December 21st 2010 - January 11th 2011

Deatails Of Things of Interest & Information ETC.

Cost Breakdown

The holiday was booked through Althams travel using Thomson as the tour company. We also purchased the option of a taxi service to and from Manchester airport using Althams comfortable transport.

Package holiday with Thomson stopping at Marinha Dourada on a B&B basis for 21 nights £2640 for both of us

Upgraded seating on plane to premier cabin £660 for both of us

Transport to and from Manchester Airport  £66 for both of us.

Visa Cost £ 78.10 for both of us.

Travel Insurance for couple £77 (yearly worldwide cover inc a pre-existing illness)

Stay at Backwoods Camp for 3 night/4 days £125 per person

Disaster Hit Trip

Not for everybody but it's a record of our trip so skip this as no details of birding in this section.

First up was the massive set back of a 32 hour delay. On arrival we were asked "did you not get a call telling you not to come?" Silly silly question.....would I now be stood at the desk? This was at 22:45 on the 20th Dec ready for check in for the flight to leave at 01:45 the following morning. We were now told that the flight would not go until 15:35 on the 21st Dec. There was no plan from Thomson on what to do with anybody that turned up. The flight had been cancelled at 05:00 that day so they had time to plan. Eventually after a lot of people with steam coming out of their ears complaining and not being happy to be told go home....home some had come from Glasgow, Nottingham etc. They agreed to take us to a hotel for the night. They would not do this though until the flight had closed at 01:00 as we were told more people may turn up....yes but why not take us now and bring any body else later? No no no, so we eventually got on the coach at 01:00. After a 45min trip to a hotel in Warrington we checked in and told we would be picked up at 12:00 midday for the flight at 15:35. A short sleep was had. I checked the ceefax and noted that the plane they had earmarked for our flight was coming from Cancun and was already delayed by two hours! Non the less we were told that the time had not changed. It became obvious that we would not be taking off as the plane I was suspecting would be ours was, and so we were told of a 3 hour delay. We were finally at the boarding gate and could see the plane.....then the captain came out..gulp! He told us that damage had been found on the plane but it could be repaired. He was almost throttled but Many and I just thought it more unlucky than anything to do with a reluctance to get us on the plane. Captain Alan Harris said he would be back out at 19:30 to give us some more details. As promised the Captain came out and told us that more damage had been found and that the repair would take longer than expected. That was not the bad news....he told us that by the time the repair was finished the crew will have run out of time and that GOA would not accept the flight at the time we would arrive due to it being a naval airport. He said that it would be best to call it a day now and come back tomorrow with the plane repaired and the crew good as new. To be honest I did not run with the wolves instead I approached the Captain and held my hand out to shake his, as I explained that I appreciated his honesty and acknowledged that he himself did not have to come out and tell us this news, but he did.

Back to a different hotel having returned to the carousel to collect our luggage. Crammed on to coaches we arrived at another hotel in Northenden at about 22:00. A bite to eat and in bed for about 23:30 to be picked up by coach at 04:00 for an 08:00 flight. Not nearly enough sleep due to a couple of Scouse women that must have been hard of hearing. Then at about 02:00 the fire alarm went off.....God that wakes you up alright....false alarm as police were swarming the hotel as a drunk woman had destroyed the hotel kitchen looking for her partner that was with another woman somewhere so failing to find him she decided to hit the fire alarm! So no sleep really, back on the coach, checked in and at boarding gate only to be told that our plane that was promised had gone elsewhere but they were bringing a plane from Luton but it was delayed due to it being frozen!!!!! Finally at about 09:30 we boarded the plane and at 10:30 the wheels of the plane (which strangely felt like they had come off after a 32 hour delay) left Manchester tarmac.

Introduction

Having missed a few birds I really would have liked to have seen we always wanted to return and December was good for us on several counts not least to catch some of the passage birds I missed going in February in 2009. I really wanted to see Small Pratincole, Indian Blue Robin and Blue Faced Malkoha. We found the Marinha Dourada to be a great base as it is outside the unbearable hustle, bustle and constant noise of the main resorts of Baga, Calangute and Candolim. The setting is superb, good restaurants nearby and it's central, and walkable to Baga Hill, Arpora Wood, Arpora Saltpans as well as having tidal pools close by.

Wed 22nd Dec

Flight Delayed In Manchester Airport

Mon 10th Jan

M

The flight land