Patti and I arrived in India on December 31st 2015.
After visits in New Delhi ..
"What did you say to me Miss New Delhi?" .. "You are never going to talk to me again because I posted these photos of you Miss New Delhi!" .. "Look you are what your are!" ..
And a visit to Agra Cantt (the home of the Taj Mahal) ..
Patti with our friend Jeevan Lal. I met Jeevan in December of 1990 and we have remained close friends since that time.
We headed for Goa an Indian State located on India's West Coast South of Bombay (Mumbai). We headed specifically for Arambol Beach in the far North of Goa.
We had a great train trip from New Delhi to Goa. First Class Air Conditioned or First 'A.C.'
First A.C. .. Clean and comfortable ..
Nothing could be finer than a nice nap on the train ..
Will I ever .. In this lifetime .. Be in DIWANKHAVATI again ..
We had no reservations but I had contacted Matilda the owner and she knew we were coming. She told me that if she could not provide us with a room she would find one elsewhere for us.
A very pleasant kitchen area ..
A very colorful room indeed.
The courtyard was outstanding ..
We all know that overall this was a 'tough assignment' but Patti .. Trooper that she is .. With great resolve and a stiff-upper-lip .. Made a go of it.
"I sure am missing winter in Anchorage Alaska but someone has got to do this." .. Patti did not know it but I overheard her conversation.
Our own restaurant was only about fifty or so feet from our room ..
Nice omelettes with toast ..
Vegetable curry with a mint lassi. Grilled tuna sandwich with (hoo-boy) garlic bread. We enjoyed every meal we ate at the guest house.
Such a nice guest house ..
Yes! Arambol Beach has a beach ..
After visits in New Delhi ..
We had a great train trip from New Delhi to Goa. First Class Air Conditioned or First 'A.C.'
Bad .. Very bad habit .. But since late 1990 I love to shoot photographs from the open doors between the coaches. I can tell that the little boy ahead of me and looking back at me is going to tell his parents .. "A man is hanging out of the door why can't I Mommy / Daddy!"
When the train stops .. I get out and check the local scene ..
We have arrived in Goa. We got off the train in Pernem.
We got a taxi from Pernem to Arambol Beach. It is about a 30 minute ride.
When we got into Arambol Beach it was time for your Captain to pull-a-rabbit out of his hat! I wanted to find one specific restaurant to orient myself. I missed the mark but not by much. I told the taxi driver I would be right-back.
"Hi Mister Rabbit! You will never know how good it is to see you hop out-of-my hat!"
Back I went to Patti and the taxi driver.
"Patti we have a room with Matilda at her guest house."
We stayed in two guest houses in Arambol Beach.
First we stayed for six nights in the apartment where I stayed during my November 2011 to January 2012 visit.
To say we two 'lucked out' is a vast understatement.
It was a simple case of us needing a room .. any room .. we weren't choosy but we really needed a room. Room? We got the absolutely very best possible apartment we could have gotten.
Then after six nights Fritz from Germany (who I got to know in 2011-12) arrived and we had to vacate the room Fritz reserves each year.
Patti and I moved basically 'next door' and spent the rest of our time in Arambol Beach at the Vailankanni Guest House. Look very very closely to the left of the yellow Vailankanni and behind the trees you can see Matilda's blue guest house.
Our room was on the ground floor right off the courtyard.
Well I am getting revved up and warming to the task of doing some justice to our visit to Arambol Beach in the North of Goa on the West Coast of India.
With Joy from Cap and from Patti ..
Not only am I getting revved up .. I am so enjoying this re-visit to Arambol Beach ..
