hard to believe exists just 15km from the hustle and bustle or is it the hassle and bustle of the Baga Beach area.

The house has an eclectic range of antiques and art from all over the world, a very sweet German Shepherd, (don’t worry it’s a dog, not a real German Shepherd), wonderful ‘sit out’ areas and a crystal clear swimming pool…..perfect. It could be anywhere in the world, where it’s sunny of course and has coconut trees and sunshine etc etc…,

We sat in the small open air dining area overlooking the pool and chatted about the house, our  live ‘pre Goa’ and of course the UK and how we are never going back there….

Sorry, getting sidetracked…….happens more and more….

Anyway we were talking about the British winters and I was asked whether people would be interested in staying at this wonderful home for three months at a stretch for just 45000 rupees (that’s just over 500 GBP) per month per room, this  includes breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. I think it’s perfect and with the small bar selling drinks at ‘local bar’ prices, (so a beer is about 70 pence and a large brandy or whiskey for about 50 pence!) could it get more perfect?  

 

For me this represents tremendous value, the owners care about their hotel/home and the comfort and well being of their guests…remember he’s from ‘Up North’ . The idea is that you have a ‘home from home’, escape the British Winter and share quality time with friends in a wonderful atmosphere.

….. and Goa is the perfect introduction to India, it’s a half way house and ideal for those not sure whether they could handle India full on.

Want a property in goa to your own design?

Here is something different......here is the deal.....lease a property for 3 years for 3 lakhs total! It has two bedrooms , hall , kitchen and bathroom with hot shower, in 500 sq metres and a 2 min walk to Palolem Beach. Here is the twist, the property has to be built , but the adavantage is that it will be built to your layout! You take possession for 3 years on completion of the build and after 3 years walk away or re-negotiate!
Sounds very interesting, that's your own Goa pad for under 8500rs per month.

Bit like a 'Time Share' but with a difference.

Take a break from your holiday!

Take a holiday from your holiday!

The Mayfair Hideaway Spa & Resort is a dream of a resort and perfect for those who have  had enough of being surrounded by hoards of people, gangs of hawkers and of course simply by those so tired through 'roughing it' in a shack on the beach needing a comfortable bed!

The Mayfair  is a beautiful resort of International standard but retaining an Indian ambiance that is so badly lacking in many of the newer Hotels. Little touches that add a very personal feel to all of the reception rooms makes  the difference and  you are immediately comforatble with your surroundings. The design and layout of the Hotel exudes quality and style and actually the smallest hint of a sense of humour! You will just have to go to understand what I mean.

The pool area is chic with the pool overlooking the beautiful estuary of the River Sal, its not surprising that this Hotel is used as the backdrop in many film productions.

Rooms are large and  comfortable with all the usual amenities and my friends that stayed there last week where totally satisfied with everything.....and he's American!

The spa area is smaller than I had expected but I suppose there's only a limited number of massage beds you can use at one time, but the ambiance as with the rest of the Hotel is perfect.

Of course, there are a couple of things I would change, but heh, I'm a Brit, we always want to change something, but I'm only refering to the large flat screen TV in the bar area, which I would quickly remove and the big seahorse....less said the better.  I believe that TVs in bars are only needed by long term married couples and couples that have just argued, get the idea?

Service is as good as anywhere, ( I chose my words carefully) and although I have been to the Mayfair many times and a known face and known never to spend more than a few rupees on a coffee or lunch, the service is as if I were spending lakhs! Very impressive.....unless of course they just feel sorry for me......

I suppose we have to discuss rates, seriously dont worry about it, incredible value for money and well below the rack rates of the International Hotels across the River. Just tell the wife its twice the amount, she will believe you , she will be impressed and happy and so will your wallet!

So that's it, The Mayfair offers everything I would need or particularly what my wife needs for a wonderful vacation, the beach is only across the river for those that want sand between there toes, but knowing the Hotel as I do, I am sure the Bikash the GM ( a really nice chap) would be able to arrange something!

Hip hip hoorah for The Mayfair!

Kid's Safari

Location: Palolem/Agonda/Patnem area
Tele: 09742232007

Child Friendly: that's what its all about!

Cost: from 250rs pp

Most people and even kids will eventually tire of the beach, but other than the beach what are the options for the younger members of your family.  I’m not talking about the 11+ year olds; I will leave the entertainment for those guys entirely up to you! I have been through that phase with my own son and still suffering from post traumatic stress, 11+ to 18 is a very testing time!!!

No, I have cast my mind back to remember what exactly worked with my son and looking back on my experiences have put together options that should keep any monster (oops!) minor, happy for at least ten minutes!

The activities can be one-offs or part of a full day but there is only one condition….. someone is there to look after them! We don’t run a crèche or kindergarten or some new exercise in penal reform, it’s an alternative to being on the beach in the Palolem / Agonda areas where you can experience a different Goa that will give you lasting memories.  

Transport will be required , if you already have transport no issues but if not we can easily arrange scooters or even an open top jeep, which should be sufficient on its own to put a smile on the face of both kids and dads!  So what do we offer?
Rock pools with fish….heh it’s a big disappointment if you go fishing, kitted out with your net and all you can catch is a plastic bottle.  Where we go I have seen pools with everything from eels, to huge crabs to octopus….no kidding!
Crabbing….and for you cynics it’s not in the same place
Kite flying…….great fun for everyone
Stream paddling….a less dangerous form of canyoning, but I do know someone who can help you with this
Feeding fish in a natural Jacuzzi
Milking cows by hand
Petting puppies and perhaps walking your own pooch for an hour

Boat trips with a difference, Pirate Adventure or Robinson Crusoe. We do not offer 'Titanic' or the   ' Poseidon Adventure' for this age group.

Treasure Hunts, Nature Trails and even Kids Cinema

Ok, so that’s what we do. We are very flexible and can offer ½ day or full day packages and we won’t take enormous groups, our prices start at just 250pp and include refreshments, 

Full day packages cost a little more and if you need transport don’t worry, we have excellent contacts with scooter hire and a jeep is at hand if that sounds more fun.

Sounds ok then give us a call or if there's something else you would like just phone and we can see what we can do.

for more info check out http://www.goabuddy.in/ 

Pranic Healing.....What the hell is that?

Location: Kailas @ Bhakti Kutir
Tele: 09823595891
Child Friendly: n/a

Cost: take it as part of an ayurvedic package

Well I know what my dad's reaction would be and although he would not ridicule it, the raised eyebrows would say it all. The rest of my family are all 'tree huggers', 'crystal owners', and general 'paranormal aficionados', so they would really be up for it! I am somewhat of a skeptic, all depends on my mood, (which reminds me , our son asked me one day how I met his mom, through the Ouija board was my reply ), anyway, today I was in the mood, so carrying my flask of holy water and 1 kg of garlic cloves I met Vijay.

Vijay explained that Pranic Healing is the balancing of energies in the body; it involves lying down, fully clothed in a darkened room with relaxing music and leaving everything up to Vijay. You close your eyes and the ‘healing’ begins. There is no physical contact, you are told to simply relax and focus on a point on your forehead, (third eye, I suppose….see I do know something!)

Lying with your eyes closed in a dimly lit room with someone ‘doing something’ around you, does feel a bit odd, but then I began to get different sensation around my body. A tingling on the arm, I initially put down to mosquitoes, but there was no sting! I then felt my feet and legs getting warmer and what I felt most strange, I consciously began to feel a change , I began to feel more positive, which wasn’t that difficult, I’d had a sh…. morning! I thought I could sense where Vijay was ‘operating’ and apart from a couple of words to check if I was comfortable, there was no conversation.

I can’t tell you how long the healing lasted; it did not seem to matter. At the end Vijay told me how he had balanced the energies in the chakras and a prognosis about both my physical and mental state, which was surprisingly accurate, bearing in mind there, is no physical contact!

If you combined this with one of Vijay’s ayurvedic massages I am sure it would be awesome, Vijay by the way has probably the best Ayurvedic Centre in the area, if not Goa! He is extremely experienced, totally in tune with what he does and with his clients and one of the nicest people I have ever met.   

Anyway, back to ‘Pranic healing’ , I am not sure if what I experienced is the norm, I know someone who I recommended to Vijay to for Ayurveda and she was totally overwhelmed by the experience , I was not overwhelmed by it but definitely affected by it. My mood had changed; I was positive, enthusiastic and even hugged a tree on the way home!    

for more info check out http://www.goabuddy.in/ Kailas Palolem

The "Magical Spice Farm".

I must have driven my friends crazy talking about this place and basically how wonderful it is! Every time I visit I get yet another insight into a different world, a different Goa, a different way of life that many believe has been lost for good and that many aspire to!

Wow, sounds interesting but why this special place is and why is it that of the countless people I have introduced to the Farm, not one has not come away dis-agreeing that what Chinmay and Gauri have is truly fantastic.

Well the truth is that The Tanshikar Working Organic Spice Farm works at all different levels, whether you are a hard fast botanist, an eco-warrior, a foodie, a historian or whatever, Tanshikar has something! I was going to say something ‘to offer’ but this suggests it’s a commercial venture in the true sense of ‘ring ring’ of the cash register; it’s simply not like that.

The farm has been running for many years, Chinmay is 4^th generation and together with his wife Gauri decided after seeing the commercial spice farms in the North, that they could do something similar but with a different emphasis. This really is a working farm, spread across 30 acres with 20 or so staff.  They live in their 220 year old family house and live a virtually self sustainable life. All of the produce is 100% organic.

So what does Tanshikar offer? Unlike the competitors, Tanshikar takes a maximum of 12 persons per day, with 6 per group being the optimum number per tour. The walk round is carried out by Chinmay or Gauri so you are sure to get personal service. The time it takes to have the ‘introduction to spices’ varies according to a number of factors and depends really upon the interest the guests have in the plants and the environment, so the tour can be anything from 30 minutes to 3 hours! I have brought people here for a quick ‘look-see’ expecting a 45 minute wait and had to wait 145 minutes!
The farm grows 6 varieties of spice and various sub varieties, you will be introduced to each spice and get a brief explanation of how they grow, what the spice can be used for etc etc.  Did you know nutmeg can be lethal?  Picking the spices or fruit to be used in your lunch adds a nice and tasty touch.

Part of the walking tour takes you to the boundary of the farm where you will find , as they put it ‘the mysterious bubble tank’, actually I think it’s just a natural spring around which a tank attached to an older temple was constructed , the tank is probably a few hundred years old . You can take a dip or dangle your feet, tiny fish come up and start to graze on the dead skin……a very different pedicure and it’s free! Don’t worry it’s not like a Spielberg movie or a clip from ‘Piranha’ , there only a few fish and to have a full pedicure would probably take six years…...Watch out for the priest, he is very hot on not wearing shoes at the tank and will soon tell you so! There is also a great photo opportunity here; they have rubbish bins, very unusual! For those wanting to trek further, Chinmay will offer trekking options to three local waterfalls, (when I say local, the nearest is 45 minute walk), so this would be perfect for those wanting to spend the whole day here and perhaps stay over.

The small shop has a selection of spices for sale, everything is produced on the farm, as well as the spices they also sell forest honey and coconut oil infused with hibiscus. The spices come ready wrapped and wherever possible in recycled paper. A small description of the spice, what it can be used for and a recipe is also provided a very nice touch that will probably ensure you use it! Attached to the shop is a tiny farm museum, probably just a dozen or so exhibits but enough to keep you interested if you are waiting for the other group to return.  Chinmay should perhaps have a quiz to see if people can determine the use of some of the objects, could be fun… 

To give guests the opportunity to enjoy the environment even more, Chinmay has constructed a number of rooms traditionally made from ‘mud’ and timber, naturally cool they have a rustic charm totally in sync with the surroundings. For all you  Brits , when we talk about ‘mud’ we mean something similar to wattle and daub, so don’t worry it won’t get washed away in a shower or you bathroom walls disappearing while taking a shower.

For those taking the tour or staying in the rooms, Gauri and Chinmay’s mom prepare fab vegetarian meals, simply delicious. I am pushing hard for Gauri to give me the recipes, (not for my wife of course, who would simply keel over from shock if I gave them to her and expected her to cook something),  I have  offered to blog them, fingers crossed and if you are a foreigner ‘knife and fork ready ‘, or Indian ‘fingers poised!’

The farmhouse for me is the highlight of Tanshikar, built just before the turn of the 19^th Century; its style is Goan not Portuguese! It has a courtyard with the obligatory Tulsi tree, mud floors and a charm that captivates, the kitchen is amazing basically it’s a ‘living museum’. Wonderful detailing in the doors and fittings make it truly memorable and loved by the whole family and ME!!

 By the way, the drive itself to the farm is breathtaking; it’s about 45 km from Palolem, just head for Neturlim.  As you drive towards  the mountain pass you will see paddy fields, waterfalls  and charming vistas, the journey is a must- do anyway, the road is excellent for biking, usually quiet with  simply  stunning scenery. Make a point of stopping and enjoying the peace and quiet and a chai! This is a different Goa.

Back to business, when you get chatting to Chinmay, you realize how focused he is on keeping things as they are; they have no intention of changing how they live or how they work. They see that opening the farm gives people an insight into their life; the farm itself is getting a lot of interest both locally and internationally and has been featured in an Austrian Travel Magazine, a Czech Style Magazine and half a page in Mid-Day Goa. A local TV series has also featured this amazing place and will be aired locally and nationally, I was interviewed as a tourist on what I think of the area! (Please send 500 rs for autographed photo sent by return post).    

So there you have it! Tanshikar Working Organic Spice Farm, a truly memorable experience. I wonder what will be the highlight of your visit; will it be the spices, the house or the warmth, gentleness and hospitality of your hosts Chinmay and Gauri?   

 

'Tanshikar' sounds magical doesn't it? Well it is!