March 4, 2015 
OM BEACH to PALOLEM 109 km 
Cressida Cyrus (1000 Rp / $16) Fan cooled coco hut, bucket hot water on request

What Happened to My Gas?

Despite the low mileage planned for today, we decided to get an early start and make the schlep over the beach to the bluff parking lot in the relatively cool morning. We again got a room boy to help us with our luggage... pure luxury and at 150 Rs ... what a bargain.. He deserved a big tip. 
 
We were happy to find our motorcycle still on top of the stairs. And soon were all loaded up. Sadly, we discovered that our gas tank, which we had filled up maybe 30 km prior to arriving at Om beach, had been drained. We had felt a false security with the lock on the tank. Namaste's security guard came out of the gate and told us we should have parked inside the gate, "Only 20 Rs a day"..."Now you tell us?", we thought to ourselves. Dave had erroneously assumed that the inside the gate parking was for Namaste's guests only. 

It was 6 km to the nearest gas station and Dave couldn't see even a splash of gas in the bottom of the tank. We kept our fingers crossed as we cranked up the hills and coasted, with the engine off, on the downhills. We were relieved once we made it to the cross-road gas station and soon we were on our way without a care in the world. If this is the worst that happens during our six months in India, we will consider ourselves blessed.


Homecoming

We made great time. And at 12:15, we arrived at Cressida Cyrus. We were welcomed like old friends by Sofia and Anthony. "Luke", our cabin from 2013, stood waiting for us with an extra fan on the porch. It felt a little like "homecoming". They had built another cabin in front of ours which is beautifully hidden behind decorative palms and shrubbery. More religious quotes grace the pathways and cabins. We can live with that;)

We were hungry and looking forward to the salads, sandwiches and seafood. 

We were sad to see that our favorite place for fajitas was out of business. Sofia told us their was a dispute over who actually owned the land and they had to shut down. Cafe Inn, on the main road near the bus stop, was still going strong. We saw neither hide nor hair of the Israeli owner. But we are told he is responsible for the menu including wonderfully frozen juices, green leaf salads, a variety of special sandwiches and wraps, and a selection of mezethes. Prices are high by India standards, but soooo worth it. Our favorite Italian place, Baba Italy, has a pizza oven and fresh fish was on display there nightly.

Palolem Beach is a developed stretch of tourist oriented businesses a five minute drive from Canacona, an Indian town up on the main road. Canacona has the ATM's, green market and a number of stores which have a few more things than can be gotten in Palolem. While some travelers find Palolem too developed and crowded, we find it a nice balance of good services and rustic charm. While at our hut hidden in the palm grove, we certainly feel away from it all......



 
 
March 5th to 14th PALOLEM BEACH
Cressida Cyrus (pure bliss)

Daytime temperatures 90F /32C nights 56F/13C 

Lazy Days

The only thing on our agenda is our dentist. It is a beautiful 35 km ride to Dr. Fernandez's office in Cavelossim. 

Our first appointment was the day after we arrived in Palolem. We were on familiar roads and enjoyed being back. It is cashew harvesting season. The faintly sweet scent of the fermenting fruit occasionally wafted past us. People here don't shy away from using color on their homes. Large villas look like they come straight out of a crayola crayon box painted in fire engine red, cotton candy pink, sunflower yellow or play-dough blue. The fly-over at the Sal River is completed now which saves us a few km's and a wait at a ferry crossing. 

Full moon!

Our neighbors are Olek and Astrid from Estonia. It is their first holiday as a couple and it is sweet how polite and courteous they are to each other. I mentioned that traveling together is a good test of a compatibility. If you travel well together, under stress and 24/7 togetherness, you will have a strong relationship during normal times.
 
Holi Festival
  
Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated on March 6th this year. "Revelers hurl brightly colored, perfumed powders and water at one another and anyone is considered fair game regardless of gender, caste, class or age." Dave and I had a debate regarding weather this was Carnival (Goan Mardi Gras) because they were doing the same paint bombardment thing as when we were here two years ago at the beginning of Lent. Sofia clarified that this festival was the Hindu Holi. We laid low most of the day to avoid getting our clothes stained by paint. Just to be safe, we wore our old shirts when we made the ride out for our dentist appointment. Dr. Fernandez is Catholic so had normal office hours during Holi. Hindu owned businesses shut down.
 
We had 3 office visits with Dr. Fernandez to add the crown to the implant post ($500) I had put in during our last trip to India; initial consultation and filling, mold making after the trip to the imaging center for the full mouth panoramic X-Ray (cost ₹600 /$9.59) and installation of the crown. The wait for the crown manufacturer, after the mold was made, was 4 working days. On the final visit, Dr. Fernandez noted that he used the normal light adhesive for the implant but he was worried that it might come loose and turn because it was the back tooth without another tooth for support. 

(Spoiler alert: a month later, it spun) We'll circle back and post an update here after we have another dentist look at it and advise what can be done. 
 
Dr. Fernandez Dental Fees - 2015

₹ 800 $ 12.90 Filling to repair chip on front tooth
₹8,000 $128.98 Ceramic Crown, Michelle's implant
₹5,000 $ 80.61 Abutment, Michelle's implant
₹1,000 $ 16.12 Onlay crown re-bond for Dave