Driving & food
Saturday 27th
Went to Agonda on the scooter today – filled up with juice at 78p a litre. The 75 minute journey took us through some of the best scenery Goa can offer. The roads have impressed immensely in the two years since our last visit. We crossed the River Sal on the free ferry and then continued South through the Cashew forest, we climbed steep hills which the Honda really struggled with and passed monkeys by the side of the road.
Driving in Goa can only be described as chaotic and dangerous. If you can imagine a combination of Jousting, playing chicken and Russian Roulette all in one then you have only just thought of half of the experience. Driving here is a true manifestation of the Darwinian principle that the biggest, fittest and meanest survive. You cannot imagine how terrifying it is to to have a fully laden speeding Indian bus hurtling towards you on your side of the road for no apparent reason other than it can, blasting his deafening horn which tells everyone to get out of the road.
Des-Res
week and stay in wooden huts on the beach. The huts have a double bed, a fan, a mosquito net and a shower and toilet. For that you pay about 600/- a night (5.80p). We had lunch at the Little Italy shack. The Avocado and Greek salad were excellent but the hummus and pitta were grim. The shack manager who hailed from Jammu and Kashmir was hoping for an improvement in trade in the New Year – I think he’ll have to up his game in the hummus dept to succeed!
One of our favourite restaurants where we eat in the evenings is a place on the beach called Johncy’s. It is a well established eatery with a good reputation. It is always buzzing, mainly with Indian customers often in large extended family groups. Whatever the time of the day the service is impeccable and the food top quality. The staff are exceptional and well worthy of praise, most of them are from Nepal and work like Trojans and always with courtesy and a smile. Johncy’s must have a least two hundred covers. It is open from 7.00a.m till 2.00a.m. They have just eleven front of house staff (waiters and pot collectors) and 23 kitchen staff. The waiters rely on tips as their salary is 1600/- (rupees) a month, which equates to 5.71p a week. They also get their meals and accommodation. I am not sure where these guys sleep but I know of places where the staff either sleep on the restaurant floor or on the tables. These guys would be worthy of working anywhere top class in the world if only they had the opportunity. What a contrast to the second rate expensive food and gormless, insincere and often surly service we get in the UK.
