Daisy and Lisa got to Eve’s at about twenty past midnight on Thursday morning after a long layover in Delhi and then an hour’s delay to their flight down to Goa. They were in good spirits though and very pleased to arrive. We had sat up in the downstairs bar area to welcome them in.

We have all spent Thursday and Friday at Patnem Beach so that they have some “acclimatisation” time to the sun and heat before we venture further. They are loving the warm sea and having lots of swims and dips in it. The boys at Sea Front welcomed them with a garland hanging from their sun umbrella!!!! Daisy has been here many times but this is Lisa’s first trip to India. She is enjoying it so far. They both have been tucking into the food and a few cocktails.

Thursday night we ate at Casa Fiesta on the beach which was lovely as usual. 9 of us for dinner. Of course there were quite a few takers for the fish pollichattu.

Last night Bob and I and the girls went into Palolem early and had a scout round some of the more upmarket shops. Lisa bought a knee length kaftan in lovely blue cotton and I got a pair of earrings – gold plated with small peridots. We also took a couple of Daisy’s rings in to be made smaller. We went to the jeweller across from Candlelight, or where Candlelight used to be. To the man who told us of our friendly jeweller’s sad fate. He will have the rings ready for her by Sunday. It was very hot still and in the end it beat us and we headed for the beach and Dropadi.

We met Janet, Joseph and Roz for dinner at Dropadi and it was superb as usual. It really is the best restaurant in Palolem. I had palak paneer and Bob had the multi bean balti with rice and a potato stuffed paratha. Daisy had Chicken Kastoori with a butter cheese garlic naan and Lisa had chicken balti with a potato and mint butter naan. It was all fantastic. The girls and Bob washed their’s down with frozen strawberry daquiris and I had g&ts. A super dinner. Afterwards the oldies tuk’d back to Eve’s for a last nightcap of Honeybee brandy and the girls stayed on in Palolem for a beach cocktail and to enjoy the lively pre-weekend atmosphere. It gets busier than ever there at the weekends as a lot of Indian tourists come to enjoy the party scene and the beach.