You Gotta Go to Goa

Flea Market at Anjuna Beach
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Well, my field school in India has come to an end and now Heather and I are traveling around India together until I go to Nepal. Leaving Bombay took some effort because we were at the wrong train station. Mumbai CST doesn't mean Mumbai Central Station, but Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus which also goes by Victoria Terminus. A silly mistake we realized 5 minutes before our train was scheduled to leave. After paying a taxi driver "good money" we were able to catch our train at the next stop. Truly a great start to our backpacking adventure.

Cow on the beach
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Heather and I got off our night train at Thivim Station and headed straight to the beach. A connection we made in Bombay secured us an affordable guesthouse in Calangute Beach not even a 2 minute walk from the gorgeous white beaches. In the evenings, the beach is crowded with locals taking a dip as the sun sets. Women fully clothed in their saris and Punjabi suits frolic with one another in the warm water.

Goa is packed with middle-aged sun worshipers and European vacationers who zip around on their rented scooters. For some added fun, we rented a scooter which only took me a couple of hours to learn how to maneuver. With our new mode of transportation, we visited Anjuna Beach and Vagator Beach. Both are very serene and secluded. Anjuna was gorgeous with its rocky shore and mighty cliffs. Vagator, however, is the perfect hideaway spot with it's few beach shacks and fishing boats off in the distance. Coco Beach is also very nice as it calmly lies within a bay.

Quiet Vagator Beach
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We went to Panjim one night for dinner with some friends from Bombay at a restaurant overlooking the water. The seafood was delicious and fresh. The restaurant was packed with people because of the cricket match between India and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, India lost and now there are violent uproars against the cricket players all over India. It is quite scary how important cricket is to the Indians so much that they will riot if their team plays badly. Riding around the city on my scooter I was greeted by red-tiled Portuguese mansions, Hindu shrines, Catholic icons and captivating fountains.

Me and my scooter
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Back in Calangute, we had been trying to go parasailing all week, but the wind was too bad and made it impossible. Instead, we went for a jet-ski ride on the choppy waters which was definitely the most thrilling ride of my life! The waves this time of the year are pretty rough which makes for some exciting swimming.

Shopping is the most expensive I have seen so far in India, mainly because the sellers refuse to bargain. The road to Baga Beach from Calangute is full of great items, but not worth the money. The same stuff can be found at half the price on Fashion St. in Bombay.