Left Mangalore, missed plane...now in GOA!!!

So there was a moment or 30 today when we thought we might have to take this boat to Goa and not our fancy plane...Ha! So it turns out the flight was changed to 10:20am today to noon....2.5 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite 2 confirmation calls in India and having flown to Mangalore on this same airways and having our flights verified... 2 days ago...no one told us - so flight was taking off just after we arrived in the stinking hot Managalore airport...all those nights reading Negogiating for Dummies...pays off in spades...as Susie says...good when you have a 5'10" Madam as a friend - I simply refused to move from the counter in the nicest of ways...my parents would have been proud...until they resolved this and assured them they could find a solution other than their suggested driving 8 hours at a cost of 4000 ruppies...assumed by myself and Susie as the fault lay with them...30 minutes later we were on our way to Bombay (Mumbia) then on to Goa vs our planned Mangalore, Bangalore Goa - no worries, an hour later than planned we checked in to ur hotel...Williams Beach...ahhhhhhh....Thanks to Kish for hanging at the airport with us until he knew we were on the plane in case we had to negotiate a car to Goa. And super yummy dinner last night - thanks to Kish and Mamta in their wonderful Mangalore home...and thanks for taking Susie shopping for 4 hours and not making me come! Ha!
Anyhow... We were high-fivin' all the way to Goa. Which is , as a town a rather wild retreat for Indians and Europeans alike...but a beach for every age and desire... - our part of the beach is south Goa - we are too old for the party all night Panji scene- but yet our part of the beach was not quite - but quite family like - it was like Daytona Beach in India - everyone goes for the sunsets and watches and swims the Indian men and women often go in fully dressed, the women in their saris and salwars including the dupatas (India scarves)- to add a little sureal to the situation...as if needed...there was a Mickey Mouse jumpie, and small ferris wheel - and we were plagued by offers to take boat rides or go up in a balloon like thing behind a boat and get toed in the air..... etc...WHAT?...not quite what we expected you say...that is true - we were then done with the beach and so we headed back to our hotel to internet, hit the restaurant and pool - we will scope out a quiet beach tomorrow! Our pool below which we will also check out!

Also - Thanks to Gavin I have a somewhat complete understanding of cricket - he patiently explained the rules to me as he headed to meet family in Goa - so 11 players, 3 wickets a bat, switching positions...if you hit correctly with the batter of your team who is at the wickets at the other end - getting 4 or 6 points and additional points for successfully switching places with your teammate at the other wicket...well - at least a basic understanding...perhaps a few holes in my knowledge... but my seatmate tried his best! Photo from newspaper
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