Happy New Year!!! Having passed out at 9.30pm last night (damn you beach beers and cheap rum!!(yes, we still had rum when we got back)), waking miraculously just before midnight to watch the fireworks from our balcony before climbing back into bed, we woke up this morning feeling much more refreshed!! Slowly got ourselves ready and walked the 1.5km to the bus stop to go down to the tip of the Goa peninsula to go to The Leela and meet Clare! Jumped off the bus right outside the hotel entrance. The security guards clearly didn’t trust us one bit – no self respecting guest of The Leela would get on a public bus!!! Told them that we were meeting a friend for lunch and after writing down our names, Clare’s name, our telephone number, shoe size etc. we were pointed down the path towards reception. Saw a golf buggy drive past us for ‘paying’ guests to be ferried around on – oh, how the other half live!!! Arrived at the hotel reception after the obligatory bag scan and body search, noting that we didn’t get a necklace made of flowers placed around our necks, and were escorted to the concierge. A slightly embarrassing 5 minutes, since the booking is not in Clare’s name and we had no idea of the surname of the family that she was travelling with… A quick text and being placed on a sofa where we could be watched at all times, we waited for Clare to turn up (and rescue us from feeling like criminals!!!). It was so good to see Clare after three months – have missed her so much! 
She took us for a tour around the resort grounds and showed us her room… I’m not jealous… At all!!! Clare has been hoarding all the posh toiletries from the hotels that she has been staying at and gave them to us – best present ever! I smell wonderful at the moment with the most decadent body lotion I’ve ever used!! Headed over to the beach side restaurant where we were booked in for a champagne brunch. 
Ate far too much food again, although we both mainly went for the fresh salads, fruit and rare steak – the food our bodies have been craving! Also, both Jayne and I did over indulge on the dessert section too – thank goodness we had no breakfast and we didn’t manage dinner either after that feast!! Walked down the beach slightly and had a few beers in the little beach hut, making plans for the next few days and watching the sun go down. 
Started to head for our apartment around 7pm. Went to the bus stop on the corner outside the resort only to be told that there were no buses but we could get a taxi (surprise, surprise!!). Decided to try walking to the next big ‘town’ down the road and try our luck there. After walking for 20 minutes, no bus had turned up and we were talking about pricing a taxi from a nearby hotel when a bus turned up!! Not sure whether it was supposed to take passengers as it didn’t have any lights on inside and we were the only two onboard but it dropped us off at the right place and we walked the rest of the way home. Bumped into the couple we met yesterday at the beach and chatted to them briefly before coming back to our studio room to shower and go to bed.
Friday 1st January 2016
Trans Travels 