Valentine’s Day! Patnem, India

Patnem, India

Valentine’s Day is pretty big here! Lots of red heart balloons, cards, costumes and champagne dinners on the beach. Bob and I tend to wish each other a happy day but no more…… Let’s face it,every day is a great day when you are married to the dearest man in the world as I am.
We met Gloria for a last breakfast at the Capitol Organic restaurant. They make great omelettes, shakes, juices, lassis etc. I had their special muesli with almond milk and tropical fruit. Fabulous. Gloria departed to meet her taxi at 10 and Bob and I headed for the beach. A gorgeous day, the sea glassy and calm. Will miss Gloria though…
We were expecting some friends of Joseph and Janet (our friends from Devon and New York, not the same ones as Joe and Janet who are here already!!!) to arrive today: David and Roz from Plymouth. This is their first visit to India so Janet had put us in touch and we’d promised to help them settle in. They arrived at Salida at about 2pm and we had chats. They’ve spent the first week of their holiday in Mumbai and Panjim and are now here for 2 weeks. Seem very nice people. They are staying with Ishmael. We arranged to have dinner with them and took them to Casa Fiesta on the beach. They were over-run with Valentiners and the service was not up to its usual par. It was lovely to sit under the stars though.
Bob has been suffering a series of styes since he’s been here so this morning he headed off to the clinic in Chaudhi to see the doc. No change in the treatment he’s been following – antibiotic eye cream and salt water eye baths. If it spreads to other body parts they will prescribe tablet antibiotics but hopefully not. The doctor’s visit cost 100 INR ie £1. We like to think that we have the finest health service in the world in the UK. In all honesty, this is so very far from the truth as to be laughable. There is better care in most places in the world, certainly those we are most familiar with, Cyprus and India. The medical and dental care here is absolutely amazing and delivered at a fraction of the cost of the UK. But then, they don’t have a hugely topheavy NHS system here and their doctors aren’t paid 6 figure salaries. Oh, yeah…. they also work weekends for the same pay as during the week as do many many people in this world, let alone be paid 50% more for doing it. I’m afraid I liken the current junior doctors’ dispute to the situation in Lucy’s school as she approached 6th form. It had always been the case that 6 formers could wear whatever they liked unlike the uniformed rest of school. They expected and looked forward to it. As Lucy ended 5th form, it was announced that this system would end and they had to go in “business clothes”. They were up in arms at this loss of privilege and their were huge temper tantrums and stamping of feet, threats of leaving etc etc. But let’s get real…. it was a loss of privilege not a loss of an important aspect of their education. I want more doctors to come in to our system (sorry that means there will be more competition for highly paid senior roles) and I want to know that if I’m in hospital for a non emergency albeit painful or serious to me (an OLD PERSON) that my medical staff will not disappear on Friday evening not to reappear till Monday morning!!!! This is what happens, guys….. When Daisy was born on a Friday late night we had to stay in hospital till Monday because the Pediatric Orthopaedic surgeon didn’t work weekends (he worked at the Nuffield at weekends). My mum also fell foul of this multiple times. Sorry, rant over, now back to Goa…
So, while Bob was seeing the doctor (walk in, no appointment necessary as they are fully staffed) at the Chaudhi clinic, I tucked to Cozy Nook in Palolem. We spent the day there and Joe, Janet and the Bedfords turned up late morning. Had a very nice day. At 3pm Kirsty and I had extra hard massages at Dreamcatcher spa. WOWEE were they good and a bargain at £13 for an hour. Why does it hurt so much when your lower leg is massaged???
Tonight we are going to the Steakhouse to watch Sirico and enjoy a slab of beef!