PANJIM Passing The Port

Thirty six hours in sunny Panjim, erstwhile home of the Portuguese after they'd upped sticks from malarial, pox- and typhoid-ridden Bombay in 1843. As usual, I may have made this up, but there they were in any case..

Architecture, design, signage, almost everything Portuguese remains or suggests its presence, and it's easy to forget the locals left holding the fort are Indian who, with the exception of lots of the heritage hotels and restaurants, have let the place go to rack and ruin in the time-honoured tradition.

A lovely place, rather like Havana, with a photo opp on every corner. Luckily for you, these are just a few of them.

GOA Hello N'aste

We inexplicably missed our 4am stop on the night bus from Hospete and ended up 25 miles further down the road. Fortunately, we hailed the one passing taxi, who took us back to our darkened Patnem beach resort.

Trudging along the sand in my big boots for half a mile, I stumbled upon our beachfront Namaste hotel, where we regrouped and fell asleep in 'reception' til the sun came up and things got warm and bright again.

Cola Beach

Cola Beach again

View from my porridge bowl

A long strand of golden sand leading to a calm, warm sea, a superb cabin to stay in, rolling out to a restaurant breakfast each morning, then onto the lounger for sunbathing and swim. Canny.

A couple of days out to adjacent Palolem beach, further out on the scooter to Agonda beach and a tuktuk ride to Cola beach, but I was happy to stay on Patnem.

Tariz, our friend from north London

Namaste: busier than usual

It was populated mainly by Brits, Euros and Russians, many of whom return here year after year to escape the winter, eat, drink, do a bit of yoga when they can be bothered and generally have a nice time. Sounds like a plan.

Agonda Beach. Boring

Home sweet home for nine days, but we are softening up. We've done the hard yards down the east coast, had our RnR, and are ready now for our assault on Mumbai and the north west.

The Namaste boys. Lovely lads all