NOV 18, 11 .. NO A.T.M. IN ARAMBOL BEACH
Thursday.. November 17.. 2011 (ALL DAY as ‘they’ say)..
YESTERDAY WAS A DAY TO WRITE YOU ALL ABOUT.. so heah we go..
I have to hope.. I have to believe.. some of you are reading along here with me.. so I will NOT REPEAT what I wrote in FWIW.. 70.. about getting to GOA by train and THAT GREAT ADVENTURE ..
BUT.. BUT..
I WILL REPEAT some INFORMATION FROM FWIW.. 70..
When I left New Delhi I was (1) ticketed to Margao (Madgaon on some maps).. (2) I planned to go to Margao.. (3) I made a MAJOR EN ROUTE CHANGE and (4) I ended up NOT IN MARGAO but in ARAMBOL BEACH.. way North of Margao..
I had with me about eleven thousand (11,000 Rs) Indian Rupees.. way more money that I would have ever needed on the train from New Delhi to Margao..
BUT.. I did NOT have enough money to stay in ARAMBOL BEACH for too long.. and I could not afford to run out of money .. EVER.. here in India..
I immediately loved ARAMBOL BEACH and wanted.. and intended.. to stay.. so I HAD TO GET MONEY.. p e r i o d ..
THE PROBLEM(S) ..
Problem 1.. ARAMBOL BEACH does NOT HAVE A BANK NOR AN A.T.M. .. NOT YET.. ONE IS COMING SOON.. s o o n ..so NO money in ARAMBOL BEACH (unless I was willing to work with local merchants who.. for a fee.. would allow me to charge my VISA account and get money.. NOT goods.. for the charge(s).. I did NOT like the ‘smell’ of this at all)..
Problem 2.. a taxi to Margao and back would cost.. hold on.. twenty eight thousand (28,000 Rs) Indian Rupees.. you do the math.. one U.S. Dollar is worth 44 Indian Rupees.. the cost of the train ride from New Delhi to GOA was just over 16,000 Rs.. I could NOT STOMACH paying way more than the total cost from New Delhi for a taxi..
THE ANSWER WAS SIMPLE.. in over twenty one (21) years of India experience.. ol’ bobba CAN DO LOCAL BUSES..
So Tuesday I decided that on Wednesday I would ride local buses south to Margao and do several important things.. (1) GET money.. (2) find and explore the Main Rail Station in all of GOA.. (3) buy more medicine for my lung problems.. (4) re-charge my Vodafone pre-paid cell phone .. and (5) SEE AND EXPLORE MARGAO.. a major and THE important city (along with Panjim (Panaji on some maps) in South GOA..
THE PROBLEM (for the average tourist).. it would take three (3) separate individual bus trips to accomplish the trip from ARAMBOL BEACH south to MARGOA.. and three to return..
NO PROBLEM for ol’ bobba..
WEDNESDAY.. NOVEMBER 16th.. big time adventure for ol’ bobba..
5:30AM .. up.. out of bed.. eat and take vitamins..
6:30AM .. out the door and walk about half a mile to the reported to me place to catch a bus..
6:45AM.. WOW.. here cometh a bus.. STEP into the street.. risk getting run over.. flag that baby down.. I did NOT blink.. he stopped.. on I hopped.. WHAT ! !.. what.. a seat.. so I seated myself down.. last seat on the bus..
OFF WE ALL ROARED.. through Davanvado.. Mandrem.. Agarvado.. Siolim. and INTO Mapusa..
(I have to come up with little ‘tricks’ for myself to remember names.. Mapusa was the first bus connection so I needed to remember that name.. well.. the whole bus unloaded but I wanted to remember that name.. I told Patti.. write down the word MAP .. you know.. like a road map.. now write down USA.. like a road MAP of the USA.. and theah you have it.. Mapusa.. do you all see that.. map of the USA .. Mapusa.. Petaluma Jerry did you say.. Cap what do you do all day..)
Cost.. Arambol Beach to Mapusa.. twenty India Rupees (20Rs)..
Mapusa.. off we all disgorged in a mass of humanity.. RIGHT into the middle of a big crowd in a big huge bus parking area.. “Where do I get a bus to Panjim (Panaji)” .. “Over there Sir..” .. OFF I raced.. “Is this the bus to Panjim.. NO.. over there.. ” ..
Onto the bus to Panjim ( what !.. WHAT !.. GOD do you really exist and care about me.. another seat on a local bus.. I SAT..) ..
OFF WE ALL ROARED .. INTO Panjim.. this bus disgorged us all .. another mass of humanity.. “Where do I get a bus to Margoa..” .. “Over there SIR.. you SIR follow me I am going to go there too” .. (I had to go .. I mean I REALLY HAD TO GO.. dashed behind a small sign.. went..) .. raced back.. got a ticket and onto a DIRECT fancy bus for Margao..
Cost.. Mapusa to Panjim.. eleven India Rupees (11Rs)..
OFF WE ALL ROARED for Margao..
9:15AM.. two and one half hours.. three buses.. MAJOR EXPERIENCE.. into MARGAO.. we all roared ..
Cost.. Panjim to Margao.. (DIRECT fancy no standees bus).. thirty India Rupees (30Rs)..
Let me.. allow me to repeat the money here..
Taxi .. Arambol Beach to Margao..
COST.. one thousand four hundred (1,400) India Rupees..
Local (much fun.. real adventure..) Buses..
COST.. sixty one India Rupees (61Rs) ..
YOU do the math Red Rider..
9:30AM until 12:30PM..
I tore around Margao.. I mean I raced around.. I got money (thirty K India Rupees).. I got my Vodafone re-charged.. I got more medicine.. and..I got to the Margao Main Railway Station..
AND.. hold on.. I RE-BOOKED my departure from GOA..
Original.. Leave Goa.. December 14.. 2011
NEW .. Leave Goa.. January 4.. 2012 ..
Sports Fans.. I just added three more weeks onto my stay in GOA..
12:30PM until 5PM.. repeat the above.. Margao to Panjim (30 Rupees ) .. Panjim to Mapusa (11 Rupees) .. Mapusa to Arambol Beach (20 Rupees) ..
THEN.. I went past Arambol Beach all the way north to the river that separates GOA from MAHARASHTRA.. Keri Beach (Querim).. and I got out and looked things over.. and then returned south to Arambol Beach..
Explored Arambol and realized the following..
We have here two places..
Place 1.. ARAMBOL BEACH..
Place 2.. ARAMBOL.. a separate and a distinctly different venue from the beach community where I will be living for seven (7) weeks..
WHATTA DAY.. whatta day.. WHATTA DAY..
For one hundred and twenty two (122Rs) India Rupees (61Rs down and 61Rs back) I did what a taxi wanted to .. and do.. and get.. two thousand eight hundred (2,800Rs) India Rupees..
ALL and only because I will.. and I do.. do local buses ..
Well.. we will call this exceptionally satisfying and wonderful day a wrap..
Wednesday.. November 16.. 2011.. one fantastic day for ol’ bobba and I hope for you all.. much joy and much love.. over and out for now.. cap..