Back in Wayanad, we had put ourselves on the waitlist for train tickets from Kunnar to Goa, pretty sure this would come through. The trains get booked up so far in advance, we are still currently waitlisted for a train we booked two months ago! A couple of days before we were meant to travel, we started to get a bit twitchy, the train only runs twice a week, and we didn’t fancy the nine hour journey by road particularly after a couple very bad recent drivers we have had! Rowan, in true production management form, deep dived the Indian train systems and found out about the ‘tatkal’, which is a release of a few tickets the day before the journey. So, in Glastonbury ticket style, we set alarms, opened multiple tabs and thankfully managed to snag a couple of third class sleeper tickets.

Day 22 – Travel to Agonda Beach, Goa

Getting on the train with our massive rucksacks was a bit of a faff, the carriage was pretty full with people spread out on bunks and with big boxes and cases blocking the aisle. We found our berths, someone was sleeping in mine but as it was daytime we didn’t mind sitting on the lower one together. We were sat opposite a lovely older couple who were travelling back North after a family wedding and who were our guardian angels for the journey. The nine hour ride passed relatively quickly, we listened to podcasts, ate biriyanis and drank chai (so much better than the train trolleys back home!) and chatted to our new pals.

We pulled into Goa just before sunset and jumped into a taxi for the half an hour drive to our Airbnb just outside of Agonda. The first thing we noticed about Goa was the huge amounts of cows roaming the streets. They were even on the highway and would cross at their will making us flinch. The cows and the drivers seem to have this madness sussed out though and by the end of the trip we learnt how to scoot round them too.

They also like to hang out on the beach

Our Airbnb was really nice, a thatched cabin set at the back of a garden with a nice shady porch for reading / doing a bit of yoga. The only catch was the wildlife running around the roof at nighttime, it was incredibly loud and as the roof was open at the sides I kept having weird dreams of bats or squirrels getting in. One morning I went out to see who had woken me up this time and it was two large peacocks have a bit of an argy bargy.

Day 23 – Agonda Beach

Agonda is the southern end of Goa and is billed as the more chilled out destination in comparison to the full moon parties in the North. It is very ‘yoga’ with lots of delicious veggie places, dream catcher shops and good-looking people doing their teacher training courses. We skipped off in the morning for a delicious breakfast and coffee. Good coffee is quite hard to come by in India, despite being the 8^th largest coffee producer, Indians mainly seem to drink very sweet instant coffee, so we have been sticking to chai! We hung out at the beach, reading our books, swimming and watching a sunset with beers.

Our favourite beer spot

Day 24 – Agonda Backwater Tour

Fully fledged twitchers these days, we booked onto a bird boat tour the next morning. We scooted down to the backwaters at the end of the beach and met our guide Melvin who steered us along in our motorless boat pointing out birds and telling us about the local area. He was a strong environmentalist discussing the pros and cons of tourism for the local wildlife and organising frequent river cleans ups.

Here our some of our spots, including Rowan’s best ever kingfisher pic. We were very lucky as it was super chilled allowing us to come pretty close to his spot in the mangroves which gave the picture the dark background against his sunlit teal plumage. Think this is one for a frame or at the very least a fridge magnet (thanks Ruth!).

Day 25 – Patnem Beach

This was the day I found the beach of my dreams. Whilst Agonda Beach is stunning, we couldn’t stay on it very long as there is no shade. They don’t allow beach loungers as there are lots of turtles hatching along the sand here. So doing a bit of research we found Patnam beach, 5km down the road. It is quieter than Agonda and the waves are more chilled too. Most excitingly there were loungers in front of a very bougie veggie café. I was a bit obsessed.

I read a book in the two days we spent on that beach (yes I made Rowan go back the next day). I consumed many coconut iced coffees and smoothies, made friends with the beach dogs and walked only to the sea and back. If we didn’t have onward travel plans booked in, I think Rowan would have had to stage an intervention to make me leave.

I’m already scheming a return…

Next, we’re in Hampi for some ancient ruins. See you then!