After a simple breakfast of toast, fresh fruit and coffee in the courtyard we taxied to busy Anjuna flea market – and negotiated like crazy for bits and bobs. My great find – a leopard t-shirt, black with blue lightning bolts! Then it happened – I spotted another t-shirt with kittens on it. I had to have it. Jit drove a tough bargain even despite Dinesh telling us about the litter of kittens he had back at his house (I melted). We wove through endless dusty tracks and stalls of silver and brass, neon techno cottons, leather bags and belts, stopping along the way to sip on cold beer and when we reached the ocean – it was so hot, so many eastern europeans wearing not much clothes! – we found a raised dining shack on the beachfront, where we ordered pakoras and french fries and more beers! Down at the water I stood out on a rock next to an older gentleman who drives taxis and comes to stand on the same rock at least three times a week. He was gorgeous, and kindly helped wave away some orphan children who sidled up next to us begging for money, claiming to be deaf and unable to speak, and with no teeth. By mid afternoon we were back in the tranquil garden of Siolim House swimming in the deep green pool, sipping chai served with the most delicious madeira cake, thinking about what could possibly be better than this. Pure heaven. Just before 8pm having fallen asleep after a long Indian day we were woken by parade drums outside the bedroom window. We quickly dressed for dinner and were taken by cab – the cab driver covered from head to toe in bright yellow and pink Holi powder – to Gunpowder, a bohemian restaurant in Assagao, so about 15 minutes from the house. Dimly lit and set amongst tropical plants we were seated in our own little alcove, where we had what could possibly be the best chicken korma on earth, a super hot and deliciously sour tamarind fish curry, South Indian spicy prawns all washed down with a pitcher of sangria. We can’t believe how lucky we are to have landed in such a special part of the world.