I think India so far is all about surprises, you just never know what’s around the corner. Yesterday morning after coffee we explored on foot more of Siolim, wandering down the twisting orange powdery lanes towards Chapora Fort. Around each corner was something new, and it seems a lot of work already starting on the roadside with guys preparing trenches for monsoon season (using plastic bowls as shovels). Hot and very slow work. We found a cute bar along the way and ordered a couple of our go-to’s (Kingfisher, 70 rupees, so about $NZD1.50, which is perfect for us and our pockets). Next stop, Cabo De Rama, about a two hour drive south through a few more bustling townships, but mostly backwater, lush tiny village settlements, lined with lots of Portuguese-influenced villas in bright turquoise, pinks and oranges. Cabo De Rama itself seems quite remote compared to everywhere else. Having reached the top of a very long and very winding road, we drove across what seemed like the surface of Mars and stepped into what feels like a hidden cliffside paradise overlooking the Arabian Sea. We were ushered straight to an ocean-view table where we were served freshly-cooked and slightly spicy poppadom with a fresh mint and coriander chutney. Our suite is spectacular. With a private beach and views out to the ocean, it feels like we’re at the end of the earth. It’s a truly magical place. Even being woken up at 3am by Jit, who had unwittingly come across a frog sitting quite happily in our open air bathroom toilet, was a perfect way to start today. And then while sipping on hot coffee as the sun came up a bunch of twenty or so monkeys wandered past making their way up from the beach to start their day too.