Sunday and Monday

In the evening we took the bus from the hotel to Baga beach. Someone recommended Cafe del Mar as clean and having good food. It is a three storey open structure with no walls. The view of the beach and setting sun is marvellous and we enjoyed the cooling sea breeze.

I ordered Goan fish curry and helen had prawns. We chatted to a young man serving and he announced he was from Nepal. He had left his farming family after he fell off a tractor and suffered head injuries. He had been studying at his local college but decided to travel once he recovered. 

His father, who is a lowly farmer, cannot read or write. His parents urgently want him to return and take over the fields.  He wants to be a mountaineering guide to Everest base camp.  He has been a porter but is more ambitious for himself. 

Anyway the food was tasty and we ate and watched the sun set on the Arabian Sea. 

Today is Monday and I had arranged to meet friends from Ireland and do a spot of birding with them. Vijay drove us to Siolim where the rice was almost knee high. We couldn't see so many birds therefore but had good views of shrike, pied kingfisher, asian openbill stork  and quite a few others. At Siolim Sodiem we had great views of an orange minivet. This was a first for vijay. 

Back to the apartment for another afternoon of relaxing by the pool.  We are just deciding where to dine and how to do online check in and whether we need to go to an Internet cafe to print out boarding cards.