July 18, 2009

Hi all,

Good times in Goa. No monsoon can keep me and Pete from having fun. We took the train to Goa and headed to an area called Colva Beach. It's a destination frequented by locals -- generally not tourists -- on the west coast of India. Our hotel was a short walk to the beach and considered "nice," which means they supplied us with towels and one roll of towel paper. Fancy! The hot water was only available between 7 and 10 a.m. and the electricity worked 65 percent of the time so ... that's India for you. Next to the hotel was a large field where water buffalo grazed next to wild dogs and roosters. We also had the opportunity to run into an incredibly large pig and her five piglets on the road one afternoon. So, on our first full day in Goa ...

How Sweet the Sound: We got a car and driver and decided to go see the sights. We toured two Hindu temples, one of which was dedicated to Shiva. A guru of some sort took us on an impromptu tour and gave us a basic lesson in Hinduism, most of which I'm sure Pete learned on his first day of college as a religions minor. As most of Goa is Roman Catholic (a religion left over from the Portuguese) we saw huge cathedrals, old graveyards with stone crosses and images of Jesus everywhere. The best example of the region's dedication to the religion was found in our driver's car ... every time he put the car in reverse a computerized version of Amazing Grace played.

Paparazzi: Pete and I had a great day with the tour and a leisurely lunch. When we got back to the hotel, we decided to enjoy the sunshine by walking to the beach and having some ice cream (Pete's all time favorite food and comfort). As we crossed the bridge to the sand, we saw a large group of Indian men having their picture taken with a blonde tourist. This is very big in India -- locals always want to take pictures with Westerners because we are such oddities. When it's men, though, it creeps me out. As Pete and I walked toward the water, this huge dude came rushing over yelling "One photo! One photo!" We said no and the guy was very persistent so he got a sterner "No!" At this point, I realized that my ice cream had melted all down my hand, shirt and pants. Then, an enormous wave from the sea crashed over us. In the middle of the mess, the big guy came back and got a "NO!!" shouted in his face for being so rude and aggressive. Frustrated and agitated, Pete and I sat down on a stone wall for a break and ... immediately an Indian family moved up next to us and had the dad take our picture.

Clapton by Candlelight: We recovered from our debacle at the beach and later in the night went for dinner at a beachside shack. It was a great dinner, except that the power kept going out. We were eventually able to get a candle on the table and then the whole thing was sort of charming. Throughout all the outages, the restaurant's music managed to stay on and Eric Clapton serenaded the whole meal.

We are now in Baga Beach, which is about 60 kilometers north of Colva. It is known as being the destination for backpackers and hippies. We spent the morning on the beach, then rented a scooter to tour the area. Pete was the brave driver. Not only did we have to adjust to driving on the left side of the road, but there are trucks, cars, bikers, pedestrians and cows to maneuver around. And, driving on the left side of the road is more like a suggestion than a rule.

We leave tomorrow but where we will go is still up in the air. But, we'll be back in Delhi in just a few weeks when my parents come to experience India for themselves.

Love, Alice