Parvati Paradise

My journey from Dubai to Mumbai India was very pleasant but travelling with Emirates always is I find. I always think the employees if you lined them all up together look like a very posh Benetton advert. I love the way they are from all different countries and cultures around the world and when the Persa or supervisor if you like of the flight announces how many languages they can speak the announcement goes on forever.

There was an Indian lady sat beside me on the flight she was so tiny she had her legs folded underneath her for the duration of the flight like a little child, I am far to concerned with deep vein thrombosis to be wrapping my legs around myself like that on a flight.
We started chatting and again like the lovely lady that had checked me in at Dubai she was amazed and shocked that I was going to India for 6 months and that I was doing it alone. I was used to people especially woman being surprised by me travelling alone even my friends in England were slightly shocked and concerned for me but I knew I would be fine. I had made a deal with God before leaving the UK that I would stay sober and god would keep me safe and I knew I had to keep my end of the bargain and I knew god would keep his.

Once in Mumbai I had my first glimpse of the Mumbai slums. the make shift huts of cardboard, iron and plastic line the perimeter of the airport. I probably would not of taken any notice but i am reading the book Shantaram and the author Gregory David Roberts talks about the slums as he used to live in one. I was fascinated by them. The airport bus came and collected us from the aircraft and I could see right into the slum huts as we made our way to the airport. I knew the people living there were poor but i could see them going about there business, children playing, I saw a child flying a bright green kite which flew right across the sky over the iron huts. I saw a beautiful lady in a sari sitting in the doorway of her home and she smiled at me as the airport bus stood for a moment right opposite her hut and I smiled back, i was glad that i was reading Shantaram it helped me to understand a little about slum life and not to feel pity for them just to accept it for what it is and just to smile at her and share that moment.

My flight from Mumbai to Goa was just under an hour, i was so excited i could not wait to arrive in Goa and start my love affair with India.
I collected my back pack and made my way out of the airport, I have travelled a lot and I was happy to see that unlike other countries I had been to nobody hassled me or crowded me, they asked me once if I needed a taxi or bus or help and when i said no they left me alone.
I made my way to the pre paid taxi rank which I was advised to do by my bible the 'rough guide to India'. the driver helped me to the car and we were on our way.
It was dark by now so i couldn't see much of the scenery but I saw enough of the back of other drivers back seats to last me a life time. My driver was going so fast i was given an instant face lift free of charge!.
The driver told me he had been a taxi driver in Goa since he got his driving licence 25yrs ago so i relaxed and put my trust in him and he got me to were I needed to be safe and sound.

Before coming to India i had looked at all different sorts of accommodation in Goa. i had been given the name of a lady who was a friend of  dear friend and i contacted her and she told me to head for Patnem if i wanted some where not too busy.
I had checked in the 'Rough Guide' and decided to head for Parvati beach huts Patnem. I had sent emails to the owner Dinesh but they had not sent for some reason, I had my heart set on Patnem and the Parvati huts so I asked the driver to take me there. It took about 1hour 30 min to get to Patnem and we drove around for a while trying to find the beach huts but couldn't. Eventually the driver asked some young guy in the street were they were (a very handsome young guy I would like to add), turns out he was a cousin to Dinesh's wife, he explained that parvati had moved and was now in neighbouring Palolem so we drove the 5mins to there.

I was met by a lovely young man called Mukesh, he was only slim and short but he pulled my back pack out of the trunk of the car and lifted it up onto his back as if it was a duck feather pillow.
Neither Dinesh or his wife were there but he called them and I got my self a great rate for a bamboo hut with the ocean so close my mouth tasted salty.
I was so excited once inside my hut I unpacked my things I wanted it to feel homely as soon as possible so I put Rollie on the bed so he could make himself at home (Rollie is my dear Roland rat that i have had and slept with every night since I was 7, that is unless I have had a better offer or I was to plastered to go home) I had some incense with me from home. I always burn incense when I do yoga or meditate or just to relax me after work but because I am always working away from home when in England and staying in hotels i like to burn incense to cleanse the energy in the rooms I stay in. Once i have burnt one stick i feel safe and relaxed and at home. So i lit my Golden Champa incense and thanked god for my safe arrival in Goa.

I knew before i left England i would stay at Parvati, I knew i would meet Dinesh and his wife even though I had no contact with them prior to my arrival. I had checked trip adviser and there were so many amazing comments about Dinesh, how helpful he is and what a wealth of information he is about India. I just knew i would start my trip with them, Dinesh and Pooja and Mukesh at Parvati huts.