Yesterday we decided to experience another beach. We went to Patnem, a small village with a small beach, 1 hour away from Palolem. Shortly after we left Palolem beach to the south, for an unknown reason we got lost. We followed some beautifully dressed dancers who we thought go to the same place, but actually they took another road to their car who was parked somewhere in Palolem village. So we were in this parking area and it didn’t look like the beach is close. We followed the road (which went to the east and not to the south, as we wished) and neither direction signs (because they don’t exist) nor could our internal GPS tell us where we are and where we should go. So we were lost in a beautiful area of rich people with large houses and gardens, few people on the street, far away from the tourists crowds.

After some time we found ourselves on a country road where, surprisingly, the few cars and motorcycles don’t toot. It was a beautiful view: the mountains behind us, a palm forest to the right, grass fields with cows and buffalo to the left and in front should be the beach, somewhere. We got a little bit scared when two buffalo ran like crazy towards us, but it seemed that they were just in a hurry and did not care about us.

The Germans in us think we should ask somebody, so we talk to some ladies who tell us to follow this road to the first intersection where we then turn right and then left again. Since we were in the rural area, we thought we could use the few Hindi words we learned in Mumbai and say friendly “Dhan’yavād”. It seems that the ladies don’t understand our German dialect, which is sad because we were learning so eager in the first week. But we’re again surprized by the very good English language skills of the people, even from small villages.

Back on the road, we reach the intersection where we’re told that we are on the right way – iei! We finally find a store where we can buy Pepsi (like Mr. Ruwe taught us before we left Kassel: biscuits, pepsi and a banana) and the world looked immediately different. We see Eva Rodrigues’ house next to Nina’s restaurant and learn that this place got a Spanish touch. Close to the beach we are again approached by the Indian sellers who are as persuasive as those in Palolem trying to make us enter there stores and start the negotiations. Why can’t they just let us look around as we like, probably we’d rather enter their stores if they wouldn’t be that pushy.

And here we are… after 1 hour walk we arrive at a rather calm Arabian Sea on the small and cute Patnem Beach. We sit on a terrace with umbrellas out of bamboo and palm leaves and enjoy the midday sun with some good books, fresh fruits, seafood and some ice coffee. Afterwards we walk to the end of the beach where we watch the strong waves that continuously hit the small rocks, and Vera takes pictures with an Indian family. Then it is already late, so we should head back to Palolem. Now we decided just to follow the beach and the roads that connect the beaches and not get confused by any beautiful dresses. Twenty minutes and we reached our “home beach” – short if you take the right road, but more exciting if you take the long one

See Patnem Beach on Flickr