Friday and Saturday update

After our early start on Thursday we decided to take a more relaxing day and walked 3.5 km to Calangute beach. There was no wind and a slight haze which made walking quite exhausting. When we reached Calangute we paused at a Kashmiri stall holder to look at his cushion covers. We bought some of these in past years and they are getting harder to find. Helen bought these.  

We then had a discussion with the Kashmiri about politics and women not being free..he said women are like diamonds and have to be looked after. But a diamond is a possession - in our culture women aren't possessions. He said our women aren't free anyway because they get attacked.

By twelve o'clock he had to go for prayers and we were parched so we wandered on to the Big Pecker for lime soda, water and omelette. 

I was overcome with heat and had to back to the apartment for an afternoon siesta.

In the evening we taxied to the Art Chamber in Calangute to hear the Banjara Gypsy Quartet play. This is a new venue for us. The Banjara quartet were absolutely brilliant. All professional musicians with great talent - lots of toes tapping! Great reception from the multi national audience of Swedish, German, Irish, Goan, English, Italian, French. The band members hail from Austria, Russia, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 

The Art Chamber is run by a German with his Goan artist, wife. They have art classes during the day and hold weekly concerts of a high standard. If international musicians or dancers etc are in the vicinity they try to persuade them to come and play/dance in this small venue.  We will definitely be back. 

Saturday... We are lying low because this is a long weekend for Indians. Monday is Republic Day.  Indian tourists descend from the North in search of warmth, sun, alcohol and possibly sex. Many arrive in long distance sleeper coaches and as they drive through the busy street we hear chants and singing, whooping and calling from the open windows in anticipation of their holiday weekend.

Time to shut the windows at night to block out anti-social noise after  midnight. 

Walked along the river this morning and along to Babas French Bakery. We sat under the fans drinking tea and reading three different local newspapers.