We have now been in Goa for 3 weeks, 4 more to go. We flew the whole trip with Kingfisher from Heathrow I must admit that the international planes are brand new, with plenty of leg room, on the international flight it was the staff that let the whole lot down they didn't seem to have a clue what they were doing, plus the fact that only half the tvs in the seat backs were working so it was boring if yours didn't work. But as they have only been flying since the 6th of December on that route, with a bit of luck they may have improved by they time we fly back home. The Internal flight was fantastic, how the heck they can serve a 3 course meal on a 55 minute flight beats me. travel from the International airport to the dometic airport in Mumbai took us nearly 3 hours, so allow yourselves plenty of time.

As many of you will know I had a 100 gramme 9ct gold bracelet melted down last year, and asked for a necklace and a few other items to be made out of it. That has now been sorted (I HOPE)I took it to another jeweller over here and they tested the chain for me, it was pure zinc with a 6 (six) CARAT GOLD PLATING.
I went to the original jewellers and walked in as though we were going to buy another item, we have been using them for years now, they gave us a cold drink and we chatted, then I said to the Jeweller involved, DO YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN YOU MELTED THAT BRACELET DOWN FOR ME AND MADE ME A NECKLACE. YES he replied it was a beautiful bracelet, engraved on the outside and plain on the inside. WELL I SAID WHEN YOU MADE IT, YOU SAID THAT IF IT NEEDS REPOLISHING, I WAS TO BRING IT TO YOU AND YOU WOULD DO IT FOR FREE. Yes I remember that he said I then drew from my bum bag 22 inches of zinc chain, and a small round ball of 6 carat gold that the other jeweller had managed to retrieve from it. Hi face was a picture he swore blind he had not made the chain, it was not from his shop, until I showed him his receipt, and a photo of him putting it around my neck, he soon backed down. We told him that we had been advised to go to the Panjim Trading standards, and also the tourist police, I also told him that I have put the incident onto the internet, on a site that many British, Swedish and American people read, but as of yet I have not named his shop. If he does not redress the issue to my advantage his shop will be ruined.

At the time of going to his shop the scrap value of 70 grammes of 9ct gold was 650,000rps or 875 british pounds. I had all the information, so he knew that I meant what I said. He has now agreed to make me to my own design a 10ct 63 gramme gold necklace, the retail price of this in this country is 997.pounds I get the necklace tomorrow, but I have warned him that it will be tested. I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

I am finding Goa very quiet, the drinks and meals have slightly increased in price, but what has increased greatly is the price of the nik naks like souveniers that we all buy, and they will not come down in price, you can spend an hour arguing with them and they wont budge. Walking down beach road at night is like being in another place every where is so quiet. Just a few couples or groups in resturants where you are used to seeing them packed out completely and have to wait for a table.

The girls on the beach that usually do the pedicures and manicures are charging 350/400rps per person, they cant seem to get it into there thick heads that people will not pay the equivilent of 5/7 pounds when they can get it done cheaper in a shop. One of the regular girls that is attached to the shack that I go to was complaining, that she has only done one pedicure in 3 days, I told her that she is charging too much, and wouldnt she be better off doing 20 manicure or pedicures a day at 200 rps rather than 1 every couple of days at 350 she still would not drop her price.

They do not seem to realise that 90% of the people that are here this year, are here because they have already booked and paid for this holiday, and have little money to spend, due to the recession in our countries. Next year there will be even less foriegn tourists because many people are going home to no jobs. it is only because this year was already paid for, that they are here this year.

It is like talking to a brick wall, just greed, greed, greed. The only people who seem to realise what the recession is going to mean is the Kashmiris. The Goans are digging a hole in the sand.

UPDATE
When I got to goa I did not think that the Jewellery shop that conned me would believe me when I took the took the chain back, with a British certification. So I went to a jeweller that my friend always uses to get the chain tested, when I took it to the original jeweller who made it he agreed that it was not gold. It was plated, but of course they did not make it them selves ( so they said) I have used this jeweller many times and had loads made by them over the past 4 years. Even though there smelting shop is on the premises, they still denied making it. I have been back and for to them for over a week now, the necklace is being hand made, they have been showing me each process of the making of it.

Last night I went back to the shop and they told me it would be ready after 12.30 today 1 o'clock today i went to the shop, the shop in size is about 12 foot x 12 foot, I went in the necklace was ready and it is truly beautiful. But when I usually go into the shop there is usually only one salesman in there, my darling hubby was not with me ( in bed as usual) today there were 5 men in there, one stood in front of the door to the shop, they asked me to sit down, they produced the original chain, and told me that they had sent it to Mumbai for testing, the certificate that had come back, with it stating that the metal was 9ct gold. I accused them of not sending the original chain but some other chain, they were very very aggressive towards me, and accused me of trying to CON THEM they wanted me to pay them 7000,000 rps for the cost of the chain that they had made for me. I must admit that I was very afraid, I didnt know what was going to happen. I asked them why only the chain turned white, when with the same gold from the bracelet, they had also made me an OM pendant, and a pendant with my name in Hindi. which had not turned white when it had been tested. They accused me of switching the chain, I was absolutely livid with my anger, but I had no way of getting out of the shop with the man guarding the door. The new chain had been laid on the glass counter. They were asking for my credit card, or debit card, I was refusing to pay, and I told them that I was going to put this on Holiday truths, go to the tourist police and pangim trading standards. They were laughing and pointing there fingers into my arm, one man even made a cutting motion across his throat, laughing. Then to my relief a british man and woman walked into the shop, the man guarding the door had to stand aside, so I grabbed the new chain and ran for my life. two of them chased me, I saw a tuk tuk and opened the door as it was still moving. I screamed at the driver to get me out of there he brought me back to Candolim. I honestly think that they would have beaten me up, or done some thing else. FIONA I want permission to name this shop, on this site. I am still shaking I was absolutely terrified.

i WILL ADD SOME MORE SOON
gAYLE