Leave Mumbai after 4 days. A totally amazing city full of life & vibrancy but quite draining so looking forward to heading down to Goa for some chill out time. Board our 12 hour train to Pernam nr Arambol in Goa at 6.30am at Victoria Terminus station stepping over the many sleeping bodies on the floor, I guess it's preferential in here than on the streets outside.
Longest train ever been on, so many carriages. Thankfully share a carriage with two lovely Indian guys we end up passing the journey by with chatting about India and their families. You will never go hungry on an Indian train. Endless number of men walking down the train offering you Chicken Lollipop's, Biriyani's, Dhosa, Chai, Coffee, Cold drinks....I actually didn't eat any as worried bout Dehli belly but next time for sure.
Me & Ashley arrive in Arambol early evening - a vast contrast from Mumbai. Will be checking into Ave Maria guest house the following evening but have to put up with expensive and worst room ever for first night. There is one main road that leads down to the beach which contains stalls, restaurants and cafes. Lots of hippies - white dreads galore (Rina, you would be in heaven, ha!), stacks of heavy drinking Russians and many relaxed folk milling around. Plenty of yoga classes, Ayurvedic treatments, and spiritual sessions of one form or another. Take part in a 2 hour Iyengar class one morning on building rooftop - divine setting but in pain for 5 days after, contemplating possible hip replacement surgery...maybe it was the hanging inversion German yoga teacher had me in suspended from a bamboo pole for 15 minutes, I wonder?
On first evening me & Ash wondering down main road and bump into Joseph (who met in London just before left the country) who knew was going to be there when we there. It's a small place right! Joseph, Alex, Martin, Joseph's Ma Fiz, and Dave are all staying in Arambol and spend the next 5 days relaxing on the beach, laughing lots, drinking lassi's, and eating some amazing food (kingfish, pizza, pasta, dal fry & coconut rice, tuna, list goes on...) - a totally wonderful experience and missed them all dearly when they left for Kaloor and we left for Kerela. Had such a brilliant time, thank you guys!!!
Sure none of you will care to know but the tan is coming along nicely although it's dazzling effect is spoiled by the numerous mossie bites (good i hear you say).
It was Dave's 32nd birthday on the Sunday in Arambol and we went to a lovely French restaurant called La Place where sampled a bit of pan-asian cuisine - restaurant next to the beach and feels like could be in the med. To be honest Goa feels nothing like what I expected India to be and is a million miles from what we experienced in Mumbai. On the walk back to Arambol witnessed the sun setting. In space of 15 minutes, the fire red globe eases down out of the sky until it sinks and disappears into the sea - oh my god, never seen anything like it. Amazing.
The day finishes with fireworks that Fiz had purchased. Now these are no garden fireworks and when they go off almost fall off the log sitting on in a scramble to move back....stunning though, felt all tingly afterwards.
The sea is beautiful here too - lots of swimming and actually just plain floating in the warm water.
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