Goa

I'm back in my hotel room after a very fun (but way too short) visit to Goa.

I woke up at 6am yesterday and was not able to go back to sleep. Very frustrating. But at least I was able to find, download and watch the Lost finale. I would have done this legitimately, but ABC blocks non-US viewers - haha I watched it without the commercials. V came to get me from the hotel around 11am and we readied to go to the airport. I remember to take my medicine, and decide to take a vitamin for good measure and as I'm walking out the door quickly take an immodium (my tummy was not great that morning) and drink it down absentmindedly with some tap water. As I'm swallowing the 1/3 of a cup of water, all i hear in my head is all the people that warned me to not drink the water and that it was a serious risk. Figures I would do this while taking something to make me NOT sick. I shuddered and shrugged, and we were on our way.

The trips to and from on the roads have become my favorite. It's amazing the controlled chaos that everyone drives in. Two wheeled vehicles (powered and not) weaving between trucks and cars, everyone honking. People on the motorcycles talking on their cell phones, giving rides to 1-3 additional people, even mororbikes with 2 children riding with both parents, once with the child (5 or 6 years old) STANDING between Mom and Dad on the moving bike. It's really a site. Here is a clip (and by far a more tame trip then I've seen at other times)



Th extreme levels of poverty are amazing. Frequently we pass little shanty towns:

And herds of cattle:


V is completely indifferent to it all. He's from well a to do family and for him, it's just the way it is. He tells me there is an expression in India, "if you have money you can do anything you want" I've heard so many stories about the absolute corruption in this country so far to know he's not kidding. My mouth was on the floor of the car constantly, and he's barely paying any of the scenes outside any mind.

We arrive at the Hyderabad airport and go get our tickets. The airport is brand new. There was a sign that was bragging about the first 60 days in operation that was the day I landed. It's very clean, and very tall, almost like a train station. There are some quotes about travel on glass windows that look over the runway.


As we are sitting there, enjoying a coffee, my stomach reminds me of my tap water mistake from this morning. Luckily I wasn't gone long and that was the last of it. ;-)

Once our flight is ready to board, they put us on a bus and take us across the tarmac to a really small prop plane.



We board from the back and take a short, but cramped flight to Goa. I slept.

Once we arrive, Vaibhav has a quick smoke then we hop in a car that takes us off to our hotel.

Goa is on the coast and and in a jungle. We went thru a winding road for 30 km thru little villages until at one point we come to a stop at a railroad track. Mobs of cars and cycles wait on both sides, and we sit for quite some time. After a while, the guard just opens the gates - no train is really coming.




V and I get to our hotel, a very nice membership only family hotel. There are tons of little kids and teenagers roaming around. I think I'm the only non Indian there. We have some drinks and snacks, and I need a nap - I'm just bonked. Sadly, I slept thru the sunset, but I wake up with enough time to get to the beach before dusk is gone.

The beach is huge. The sky is large. The bugs are MASSIVE. We decide to go for more drinks and dinner and try to sit at the outside bar, but even the staff says we should take cover, the mosquitoes will be coming soon. We go inside and find a table near to a cricket game on TV and order some Fenny. Fenny is the drink I was told about, made from raw cashews and a specialty in Goa. I order a shot at first, it tastes like tequila, and has a special buzz like drinking just tequila does. Then I discover a mixed drink for it called Kings. It's strawberry and delicious, and I lost count of how many I had. We watch the cricket match and talk about the world until I was past the point of clarity. We have a late bite in the room and then goto bed.

In the morning we goto the spa for an awesome massage and then while deciding what to do wth the little time we have left it dawns on me what that ocean is: That's the Indian Ocean. I insist we go in (V wanted to go in one of the many pools) The water was amazing and warm. Alas we didn't have much time, only swam for a short while before going back to shower and pack.




Here are some pics from the resort:







There were little kids everywhere, and they really made me miss Miles.

On our way out we stopped at a liquor store (shack) to buy some Fenny. We got 4 bottles there for less then what we paid per round of drinks at the hotel (550 rupees) If all goes well, I should return with two bottles for everyone to try.

Here is V buying them. That's the whole store.



Here are some ladies walking thru a Goan village on our way out. I love all the bright colors everyone wears.


Here's me before getting on the airline to go back to Hyderabad (wearing some t-shirt I found lying around):


Bye Goa! I hope to see you again someday!



I would definitely want to go back there someday. Next time spending more then 24 hours :)

Tomorrow is the office. Talk to you soon.