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Early start today as we’re off on our 2nd leg to Singapore! Up at 5.30, had a lovely cold shower and no breakfast. Specifically asked the guys in reception last night about breakfast before 6am and they said no problem. We’d also checked when hot water was available – 5am til 12pm (stupid – why have it only switched on in the morning? Don’t people shower in the evenings?) Matt went to enquire about the water & breakfast and had to practically stand on the guy in reception to wake him up. Yes hot water, no breakfast til 8am. Great. We waited as late as we could to have showers and still it was freezing. What were we paying so much money for? ...

A taxi took us to our over-priced hotel Cowie’s in Walton Street. We don’t know what that place is trying to be but it’s not getting enough right. And everyone who works there expects tips for nothing. We had 4 of us in a tiny lift plus our backpacks because 2 guys felt the need to help us to our room! Can’t complain about the location though. It’s about 10mins from Gateway of India and Taj Hotel. ...

I can’t be bothered to go into the fiasco at Margao Residency. All-in-all we got there at 8am and didn’t get our room until 10am so were pretty pissed off knackered peeps by then. 2hrs probably doesn’t sound that bad but try 2hrs when you have been in a sleeper bus for 10hrs followed by a cafe for 3hours and you’re feeling icky. Finally found that beaches do exist in Goa :) Got the sardine bus to Benaulim town, walked the 15 mins to the beach, found a beach bar called Rogers and drank beer for 2 hours looking at the sand & sea and the package-holiday beach whales lying on their sunloungers snapping their fingers at waiters to bring them more beers. Ever so Costa Del Sol-like but had a good vibe. ...

…30 mins after leaving Hospet, we stopped at a service station. All traipsed off to the loo shack where of course only 1 out of the 3 loos was unlocked. I was next in the queue and there was a powercut. Everywhere went pitch black. I didn’t quite think I could bring myself to pee in the dark when you can’t see where you’re putting your feet so trotted back too get the torch (little did I know…see later that night). ...

Left Goa at 7.30am and arrived Hospet at 3ish. Somehow it is easy for us now to sit on a train for over 7hrs. We were in Sleeper class for the first time and we prefer it to 3A/C. Can’t say what it would be like overnight but during the day it was nice to be able to see the outside world passing by. There are windows and shutters but both can be opened as you like to let in air. OK there are no mod-cons like power plugs but there are plenty of fans and it feels more open and easier to breathe in than the cooped up aircon carriages. ...

Finally escaped the hospital at 11:00, Matt armed with prescription for more drugs we headed for trusted Margao Residency, our bland business Goa hotel. Matt didn’t know what to do. Fresh air. No nurses. No stuff being pumped into his arm. Weird concept. He is much better which is good as we don’t want to go back to hospital any time soon – even if it was cheaper than the hotel and had larger rooms. ...

Still in hospital but this is definitely the last night and we’re out of here tomorrow morning. Free! Matt is feeling much better & is ecstatic at the thought of leaving. He’s had enough of goop being pumped into his arm and lying down for hours watching TV. Another trip to the market for veggies and heard Mary’s Boy Child blasting out of someone’s ghetto blaster. Hearing xmas carols makes me a little homesick. Especially in this heat! As well as veggies managed to acquire laughing cow cheese triangles and bread rolls for random sarnie making. ...

Happy 2011 everyone. Hope you all had a lovely christmas and NYE. We spent all day recovering yesterday after one too many cocktails. Will update more blog when we get back to wifi land.

We have spent most of December so far in hospital. Matt completely lost his appetite and by the time we arrived in Goa he was feeling sick and everything else all over again. We checked into Margao Residency (with hot water!) and both slept for a few hours (neither of us had much sleep on the train). By 5pm he was in such a state I made him see a doctor. Fortunately Margao is a large town so there were a number of doctors within spitting distance of our hotel. We traipsed around for 20mins not actually finding one in their office until down a side alley we found one with a receptionist who called the doctor to speak to Matt about his symptoms and said he’d be back in 10-20mins (India time). 40mins later he turned up and 10mins after that we were traipsing off to the hospital as Matt has an infection that can’t be treated by tablets. Instead he needs intravenous drugs. ...