MISCELLANEOUS, Goa

Favorite thing: I bought some really different sweets( mango flavour is delicious) and some coconut hair treatment, and herbal shampoo and toothpaste... plz try these things that are different while you are in Goa and India, some of them are really very good.

Favorite thing: Dental problems and their treatments are very costly in most places. We can provide an excellent package to meet your dental treatment expenditure. You can receive treatments, relating to dentistry, from dental implants to tooth whitening all at very affordable prices. There is full dental service of cosmetic and general dental clinic specializing in creating the beautiful smile on your face.

International Dental Rehabilitation Clinic out here gives you the unmatched time advantage plus international quality control. For the patients, they provide that special care in the form of appointment at a short notice and the work is completed within the span of 3 – 5 days be it fillings, root canals, crowns or even dentures.

Dental treatment in India in general and in Goa particularly, is completely inexpensive as compared to the western countries. In India, there are clinics like ours with state to the art equipment and well trained and experienced doctors to match the best international standard. There are also several dental care packages available out here at our clinic. However, these will be based on the requirements of the person and his needs.

The goal of their practice here is to provide and deliver to their patients the treatment choices that meet the needs of the individual and offer the best possible alternatives for their health and enjoyment. Leading consultants in the field of maxillofacial surgery, general medicine, pathology, radiology, pediatrics, anesthetics, and ophthalmologist provide the recommended medical care.

YOu can contact them at International Dnetal Rehabilitation Clinic, Above arte douro, porbavaddo, calangute, bardez, Goa. tel : 0091-9822147148

Favorite thing: One of the best known, and most upto date surgeries is:

International Dental Centre Goa , C-2 Landscape Royale, Calangute-Arpora Road,

Above Arte D'ouro Cyber Cafe, Near Bank of Baroda,

Porbavaddo Calangute Goa India .

The Dentist is Dr Toshepu Aomi...top bloke!

Favorite thing: ... please remember that in Goa gas lighters are not allowed in your hand baggage and will be taken away from you at the security check when you are leaving Goa.
After you pass the control, in the duty free area there is a smoking room, but no one has a lighter and the electrical lighters in the smoking room are out of order!
So just put your precious gas lighter in the luggage that you check in, and have a box of matches with you.

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Favorite thing: May all your travels be safe & happy ones... but if something should happen whilst abroad, it's always good to know where the next pharmacy is... just in case.

If you fall-off your scooter, step onto something nasty in the ocean, or simply have a headache, you won't have a problem finding a pharmacy along the main road in Calangute. A lot of the pharmacies in India also sell natural remedies such as Homeopathy, Aloe Vera Gel, Herbal ointments and a large variety of teas.

We were a bit confused about the opening hours, but ask any taxi driver or shop owner along the street and they'll quite happily tell you.

Fondest memory: Also, try to not look too shocked once you've entered the place... all of the pharmacies I saw in Goa looked like bomb sites! (click on the picture to see what I mean!)
Boxes, tubes, viles & bottles are piled in seemingly chaotic order everywhere... don't ask me how, but they always know where to find what you're asking for...

Funny, how the same thing has a different name in English in different countries:
If you can't find a Pharmacy, and you can't find a Chemist, try asking for a Druggist... haha!

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Favorite thing: Children Walking Tall is a registered British charity set up to provide a shelter in which all children, no matter what their background, religion or circumstance can come for healthy food, a shower and change of clothes, a safe/dry place to rest and join in with creative and fun education and also time to do what children the world over should do, PLAY! We felt that the best way we could help would be by starting a charity to provide shelter and food for these children. Rob, Shermina and the numerous volunteers there are dedicated to giving the children something that many of them had not experienced before, a chance of a childhood.

What can you do?

Contact the charity before you travel, they can arrange extra baggage allowance. This applies to both scheduled and charter flights. Monarch Airlines gave me an extra 10kg of baggage allowance. Take out a variety of children's clothes. As well as clothing the children who visit Mango House on a daily basis, the volunteers do runs up to Mumbai and hand out clothing to the street children there too. I took out a variety of shorts, t-shirts, sweat shirts and footwear for distribution. Durable toys that the children can play with are also useful and welcomed by the children. On the day that I visited there was a huge clamour for some of the trucks, cars and other toys that had been donated by previous visitors.

Fondest memory: Contact Rob or Shermina at www.ChildrenWalkingTall.com and they will do the rest to arrange extra baggage. They will also tell you of any particular needs that they have at that moment.

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Favorite thing: DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Local Time: GMT + 5 hrs 30 min
Capital: Panjim (Panaji)
Electricity: 220 Volts
Currency: Indian Rupees
1 US Dollar (USD) = approx. 45 Rs (INR)
1 Euro (EUR) = approx 55 Rs (INR)
Driving: Traffic is on the left! Easy for Brits and Aussies! Difficult for me!

Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area.
Goa's sole airport is the Dabolim Airport (Code: GOI) (no, not Dublin.... Da-bo-lim. haha!)
Panaji (also known as Panjim) is the administrative capital of Goa. Goa's legislative capital is Porvorim. Old Goa is very interesting for a day trip to explore historic churches, temples and architecture.

It has a rich Indian & Portuguese heritage, visible in numerous chapels, churches and temples dotted around the area amongst the beautiful landscape. Take a walk around... wander aimlessly... you'll come across some beautiful heritage sights & old buildings!
The north coast of Goa is where it all happens: Aguada, Candolim, Calangute, Baga and Anjuna beach are seamlessly tied together.

Goa also has rich flora & fauna, with lush greenery, fertile fields & tropical forests.
Being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, the region has a warm & humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, with temperatures of over 35 C (90 F) with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September / early October. We travelled in late October/early November and only had 2 rainy days, which was perfect!

- Nudity on beaches and public places is forbidden & punishable by law.
- Do not buy articles made from rare / endangered species which are banned.
- Tourists are advised to observe silence, due respect and proper decorum inside the places of worship & religious monuments. Always remove your shoes at the entrance to the main hall of any holy shrine.

Fondest memory: A BIT OF HISTORY...

In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to set foot in India through a sea route, landing in Kozhikode in Kerala, followed by an arrival in what is now known as Old Goa. The Portuguese arrived with the intention of setting up a colony and seizing complete control of the spice trade from other European powers after traditional land routes to India were closed by the Ottoman Turks.

Later, in 1510, Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur kings on behalf of a local sovereign, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). The Portuguese intended it to be a colony and a naval base, distinct from the fortified enclaves established elsewhere along India's coasts.

After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's request to relinquish their control of its exclave. Arbitration by the World Court and the United Nations General Assembly in the 1950s ruled in favour of self determination. Finally, on Dec. 12th 1961, the Indian army moved in, taking the colony by force.

Favorite thing: If you would like to help rebuild the life of one of the many Goan street kids then check out this website...

http://www.childrenwalkingtall.com/

Or if you are in Goa why not pop into All Spice Restaurant in Arpora and leave a donation with Vinnie.

You know it makes sense!