Griffs in Goa

India is a beautiful, harsh and diverse country. The harshness and diversity is reflected in the various climatic differences that can be found across the sub continent. There are cold snowy winters in the North in Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.  In Rajasthan there are raging dust storms in the dry season and in the South there are tropical storms and a high humidity. Goa is geographically and climatically in between. The Goan climate in our winter months is perfect compared to European weather. The sun shines for 10 hours everyday and it is regularly between 30 and 35 degrees. It has become over the years a favourite destination for the laid back beach bum and the wealthy retired sun seeker alike.  Even in the Monsoon season between June and October the weather is not too unbearable, there is a lot of rain, but it is a rejuvenating time and the wells that are the main source of drinking water get replenished and the land becomes even more fertile and green. The sea may be more dangerous but towards the later period of the Monsoon many of the Goans are able to carry out daily fishing trips to restock their diminishing supplies. Goa is a small state of just 1363 square miles with a population of 1.3 million. It is situated on the western side of India, south of Bombay, now renamed Mumbai, which is in Maharashtra state and north of the state of Karnataka in a stretch of land called the Western Ghats. Both neighbours dwarf Goa in population and size, however, Goa has something neither of its sister states have in any great abundance and that is Western Tourists.  This site is predominantly about my wife Theresa and I staying in Goa for four months. We are here to see if we would like to live here long-term. I have to do something other than lie on the beach all day which in itself is not at all onorous. On previous visits I have kept a diary but it was in note form and when I got back to the UK I never finished writing it up and consequently no-one ever read it. So having an online ‘diary’ seems to alleviate all the past problems. I will aim to try to post interesting, relevant information regarding hotels, guesthouses, food and wildlife and other stuff that my friends and family or anyone else for that matter, might find useful to use for future stays in this beautiful part of India. 

The accommodation travellers choose can sometimes make or break a holiday. It can be just a place to sleep or it can be the reason that you go. Some people just like small friendly guesthouse type accomodation which has nothing much more to offer than cleanliness and good homecooking, others like hugely expensive multi-acred complexes with every facility imaginable. My wife and I prefer small uncomplicated places.

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