the roads are getting nearer
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Friday, July 22, 2005
` Friday, July 22, 2005
Here I am, sitting in front of a cool black IBM desktop in the sleek Goa Marriott executive lounge (business travel has its upgrading privileges), mucking around, not knowing what else to do but surf the Internet. While on a turbulent 1.5 hour plane ride here, I chatted merrily with my cabin neighbour Steve, a friendly native Goan based in Detroit, who was travelling back to visit his family. I told him that I was looking forward to some sun and sea, only to receive an emphatic smile and news that I would be rather disappointed visiting at this time of the year.

It was monsoon season, he kindly explained, and rains will be expected from June to August every year. I told him I had extrapolated Bangalore's somewhat dry weather for the past 4 days into the weekend, hoping it might be the same case for Goa. However, he was spot-on in his forecast, as the plane landed amidst light persistent rain. He jokingly added that I may want to return towards the end of the year for the sunshine.

It took almost an hour to reach the hotel, as the city of Panaji was almost 30km away from the airport. The resort hotel looks very similar to the Melia Benoa in Bali in terms of structure, but typical of Goan architecture, the buildings are brightly coloured and very cheery, despite the gloomy weather. If you're looking for an enclave-style resort, then the Park Hyatt might be a better choice, but I defected to the Marriott this time, due to recent poor online reviews of the former. However, the Marriott is ever-reliable, with spacious rooms and extremely hospitable staff, so I'm suitably impresssed so far. With the exception of the rather tiny pool, I definitely didn't regret making the switch. Looking forward to a weekend of relaxation and absolute slacking. Let's just hope that the weather will improve tomorrow.

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I've Been..

Satisfying the wanderlust fascination.
Slacking.
Sleeping.
Shopping (wayyyyyyyyyyy too much).
Reading NW, Famous and 8 Days voraciously.
Chillin' with a pint of good beer or latte.
Indulging in purposeful conversation.
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    • Much Better Than Travel Guides

  • TripAdvisor - reliable hotel and travel reviews
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    • Mention-Worthy Hotels

  • Sydney: Shangri-La
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  • Shanghai: JW Marriott Tomorrow Square
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  • London: The Waldorf Hilton
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  • Cairns: Mantra Trilogy
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  • Seoul: JW Marriott
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  • Koh Samui: Central Samui Village
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  • Prague: Ramada Grand Symphony
  • Mallorca: HM Jaime III
  • New York: Millenium Hilton
  • Washington: The River Inn
  • Dublin: Trinity Capital
  • Langkawi: Sheraton Perdana


    • Earlier Waxings of Lyrical Non-Purposes

    xx March 2005xx April 2005xx May 2005xx June 2005xx July 2005xx August 2005xx September 2005xx October 2005xx November 2005xx December 2005xx January 2006xx February 2006xx March 2006xx April 2006xx May 2006xx June 2006xx July 2006xx August 2006xx September 2006xx October 2006xx November 2006xx December 2006xx January 2007xx February 2007xx March 2007