Day 20 - Roasting Hot Sunday...

17:00
The swings and roundabouts of Irvine sleeping are in full effect. I have a cracking sleep, much needed. Nearly 9 hours, which is going some for me. I wake up around 09:30, and gently nudge Vicki, as we’ve agreed an early (relatively) morning to get out and have breakfast. She is not best pleased. It transpires the 40 hours of sleep she’s had over the past three nights have caught up with her. She couldn’t sleep until 04:30 last night, and needs more naps before the day can start. We ultimately decide on a waking time of around 11:30, and when that time comes to pass, she’s in a much happier place.

My stomach appears to be behaving itself today, which is not so much a relief, as just very welcome. Was getting a little bored of the tummy jips. Around 14:15, we head over to Agonda, to meet DoubleD, Worzel and Zoe for lunch. We’re aiming for Kopi Desa, run by a European couple, and apparently serving a half-decent Sunday roast. Now, I’m not convinced by this. Our roast season in the UK runs from maybe September until April/May time. Roasts outside of that window are absolutely permitted, but they tend to be a rarity. BBQ is our summertime food king. So the idea of a full on Sunday roast in temperatures that promise to hit 35C today? Not so immediately attractive.

Kopi Desa is a cool little place. We sit and wait for 15 minutes for the others, because we don’t know in whose name the booking is. There’s a booking at 15:00 for 6 people in the name of ‘Adam’ but we can’t be sure if that’s Wurzel or not. It transpires it is. While we wait, I have a cracking mocktail called a Basil Smash - basil, mint, pineapple and ginger. Delish.

The food menu is varied, and there’s a ton of stuff I like the sound of, but I’m not here to be a spoilsport. I do the decent thing, and order roast lamb, which I suspect will be roast goat. When the food arrives, I’m more than pleasantly surprised. The meat is tender and very tasty, the potatoes are better than a lot that I’ve had in pubs in the UK, the gravy is meaty and has great depth of flavour, the Yorkshire is a pretty good example. It does feel a little strange eating this most British of meals in the Tropics, but I can’t fault the effort. I manage a couple of beers with my food as well. Not entirely sure how that’ll pan out later, but it’s part of my strategy to test how my stomach’s doing.

Chatting to DD, it sounds like a bunch of people have been sick the past few days, so I’m not alone. Lots of upset stomachs, some fevers, some vomiting. It could be that we’ve coincidentally caught some food poisoning from a dodgy batch of ice at one of the party venues, but most are beginning to think there’s a sickness bug doing the rounds of the party attendees… I briefly wonder whether I’ve brought the bug I had in Agra down to Goa with me, but keep that one to myself.

22:05
My stomach seems to be coping well with what I’ve thrown at it so far today, so I head out around sunset to catch up with DD, Vicks, Worzel, Zoe and some of the other party people. The sunset is a spectacular one. There’s a fishing boat on the sand in front of us, and the sun is setting just to one side of it. It’s a brilliantly clear evening, and we witness the sun taking its final steps beneath the horizon. Very special.

We have a few drinks. I read a little, we chat a little. It’s a very easy going pace of life. There’s some football showing in the bar - a Spurs game I think. Not interested…

Vicks and I decide we’re a little peckish, and probs wanna eat something this evening. We’re right next door to Casa Fiesta, who we think do the best BBQ fish on Patnem Beach. Their display is, as ever, awesome to look at. Countless snappers, bass, and prawns. A couple of smaller kingfish that we briefly wonder if we could manage between us. A huge bluefin tuna = easily 1.8m long, and a big kingfish, maybe 1.2m. We opt for a snapper. We’ve not had a whole fish on the BBQ since we arrived, and they look particularly good tonight.

It is. A brilliant, brilliant piece of fish. Served on the bone as a whole fish, and crisped up beautifully on the BBQ. The tandoori marinade complements without overpowering. Just a sensational bit of cookery, and a sensational meal. A few fireworks are set off just down the beach from us. Most power into the sky, and detonate far above us. One seems to be a bit of a damp squib, and explodes all too close to the ground for our liking.

Big day tomorrow, and my beloved needs to top up on her sleep, so early night for us…Læs mere