The one I wrote today:

We've shacked up in a stilt hut on the beach, with bucket shower, mosquito netted no-poster bed, floorboards made of plywood that bends so you can see under and outside the hut when you walk over it or press the walls. We have a balcony with wooden railings that spell out the name of our little collection of beach huts (BRENDON). It costs about 300 rupees a night (45 rupees=1usd- you do the math). I woke up this morning with the sun at 6 and was serenaded by many many roosters, birds, dogs and crashing waves, and got to ease my way out of sleepydust slowly because the forest of palm trees around us and above us filtered the light most greenly and softly. We arrived yesterday morning, after catching the ungodly 6am bus from Panaji. Our baggage was up on the roof of the bus, and we were uncertain whether we would ever see it again given the bumpiness of the road between Panaji and Chaudi, and the driver's complete lack of fear or steering. When we stopped briefly at Margao, Azzam climbed back up onto the roof to tie our bags to the railings using every clip and snap and cord they had on them. They emerged intact. Half of me had almost wished they would bump their way off the roof and into red dirt oblivion beneath the palm, simply because I really do hate baggage and would be relieved to not have to haul it onto further buses and planes. Our tin can bus from Chaudi to Palolem had no roof rack to I had to hold the thing on my lap, blocking my vision and mobility entirely. I hate bags.The beach is good. I am not a beach person, but I am a trees/water/book/sleep person so these aspects please me. It's very calm here, with no rave bunnies or package tourists around to annoy me- so far it is travellers of all ages, all going independently, with kids, with dogs, with cellulite, with pleasant energy. The water is lukewarm and there are no scary things in it so far. I could learn to live with this. Have gone through almost all my books though (Holy Cow and Is Anybody Out There are done, Ukrainian Tractors half done) so I suppose I must leave at some point. Bugger.