This is the real India most of you won't ever see

Today I introduce you to Goan Spice, where I eat most of my meals in Palolem, and I chat with the restaurant manager about the new restaurant and a bit of his life. I pass a man I see most days and stop to talk to him; he is a room boy who sits at the front of a guesthouse looking for tourists. A subscriber named Indra takes me on a local tour, stopping at a small village for tea and visiting the school he works at, where education is given in an open setting and children are encouraged to learn by creating. A friend of Indra’s takes me to the local temple, where people ask the holy man which date would be best for them to commence construction on their home; locals do not undertake anything major without his consultation. Next we go to a wonderfully deserted beach with a splendid path through its tree line, taking us among the pines and offering a lovely view as we approach on our scooter. Then we return to Indra’s house, where he has prepared a wonderful lunch of prawns, chicken, rice, spicy sauce, yoghurt, cucumber, and a beer; he was up at 4 am making this meal ready and shows how thoughtful he is. I insert footage from a couple of days ago of a national park I was taken to, where we see a pristine stream, I climb a tree lookout, and visit a property once used by gold smugglers during the British colonial period.