28 March 2015

Since say farewell to my fellow tourists and volunteers on Thursday, I must confess to having lived in luxury since at The Coconut Creek hotel in the Bogmolor region of Goa. Here, I have indulged in pork chops, and massage, a bubble bath and even a pedicure!! I am human again, and ready to take on my next stop… South Africa!

India really has been a fascinating place. I would definitely like to return here again soon, ideally with people who have never experienced this country, so I can have the opportunity to introduce someone to all the sites and flavours I’ve experienced this last month!

Here’s a brief piece of advice I can pass on following my experience.

1. Don’t ask questions. Just accept that you’ll never know exactly what’s going on, but you’ll always have a rough idea.

2. Every post office has a different rule. There’s a complete lack of consistency here! My favourite by far has to be the Goan post office that insisted my packages my be wrapped in white cloth, and sent me to his friend the tailor just a few doors down… In no way a coincidence, I’m sure. But it was an additional cost of R150 (about £1.50) and I must admit, they looked rather charming sewn perfectly into white cloth, so… Just go with it!

3. If you are in Delhi, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE SHOP IN A STORE CALLED THE DELHI HUT. They will go out of their way to rip you off. They charge R2500 minimum from a saari (you can get this easily for R300) and will even go as far as to misquote you, then stick another zero on the end when swiping your card. Con artists, the lot of them!

DO NOT GO HERE!

4. Always ask questions, particularly to locals where possible. You’d be amazed what you can learn!

5. Use your head. Don’t be stupid.

Namaste, India!

See you soon!

xx