20.3.26

Everyone who knows me knows how stir crazy I get and how much John and I pack into our trips.

Today I’m going on a train ride. We were all going to go last Monday, then Tuesday, then I felt poorly Weds, Thursday no suitable trains other than an early one. Today’s the day.

Kevin and Sharon didn’t fancy it and are going to the lovely Bullion Pool for breakfast. Liz was a bit torn, wanting to do the train and the pool. We left it that if she was up and ready by 8.30am she would join me. She appeared as I was leaving but wasn’t ready.

I had no choice but to leave. Thank goodness I did as the bus went slower than a slug and didn’t go directly to the train station. Panic!

Checked Google.. 14 minute walk to the station. Train departure 13 minutes.

Determined not to be defeated. I speed walked. I had no alternative but to leg it to Platform 3 over the bridge. No time to get a ticket. What can they do? Deport me? If only.

I spotted a ticket master at the platform. He sent a young lad over the tracks to buy one. I didn’t care what class, I’ll stand. 65 rupees (50p) later I was all legal.

The train then sat on the platform for 30 minutes giving my heart rate time to drop and to feel normal.

The description….

The reality.. I worked in biochemistry long enough to know the delights of bodily fluids and solid matter. İt takes a lot to make me feel queasy. The piles of rubbish and the stench of faeces were overwhelmingly awful

People on the train were talking too loudly on their phones, snorting snot and playing videos very loudly.

I bet Chris Tarrant didn’t describe it so well.

The carriage was pretty much empty and I had a perfect window seat view. Within 10 minutes the others mostly fell asleep. Ahhhh. Lovely. The train engine drowned out the sound of the phones that were still playing videos.

The stench faded and the views started. Wonderful.

It felt too soon to get off, I was enjoying it so much. I wish I’d booked sooner and done a longer journey, maybe an overnight stay. This is no longer Goa State it’s Karnataka State.

Karwar covers a large area. I’d identified a couple of things I wanted to see and narrowed down an area.

A 16 minute tuk tuk journey and 200 rupees later (about 1 pound 50) I was at the War Museum.

John will read that bit and be shocked, but I like to know some background history wherever I go. There were interesting boards about the recent Pak wars and Independence.

I went on a museum Submarine in Istanbul. It was claustrophobic and a bit creepy. The warship wasn’t claustrophobic but really eerie. I was the only one inside there. Logic told me it was a museum but walking through the engine rooms scared me, as if I was going to set anything off. Daft, but there you go.

It was good to be back outside and the top deck had gorgeous views over Karwar beach and islands, which I walked down to later.

No sunbeds, just a totally unspoilt stretch of sand. And a temple, and poor skinny, mangey dogs. It breaks my heart. I will never understand ignoring these creatures whilst praying.

My next stop was the Rock Garden. About a 25 minute walk alongside the highway. Not the nicest stroll, but definitely worth it.

Through an archway were houses depicting different tribes. Unfortunaly the signs were green and mouldy. But pretty all the same. It brought back happy family memories of trips to Singleton Open Air Museum near Chichester.

By now I was hungry and set off for Arka Cafe and restaurant as I’d seen reviews online.

It was a 45 minute walk. It was boiling hot and I walked under the flyover bridge in the shade. It was like avoiding landmines. Choices… Avoiding cowpats and other excrement or die in the heat. I opted for the former. There were a lot of buses and people sleeping with their feet out of car windows.

There’s a lot of stray dogs in the area, not many under the bridge and not big enough to produce that poo. I was intrigued as to why it was close to the roadside kerb. At least have the dignity to do it where no one will see you squatting.

Arka was great, very modern, very western menu, full of youngsters and a fraction of Goa prices. My biriani, mango lassi, water and an Americano was 360 rupees, under 3 uk pounds. (I really wish I could find a pound sign on this new phone).

What to do next? I would love to have gone to the river and seen the islands and taken a boat to Kali mangrove. I also wanted to trek up to Wild Riders View Point or Sunkeri View Point, but they’re all in totally different directions. Karwar is lovely, it deserves at least 2 or 3 days. I wish I’d found it before our last but one day.

Just under 2 hours until the first of 2 possible trains back to Margao and enjoying being vertical I decided to walk the hour and a half to the station.

It was basically a straight line along a main road. This must be where people come for building and decorating supplies, so many DIY and builders shops and the rest were mainly little roadside sheds selling the usual crisps and snacks.

This shocked me though…a building site and a cement mixer. 2 men were filling large metal bowls with cement and putting it on the 2 women’s heads. The women then walked down and poured it into the foundations! Unfortunately my undercover video is awful, so no video.

I saw cows, cows, more cows, an eagle, goats outside the mutton shop (hopefully they’ll be safe, very tame, let me stroke them) and lots of temples. I loved it, especially walking in the green shady sections.

I had plenty of time at the station, the train was delayed, I bought my own ticket and loved all the dogs chilling on the platform enjoying somewhere shady to sleep.

On 2 occasions people raised their fists at the dogs, and one time the platform boss man went to hit one with his baton. I was livid and made that clear. None of them argued back, just looked back as if I was crazy. I don’t care what they think but lashing out at innocent creatures will never be acceptable to me. One little dog let me stroke it and then nuzzled into my lap for ages. It breaks my heart.

The entertainment continued with these little characters.

Once again I was the crazy lady, smiling and taking a video.

Some of the monkeys began coming across the platform bridge but sadly didn’t come onto our platform.

The train arrived, usual loud videos. If my battery hadn’t have been almost flat I might have joined in.

Once again I had a window seat. Beautiful.

I hoped I might see a bus back to Maria Hall and began walking. I’d walked a good 20 minutes or so when I saw a bus. Woohoo. Except it was going to the bus station, the opposite direction. I enjoyed the opportunity to rest my feet to be honest. Jumped off and onto another and redid the journey in reverse.

It was gone 7pm, great timing to meet Kevin and Sharon in Cinnamon, Benaulim for our last but one meal. Still full from lunch I had a very pleasant bacon and brie panini.

Our last walk from town back to the apartment. I have 2 dogs now that mug me for biscuits, I felt awful as had nothing to give them, I hope someone else treats them when I’ve gone.

We finished Housemaid. Sharon was very good and wouldn’t give anything away.

Time for my last nights sleep on the cube.

We’ve been avoiding saying last, but I’m quietly confident we’ll make it home this time.