Well it turns out I’m not very good at sitting in one place right now (and I have been here three days). Palolem has begun to bore me! That and I can’t sleep. The fishermen are having a festival to thank God(s) for their catch, and they set of fireworks as part of that. All night. Behind my hut. And then the generator blew. Like a gun. Behind my hut. At 3am–no fan… So, I’m off to the market and then off for the 15 hour overnight train to Mumbai. Where there will be plenty to do, and one hopes, plentiful electricity (the only city so far…).

How Paradise was Lost:

Yesterday I camped out on the far end of the beach with my stuff and sarong to hang out and go swimming. I just get out in the water when I turn to see this huge black (mynah?) bird come along and start trying to steal my stuff. The wetnaps went first. So I’m running around like a lunatic, yelling at the bird, when a couple comes up to see if I’ve had trouble with a black and white dog. Which had charged them. I’d seen the dog, but as I do with all wild dogs roaming here, I shoo’ed him away. He checked me out but moved on. Heartened that I wasn’t bitten, I made some more attempts to swim while chasing the birds away. Then it began to rain. Hiding under a boulder, I played in the sand for a bit before giving up on the whole beach thing. Pulling my sarong from a rock (where it was drying!), I flicked over a foot long green and black hissing rearing snake. Triangle head–absolutely poisionous. (THE SNAKE!)

Thankfully a fellow from Germany came along so I could share my find. He and I walked back to civilization together–sure in our conviction that the snake was very poisonous. Not really a temptation–but pushing me toward one…

…in that I head straight to the Organic Health Food Restaurant (yes), because I haven’t had fresh fruit or veggies (a no no for the tummy here) for weeks, so I’m ready to try them in Goa at this healthfood place–but no go-a! (That was for you Mom!). I just couldn’t force them down. (Tempted by the fruit but ultimately unsatistfied.)

AWARE now (!) that I am just bored to tears, I’m heading back to one of my new favorite cities to get back into that good (if dirty) energy. Also to get back to the silk market.

So I will write you next from Mumbai–I’ll make it there tomorrow morning sometime.

Amanda

I’m on the beach (literally, about 12ft from it). It’s so beautiful here, it’s hard to describe. Sort of a crescent of pure white sand surrounded by lush vegetation. There’s an island at the tip of the crescent you can walk to at low tide. A huge rocky hill with enormous trees and beautiful views. Bashed myself a bit trying to get out there yesterday (Damn you Keen shoes–I loved you so well!). But if I’d waited another hour, I could have just walked across sand. Des voyages!

I’m staying at the Cozy Nook (ah yes, the trip to Gokara was booted b/c of time constraints), and it’s a lovely little village of beach shacks at the far northern end of the beach. It’s all pretty low-key and isolated. Palolem is a fishing village, so fishing boats line the beach. Every day we can watch them go out and come back in then go through their catch (stinky, a bit). And there are nets in the ocean that it takes teams of eight to pull in around 2pm in the afternoon. The weather has been great–it rained (loudly) all night last night, and it’s bright hot sunshine today (hence my refuge inside the internet booth).

I’ve had to buy clothes (horror, I know!) because all I had were my travelers’ pants (2) and shirts (2). So now I’m going around in my colorful sarongs and “evil-eye” t-shirts. A bit burnt, already, but I know it will turn soon. It’s so nice to be able to be a little liberated after my dowdy traveling costumes.

There aren’t very many people here at all, which is great. Just euro-kids and intrepid others. The thing to buy here is spices, so I’m really excited about that. I’m imagining all the South Indian Thalys I can make for all of you!

Getting here was amazing, crossing through the Western Ghats, coming down from the Deccan plateau, I saw HUGE waterfalls just outside the train window. Just gorgeous. I love trains–and this time I went first class. (500 ru–about $12)

A very wise end to a very successful adventure!

ACP

p.s. For those coming on the 26th to hang out and watch me pack up, this is BYOE (“bring your own everything”!) as I will have nothing out (hopefully, literally) and no time to cook–or even order out! I may still have water. But no cups.