Last of Goa

Thought I’d drop a couple of pounds with daily ocean swims & long walks on the beach, but the food here has trumped all that. Since Sunday, with less than a week remaining, Carlos the chef has been preparing special surprise dinners for me—Goan fish curries made with coconut, spicy Chinese style calamari, charred juicy chicken kabobs… Last night he got carried away; I got deviled eggs stuffed with chopped prawns, grated Swiss cheese, ginger & garlic & a bit of onion, in a light flavored tomato-ey sauce, decorated with little tomato flowers. I thought I was at a ladies luncheon in London, or Bombay. When I thanked him & complimented his creation Carlos told me he’d found the recipe in a woman’s magazine.

Now, how can I convince Carlos to return to his exquisite Indian & Asian cuisine without hurting his feelings? Help!

So, I haven’t lost weight, but I’ve gained a new crown, the best that money can buy, made of porcelain & zirconia, and guaranteed by Lava, “An American company,” according to my fabulous dentist, Dr. Piedade Fernandes, who beamed with pride over this important detail. The rear-molar crown & his work cost me $272, top price especially for foreigners. It would have cost over $2000 at home. He’s also made a night guard for me, an incorrigible gnasher, for $25, which would be more than $500 in L.A. People are lining up at his office for implants.

I also purchased a year’s worth of meds, for example, Boniva, which costs more than $150 for a month’s supply at home and cost $4 a month here. Even with insurance, the cost is more than twenty times in the states.

There’s my plane ticket, the 5 star Leela Hotel, the hotel L’Amour & all the food I could eat in Benaulim Beach, and some… Of course one must have time, the greatest luxury, for which I’m eternally grateful. So, check out India for medical & dental tourism, if you have any major work to do, which I pray to god you do not. Just bring sun-tan lotion & anti-mosquito cream. No! Buy it here.

I leave paradise on Saturday and fly to Coimbatore to visit old friends, which will be the theme of the remainder of my journey.

A friend complained about the lack of pictures with my missives this year. I’ve been lazy, but I had to shoot this one because it made me remember the dog walkers in West Hollywood.