Packing my bags in Palolem, I was filled with sadness - I'd had a good time here, despite the guts-ache. I'd felt secure in my room in Pritam's cottages (plug: run by Puto V Pagui [tel: 0832 2643320, mobile 9422059207], opposite syndicate bank, Palolem Branch, Canacona-Goa 403702) and had enjoyed the infectiously wicked laugh and sense of humour of Rupa and Raj Kankonkar (who run the Sun and Moon cybercafé and restaurant: mobiles 9422018698, 9423307959, tel 0091 0832 2645219). They grew up in Palolem and have seen the changes from a sleepy paradise to a very commercial place and prefer the former, even though the tourist trade gives them a living.
Despite really liking these people, I spent too much of my time either in my room or on line, not daring to move more than a minute away from my toilet.
So on my last night in Palolem, I tossed, turned and read until around 6am, and missed the bus I'd intended to take. I finally got on a bus at 10am and rattled my way to Margao, feeling quite sorry for myself and sad that my last words there had been to a vendor, insisting yet again that I didn't want to buy anything and that I had all I needed and no room in my rucksack. Aarrgghh! Fortunately, Rupa has told me how to say 'I don't want to buy anything' in Hindi and so as soon as I find a PC which will allow me to install fonts, I'll create a file and get this printed on a t-shirt!
I got to Margao abound mid-day, phoned Suriya to tell her I was in Margao but still had some things to do before returning to Colva and then took a rickshaw to the government-run hospital Suriya had taken me to the a few days ago. The ENT part was closed for the weekend but I pleaded with the doctor in the emergency department (who was doing nothing else at the time) to have a look. He gave me a prescription for some ear-drops and told me to come back early on Monday morning if they didn't help.
I then dragged myself to the pharmacy in front of the hospital, got my drops (less than Rs50) and took a rickshaw to Suriya's house. She, Bobby and the kids greeted my warmly and the kids delighted in dressing me up in a sari and painting my left-hand fingernails. I asked Gautami about painting my right-hand fingernails and she told me off - nail varnish is poison so I must not do it! I'm so smitten with these kids. Suriya fed me dosa and drumsticks in gravy. (I love both these flavours but didn't have much of an appetite.)
Meanwhile, Suriya and Bobby had both been unwell - Bobby had fallen and hurt her leg and developed a serious dental problem. She was due to see her dentist in Colva at 4.30 but was quite nervous about it. Laxmi arrived to look after Dhanush and Gautami, so Suriya and I accompanied Bobby to the dentist. The dentist (a retiree from the Indian Army medical corps) had a very modern/western cool office and I felt that this would be a good place to know about should I need a dentist.
Bobby emerged from the treatment room looking quite tired and pained - her tooth had been extracted and she now had 5 stiches in her gum. We slowly returned to Suriya's place and I tried to keep Dhanush and Gautami amused and occupied so Bobby could sleep. This was quite a challenge: Dhanush doesn't speak English at all (apart from calling me 'Uncle') and Gautami doesn't seem to realise that her brother is only half her age and hence half her size.
Suriya insisted I stay that night (she asked what I thought of Vinson and I had to tell her that I really doidn't like him and wouldn't give him any money for anything!) and cooked home-made chapattis and mung-bean dahl fry - totally lovely except a filling has dropped out of one of my teeth.
To add to my woes, my sphincter and its environs had become severely irritated so that walking was now a trial. Fortunately the pharmacy was still open when I went out to call the UK and so I could buy some vaseline. I'm sure I'm the only person to have ever stuffed petroleum jelly up their backside for non-sexual purposes while walking through Colva. If there is anyone else like this, I want them caught and shot.
We settled for the night, me feeling yet again guilty that I'd displaced someone from a bed (this was her choice), Suiya and Gautami in Priya's bed and Dhanush and Bobby on the floor. Bobby was guaranteed a good night's sleep from her pain-killer and I managed 6 hours of continuous sleep.
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006