Aswem to Morjim

Part 3 Aswem to Morjim

Our transfer to Morjim was a painless affair. Having walked the beach during our stay in Aswen after an early morning yoga session, we had discovered that just around the next point (a half hour walk) lay the beginnings of Morjim. We had explored the first 400m of shops and beach shacks and reserved a wooden cottage 100m from the beach.

We settled in quickly, spreading ourselves as we had in our sprawling roof top terrace. 20 minutes later came the realisation that 4 people within a 16 foot square needed an organised system to survive! Clothing spaces were allocated, shoes were put outside, school books were put separate and food was stored on a shelf of its own.

Confident of our planning we retired to the covered well for the days schooling.

Upon our trturn to our wonderful compact room we made the discovery that wooden huts absorb heat! BIG TIME!!!!

With every the windows open, the door wedged to one side and the fan of full, the heat inside was incredible. Even so Angharad and Cian needed sleep and some very sweaty children rose 2 hours later to begin our exploration of the area.

Our first mission was to obtain photos for our new land lord. India is quite strict on the policing of tourist movement. Each place of stay must present a photo-copy of your passport and visa to the police station upon your arrival. In Arambol I had handed over the passports and had them returned to me 4 hours later, in Aswen no one had asked for anything and I had not offered. Here our land lord wanted not only the passports but individual photos too. As we didn't have any he offered to take them for 50Rps EACH!

I asked if there was a place in town that took photos and when the children awoke we headed off to find the photographer. In the back of a tiny dark store room filled with sacks, boxes and bottles, we took turns to sit on the tiny bench behind which was propped a photographers white sheet. “Photos ready this afternoon” I was informed, “about 5.”

I asked for 6 copies of each photo to last us on our journey, total price 80 rupees a person. Less than 14 rupees each photo.

We continued our walk turning left at the T junction and found the first of what was to become an afternoon of temples. The who, what, why's abounded as I pointed out Shiva, Ghanesh, Krsna and others. The calmness as well as the coolness of the temple helped to restore the children after their long walk in the hot sun to the small village.

Refreshed we returned to the junction that led back to the photographer and noted the chai shop. The sun was still hot so leaving Peter and the children to discover the delights of chai, I headed back alone to collect the photos along the dusty path.

As I walked two scooters pulled to the side of the road just in front of me, English voices started chatting and taking photos of something in the field to the left. As I reached the bikes I too saw the old man with his two powerful white bullocks ploughing the field with a hand held plough in the heat of the afternoon. Seeing such an abundant audience to his labours he stopped and asked for a drink, “Limka”, he asked, the two couples looked blank then started to walk away. “Limka” he called again, raising his hand to his lips in the imitation of drinking.

“ I'll get one” I said to the confused tourists and popped into a small side shack to buy the small bottle of lemon he was asking for. His face burst into a huge beam as I passed it down to him, “Oh!” exclaimed the tourists “We thought he was asking for feni or something”, the next ten minutes were taken up chatting and smiling. The tourists from Yorkshire posed for their photo with the plough, we talked about the changes to Goa over the past 20 years and the joys of Kerela.

Holiday Showdown was mentioned and I confessed to being the one in the program they were referring to. Was I still in touch with the other family, they asked, I assured them we were and that although reality TV was any thing but real, it had all been a great experience. We said our goodbyes, the old man received another bottle of Limka and I continued on my way to get the photos - which were not ready!! “One more half hour please!”

Back at the chai shop, Peter and the children were drinking chai as if it was the best thing known to man ( which in some situations may just be the case). Angharad has also discovered the joys of puff tubes!!

The sun was now dipping behind the trees making long shadows on the road that led to the beach. Rather than walk back the way we had come we decided to head for the sun set and to hopefully find our way along the beach back to our cottages.

What we did find was a scattering of small shrines and then another large temple. Leaving our shoes at the entrance, we entered the coolness of the inner sanctum. A Brahman waved us closer and helped me explain the two Deities decorated with flowers in front of us. He offered us blessed water to drink and smear over our heads, he offered us Maha Prasad, sugar that had been offered that day to the gods. He indicated that we should circumnavigate the deities three times, and left us. We walked, we knelt, we thanked the universe for our blessings and we too left. The children's first of what will probably be many blessings completed.

Outside to the right, stood a huge banyan tree, its roots forming cave like spaces and narrow passageways. We stopped briefly to explore, the crisp leaves under foot crunching and collapsing under our weight. Too late I though of snakes sleeping in the warm leaves and guided Angharad back out the way we had come in.

Just before the beach, and just after the huge bush of cacti that Angarad found totally fascinating having seen cacti only in little pots until now, we found tree houses!!

Not the rickety one room affairs of Aswem of old, but solid wooden walled, glass windowed and flush loo-ed ones, with real stair cases, curtains and prices to go with them. We looked inside, debated the price with the host and moved quickly onto the beach! Tree house residences were definitely not a budget option here. 

Somewhere the gods must have been looking after us, for once out on the beach, we found ourselves 200m away from the path that led to our cottages! The children and Peter were sent for cooling showers while I marched off to collect the now ready photos.

Supper was had at one of the shacks on the beach, the sand flies making good work of Peters feet. It was decided that the next day should be a rest day, no school, no walking, no shopping just total relaxation and beach fun!!

Wednesday 6^th March

A  Day of rest

The sun was hot, the breeze was cooling, the waves refreshing and although we watched the children like hawks to ensure they did not burn, both Peter and I failed to watch ourselves!!


To be fair I spent a good half hour sitting out in the full glare of the mid day sun, chatting to an amazing guy from Jersey who is a World Champion Sand Castle Builder!

He stays in Morjim for 6 months a year, travelling the world the rest of the time, giving demonstrations and building creations up to 20foot high. I sat and watched with fascination as he carved turrets and balustrades, blowing away the grains not needed from the finely carved details with a straw.

By the time I returned to the shade my shoulders were hot, my feet were tingling and my side was puce!!

Peters foray into the burning sun consisted in him popping down the beach to fetch a map of Goa, which turned out to be a half an hour further away than expected.

That evening we stood under burning hot showers to remove the sting and gazed dismally at the reddened skin. Tomorrow we would be shouldering our back packs once again and heading off to Candolim via Mapusa.

We retired to bed hot, tired and smothered with after sun!