Arambol, Goa, India

Back to the beach in the state of Goa, southern India, where I wouldn't call it "Real" India, but it is a nice getaway from the chaos up north. It is nice to put down roots for a bit of time, no lugging around the big purple bag, deflecting constant stares or having to catch buses, taxis, or rickshaws to some fleabag guesthouse. Just as I reported in December, the pace here is slow, the weather is hot and all of the westerners who flock here are interesting and very accepting. My days start late in the morning with breakfast at one of the local favorites, Double Dutch, if I am craving some eggs and toast, The Bees Knees has the best iced coffee or there is the no-name place in a garden setting that serves up a tasty masala dosa. Napping in the afternoon, reading, listening to music, drinking beer at the beach, and there is always the ritual of watching the sun set every single night, which has been a stunning pink as of late and the new moon rising has been glowing reddish-orange. My birthday was quite memorable this year as it was used as the perfect excuse for a house party with my friend K and a whole lot of lovely people-Faisal and his brother Nas from India, Hazel and Andrew from England, Joy from France, Alex from Germany and her husband Jay, and others...I have met so many amazing people from all over the world, people with so many fascinating stories. The birthday dinner was a TREAT as Andrew is undoubtedly the best cook in town. We ate rice and vegetable curry, fresh sauteed prawns, feta cheese and tomatoes wrapped in sliced plantains, a crab cake without the crab- it was made of beetroot and some other vegetables and it was the best little appetizer I have ever had. We all sat on the floor of the large balcony with a dim light and cushions and feasted...great food, great company but dessert was, of course, the best part. What I love most is hearing other people talking about the places they have been and being able to chime in because I have been there too, like when someone was telling an I-almost-died story from Pisco, Peru, and the story is so much more real because I have been there and had experiences in the same place. But even if it is somewhere I haven't visited yet, it is so fun to listen in when say, John talks about how sick he got from food poisoning in Morocco and then Nas starts laughing and tells a tale from his time spent there as well.
There are markets here each week, the famous Wednesday market and the Saturday night market with shopping and local music and food. There are concerts at venues along the beach and mini jam sessions in the sand every night at sunset. Cheap bamboo huts line the beach along with far more bars and restaurants than are necessary. Cows and dogs stroll along the shoreline (it is still India after all), fishermen rest against their boats after the day's catch of kingfish or shrimp and freshly tanned travelers sit in yoga poses in the sand. It isn't a resort or paradise if that is what you are picturing, though. It is touristy, but not westernized, YET, at least not quite like some of the Thailand beach communities are. The paths leading up to the road from the beach are piled with litter and polluted streams flow into the sea. It is quiet and welcoming, though, and a perfect place to just enjoy "living" abroad, being able to get to know new people and have friends to make memories with. It is satisfying to have nothing to do, nowhere to be, no tv to watch, no newspaper to read- so simple. And of course, I only visit the computer room every once in awhile, which is why the blog entries have been few and far between...i will be back soon...