Yesterday, after an evening of long islands and movies the night before, we did not wake up until 11...
Then we lazed around and read until noon, and THEN we ate lunch/breakfast/brunch and took a ridiculously long walk on the beach while it rained. Now Goa is the ultimate hippie spot even though all the hippies move up North and out of the rain during the monsoon season, but the monsoon creates some pretty stellar waves. Again Junie and I were trying to keep our purses dry in front of us and got completely soaked everywhere else. So we said screw it and decided to go for a swim. Made ourselves a little tent out of our umbrellas to keep the purses dry and went for a swim in true hippie/skinny dipping style and my dear hippie friend Junie taught me the art of looking at someones eyes and no where else.
But never-the-less it was so much fun to jump over waves and try to surf them in and then we took the epic-ly long walk back and devoured a plate of mashed potatoes in no time flat. Hands down the best mashed potatoes I've ever had and I had been craving them for days!
We have acquired a dog who sleeps in our room and walks wherever we go and he is our protector, even walking me to the bathroom last night at the restaurant :-) Dogs are a comfort no matter where you are and Junie and I really needed this time of relaxation. We are leaving today though and moving to central Goa to see some waterfalls, animals, and old cities...if we don't leave now we may get drawn into this peaceful, carefree, easy way of life and never go home!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Few Days, Many Aventures
Dang I don't even know where to start!
I took my very first 12 hour train ride, it went over night and I was completely enthralled by looking out the windows at the scenery. Junie, from Australia, and I felt like we were having a slumber party and Karl kept us protected by the under-sexed and slightly creepy Indian men who feel the need to undress you with their eyes. I was of course completely covered in my long skirt and kept my eyes averted in order not to show any interest. But the man across from me was lovely so between him and Karl, any man who tried to creep (and there were only 2) didn't stay for long haha.
Until people started going to bed at around 10pm, there were almost constant streams of vendors walking up and down the aisles selling food and tea and water and candy. I loved every minute of it and even fell asleep until we got to Goa at 4:30 in the morning. Then we took a cab to Callagute and tried to find a hotel. They were expensive by Indian standards and not very clean considering the price, so we said screw it and went further north to Aranbol which was very empty and everything covered in tarps because of monsoon season. So we meant to get a cheap room for the night and leave in the morning, but we've ended up really enjoying ourselves!
The first day after a long nap, Junie and I took the bus to a big city and SHOPPED all day :-) You don't buy as much as you think you will because it takes a long time to barter, but between the two of us, we make a great bargaining team. Then we ended up staying until 9:30 PM because we were arguing with cab drivers over how much it would cost to come back. I finally told Junie no more haggling and we got a ride home.
But we had a HUGE scare when the cab driver talked on the phone for awhile and then pulled into a dark street in front of a house. Junie and I both yelled "Hey Hey what are you doing? Where are we?!" and the man goes "No no no!!! It's not like that, I'm picking up my wife, she's pregnant!" and she was haha. She was completely sweet and lovely, but there was a major jolt of adrenaline for a bit.
Then yesterday we got up, ate breakfast and went to the beach! We swam for a bit in the warm water and played with the beach dogs and then Junie, who is tenacious when she gets something in her head, decided that she desperately needed to find the sulfur hot springs in the forest even though no one was able to tell us quite where they were....
And off we went on an hour long trek into the jungley forest in our bikinis, carrying purses and umbrellas, and followed by 6 beach dogs who had made it their mission to protect us. The mosquitoes SUCKED but it was so need to follow the mountain stream and see all the amazing trees. We eventually stumbled upon a huge tree which made a sort of platform in the middle of it's dangling roots. The hippies who inhabit Goa during the season must have made it into a sort of temple as there was a picture of a God, a few little altars and a beautiful sarong hung between the branches. In true hippie fashion we went into the stream and rinsed our hair and escaped from the mosquitoes.
We did eventually give up on the hot springs and found out later that they were much closer to the beach and we had walked past them almost immediately. Fail. But it was an adventure and as I am used to following Allie on ridiculous adventures, following Junie made me feel at home.
We then went to the beach and watched Prince of Persia in a bar and ate dinner and watched the storm on the beach. This place is so quiet and relaxed that it is growing on me with every hour we spend. So I am off to enjoy it a little more because tomorrow I think we are moving to central Goa for a change of pace.
Miss you all and I'll be on again soon!
I took my very first 12 hour train ride, it went over night and I was completely enthralled by looking out the windows at the scenery. Junie, from Australia, and I felt like we were having a slumber party and Karl kept us protected by the under-sexed and slightly creepy Indian men who feel the need to undress you with their eyes. I was of course completely covered in my long skirt and kept my eyes averted in order not to show any interest. But the man across from me was lovely so between him and Karl, any man who tried to creep (and there were only 2) didn't stay for long haha.
Until people started going to bed at around 10pm, there were almost constant streams of vendors walking up and down the aisles selling food and tea and water and candy. I loved every minute of it and even fell asleep until we got to Goa at 4:30 in the morning. Then we took a cab to Callagute and tried to find a hotel. They were expensive by Indian standards and not very clean considering the price, so we said screw it and went further north to Aranbol which was very empty and everything covered in tarps because of monsoon season. So we meant to get a cheap room for the night and leave in the morning, but we've ended up really enjoying ourselves!
The first day after a long nap, Junie and I took the bus to a big city and SHOPPED all day :-) You don't buy as much as you think you will because it takes a long time to barter, but between the two of us, we make a great bargaining team. Then we ended up staying until 9:30 PM because we were arguing with cab drivers over how much it would cost to come back. I finally told Junie no more haggling and we got a ride home.
But we had a HUGE scare when the cab driver talked on the phone for awhile and then pulled into a dark street in front of a house. Junie and I both yelled "Hey Hey what are you doing? Where are we?!" and the man goes "No no no!!! It's not like that, I'm picking up my wife, she's pregnant!" and she was haha. She was completely sweet and lovely, but there was a major jolt of adrenaline for a bit.
Then yesterday we got up, ate breakfast and went to the beach! We swam for a bit in the warm water and played with the beach dogs and then Junie, who is tenacious when she gets something in her head, decided that she desperately needed to find the sulfur hot springs in the forest even though no one was able to tell us quite where they were....
And off we went on an hour long trek into the jungley forest in our bikinis, carrying purses and umbrellas, and followed by 6 beach dogs who had made it their mission to protect us. The mosquitoes SUCKED but it was so need to follow the mountain stream and see all the amazing trees. We eventually stumbled upon a huge tree which made a sort of platform in the middle of it's dangling roots. The hippies who inhabit Goa during the season must have made it into a sort of temple as there was a picture of a God, a few little altars and a beautiful sarong hung between the branches. In true hippie fashion we went into the stream and rinsed our hair and escaped from the mosquitoes.
We did eventually give up on the hot springs and found out later that they were much closer to the beach and we had walked past them almost immediately. Fail. But it was an adventure and as I am used to following Allie on ridiculous adventures, following Junie made me feel at home.
We then went to the beach and watched Prince of Persia in a bar and ate dinner and watched the storm on the beach. This place is so quiet and relaxed that it is growing on me with every hour we spend. So I am off to enjoy it a little more because tomorrow I think we are moving to central Goa for a change of pace.
Miss you all and I'll be on again soon!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
ME FIRST!
I went to mass in India for the first time yesterday and it was quite the experience. The cathedral was absolutely stunning and filled with statues and paintings. But everytime the music started, I laughed because the beginning of each song sounded like the beginning of a country music song. Then it was time for communion. So, since we were near the back, I waited calmly as EVERYONE jumped out of their seats and pushed to the front and then anyone who had gotten their wafer just knelt where they were! It was chaos and I guess for here that is orderly! It was neat to see though.
Well I am off to Goa tomorrow and will try to blog from there! Can't wait for some beach time!!!!
Well I am off to Goa tomorrow and will try to blog from there! Can't wait for some beach time!!!!
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