DEC 29, 11 .. MORE ON PRE TRIP PLANNING AS I LEAVE ARAMBOL BEACH, INDIA

By Cap Chastain December 29, 2011 Arambol Beach 2011/12, Travel Day or Travel Plans

WHEW .. today .. the 29th of December .. completes my fourth (4th) month of the trip .. I flew out of San Francisco on August the 30th .. so tomorrow the 30th of December will begin my fifth month ..

To refresh your memories .. next Wednesday .. January 4th.. 2012 .. I will leave Arambol on the train at (about) 12:20pm .. headed for New Delhi (due in Thursday the 5th at 5pm) .. I will stay the one night in New Delhi and head south to Agra Cantt on Friday the 6th.. I will just stay in Agra Cantt for a day or two and then head back to New Delhi and then I plan to take the Puri Express Train south from New Delhi to Puri, Orissa .. I will get a room in Puri .. then I plan a quick trip north to Calcutta .. back to Puri .. and then maybe south to Pondicherry (Puducherry) .. 

Then it will be snap your fingers and I will be flying to Hong Kong on February the 22nd .. HOPING to meet up with Clement and Patricia and Merlin from France for a much and eagerly anticipated visit .. then to San Francisco on February 29th..

Al 48073 .. ‘1702’ .. you tickle me .. you asked Patti what I have been doing since I have NOT posted here in a week or so..

In the past several days I have uploaded forty seven (47) colored photos to my photo web site ..  http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com .. and have been here at the internet cafe until 12 AM Mid-night for two straight nights getting all of the 47 photos up-loaded ..

I am feeling a real ‘tug’ at leaving Arambol Beach .. I have come to really enjoy it here in Goa .. but leave I must ..

Have any of you ever heard of a wine snob .. well a wine snob portrays themselves as the world’s experts on wine .. they swish the wine and look for its ‘legs’ .. etc ..

Last week over in Pernem at the railway station .. see FWIW..  91.. December 22, 2011 .. 

I met an OLIVE OIL SNOB .. 

I was chatting with a pair of ladies leaving Pernem for New Delhi .. both of Indian origin both living in the U.S. .. a mother and a daughter .. mother was  a very senior and the daughter probably in her 60s .. mother lives in New York City and daughter lives in San Francisco .. Vernal Heights ..

So we had a lot to chat about after I learned they too were going to board coach A1 (my coach next Wednesday) on Train Number 12449 (my train also) .. and I lived in San Francisco for about 33 years ..

Somehow .. I can NOT recall just exactly how .. we got on OLIVE OIL .. and I told them the brand of olive oil I had gotten here in Arambol .. CIRIO .. $5.80 U.S. Dollars for 250 ml .. expensive .. and good .. I REALLY LIKE IT.. extra virgin first cold extraction in a DARK GREEN BOTTLE the Italian company dating to 1856 .. having traveled in Italy and in Greece I do know something about olive oils ..

Well did the daughter turn up her nose ! .. saying to me .. “CIRIO is terrible .. we brought six (6) bottles of our own olive oil from Italy..”  etc  etc  blah  blah  blah ..

I just kept my mouth shut .. BUT I thought-my-thoughts ! 

And I think that I LUG around too much weight .. I can NOT grasp lugging around six or so full one litre bottles of olive oil all over India !

Yes .. I really am getting a ‘tug’ with my departure coming so soon ..

OK .. I will call this a ‘wrap’ .. over and out with love.. cap ..