GOA
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I spent around three weeks in Goa, spending a few days on the beach, and then moving to another. I didn't work my way from North to South, but dotted about the place, which meant rather hectic bus journeys, but I think it was possibly the most fun way to do it. Initially I was travelling around Goa with two girls from Chicago, who I'd met in Bombay. I'd just finished my lunch, in Leopold's on Colaba Causeway, and got talking with them. I found out that they were intending to travel down to Goa on the same day that I'd planned to, and we agreed to travel together. India being India, not everything went that smoothly, as I couldn't get a train ticket.
I managed to get a bus down to Goa though, and (feeling rather ill) ended up on a rather nasty touristy beach. After a couple of days, we met up at Arambol - a fantastic beach up in the North, with a very traveller-y atmosphere. I stayed at a little beach-hut community called Tarzania, where I met some fantastic people. Travelling around Goa was really great - very relaxing whilst at the beach, and very different to the rest of India that I've seen. I travelled with the two girls from Chicago for around ten days or so, before they decided to move on to Pondicherry - Sophie and Marie-Laure were great fun to travel with, and wonderful company. I decided to spend a few more days in Panjim before hitting the beaches again. Panjim feels a little like home, I have to say. I think the Goan in me started to take root there a bit - helped by the hospitality of my relatives Aires & Julianna who live there, Godinho's restaurant, and the Top Gear Pub!

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The North end of Arambol beach.

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Gravestones at St. Augustine’s Cathedral.

St Augustine’s is my favourite place in Goa, if not in the whole of India. It is a vast, sprawling ruin, seemingly not visited by many travellers or tourists. Spending sunset there is simply magic, and whenever I’m in Goa in the future, I will make sure I’m there for sunset again.

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Sophie (L) and Marie-Laure (R) at St. Augustine’s. There is only one security guard there, so within minutes of arriving, we were able to scramble all over the place, and have a really good explore.

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Part of the Tower of St. Augustine’s is all that is left standing.

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A view through the ruins to the tower or St. Augustine’s.

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Sunset at St. Augustine’s.

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Early morning at Benaulim beach. No tourists for miles….

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A dilapidated building in Panjim.

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Although the buildings are look rather worse-for-wear, the streets of Panjim are remarkably clean. I think this building is a few doors down from Godinho's - a great place to go for Crab Xacuti, or spicy stuffed fish!

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Beach huts further South – possibly at Paololem.

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Spices at Mapusa Market.