Goa

I got off to bad start but I really enjoyed Goa. It was like an oasis…I couldn't believe that I was still in India.



The headache started during our 12 hour train ride from Mumbai and once in Goa it just got worse - turned out to be some sort of virus. I suffered through the first three days with high fevers and body aches until Trinea and I decided that I was in no shape to take the overnight train back to the south. After a four days in the hospital the doctor sent me home and the next morning I woke up starving…and not just hungry for food but for getting out of bed and exploring the area. We ended up extending our stay so that I could do just that.

We stayed in Calindum and met some locals and fellow travelers and had a blast. We took a two hour drive in order to take another 45 minute ride in a jeep that led to a 15 minute hike to get to the Doodh Sagar waterfall. It was well worth it - the water was cold and refreshing and we even managed to get Paula in the water. We befriended the hotel owner and local band members who took us to some of the best spots. We went to a night market that was surrounded by palm trees and colored lights where we met some Slovenian artists that we ended up spending time with. We browsed through the stalls and then sat down to enjoy a few performances: a band, a hula-hoop champion, a martial artist and some fire-spinners.

An hour's drive north to Arambol and a 15 minute walk along the beach took us to a freshwater lake with hot springs. It wasn't steaming hot, more like a big bath tub and when we followed the stream up we found the mudbaths. After completely covering ourselves in mud we headed back to the lake to let it dry. The beach was within spitting distance so a short walk and we rinsed off in the sea. It was absolutely stunning and there were barely any people, just the women selling fruit and fresh juices.

Goa has a very relaxed beach atmosphere…everyone rides around on scooters with no helmets and gives a friendly beep and wave when they pass friends. Four of us jumped on two bikes and cruised around to take a look at the Aguada Fort and the church of St. Lawrence who is, I think, the patron saint of the fishing town (sorry but even after 5 years in Italy, I'm still bad with saints). The rest of our time was spent on the beach, watching live music, having bbq's (baby hammerhead shark fillets) and just hanging out until the early morning.

What impressed me the most about Goa was the friendly nature of the people. They are always smiling and are so warm and generous. It's impossible not to make friends. Instead of sitting on the beach and following the advice of a guidebook, we had so much fun learning about life in Goa and seeing all the good spots.