On 1/31/05 1:12

We're in Anjuna now, which is still Goa except about half an hour north of Calangute. We really like it here... probably because the majority of people here aren't over 70 like in Calangute!! There are loads of backpackers here so we feel like we fit in better. I think we'll be staying here until Thursday, and then take the night bus up to Mumbai again and stay there for the weekend before heading up North (Agra, Jaipur, Delhi).

It's really lovely here in Anjuna. The beach is like paradise; white sand, blue skies and green cliffs in enclosing it. Our guest house here is really good as well. We managed to bargain down from their original price of 800rs per night, to 450rs per night (which split two ways isn't too bad).

Yesterday was so fun because we hired out Honda Kinetic bikes!! It was so much fun. We were just zooming about all these random places (Vagator and the edges of Calangute), and getting some great pictures of Churches, Scenery and (my favourite) ELEPHANT! We seen 2 of them, just randomly at the sides of the road! So we stopped over and took pictures and this random guy came over and was all like, 'if you want you can give me money to donate to the elephant-trust...' and we were like 'erm... no thanks...'
Being on the bikes and zooming was great fun though. It was so funny because apparently you 'should' have a licence... but the guy who gave us them (who we sort of get along with anyways) was just like 'are you a good driver?' and when we were like '...yes...' so that settled it for him and he just handed them over! I think as long as you know how to work the horn then you're ok!
The roads are so funny though, because there's no speed limit or rules and the roads are like one-lane wide. So when a massive bus comes towards you at like 100km/hr, you just sort of take your chances!
Plus the roads are like glorified dirt tracks anyways... so I came flying off my bike when I took this really sharp corner on a slope too fast (I was trying to dodge a taxi at the same time!). Although it was pretty funny; I was more concerned about my trousers (they are the only decent pair I brought!) so I sort of sacrificed my arm instead to save my trousers. So now my arm is all bandaged up, and I got some cuts on my hands and feet too.

One bad thing about here (well, sort of...) is that the food is even cheaper, so Camilla and I are really in our element!
Although two nights ago we decided to have something other than curry for dinner *shock*... but I think I might be having curry-withdrawal now :-) We also got really nice fruit from this woman on the beach; a massive watermelon and it was soooooo good!

We found this really good restaurant place (SeaQueen) just round the corner from our Guesthouse, that serves really good food and plays movies at night too, which is fun. We also went to Club Cobana the other night, which is this club on the top of a hill outside of Anjuna. It was really nice there actually but it was ladies night again so I was really getting into that free drink and don't remember much about anything else! The night life here in Anjuna is sort of centred on the beach, where all these hippies space out to Trance music. It was so funny because Camilla and I went to the beach at like 3pm and there were already all these hippies there completely wasted and floating about to Trance music!

Last night, at around 11pm, it started to rain... which was odd as it's been scorching heat since we got here. Then that little bit of rain progressed into this big monsoon-style storm that lasted all night and morning! It was so odd seeing it raining here though... It's brightened up now though, which is good.
As for me - apart from my war-wounds from yesterdays accident - I've been getting ill again, which isn't pleasant. We figure if I keep getting these flu-like symptoms we'll brave going down to the medical 'shack' :-)

Well hope to speak soon!!
kirsty xxxxx