Goa for a ride

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Well today was an adventure... do read on and see what I mean.

I decided to take a boat to the Wed. Anjuna market.

Same, same, but different

Dude:For you mam? 100 rupees boat ride

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Me:Naw dude... 50 rupees

Dude: But madam, everyone pay 100 rupees, see look (at this point he fans out a stack of 100's)

Me: Okay boss, I'll just catch a boat over there

Dude: No, no, no... Wait mam, 70 rupees, okay? I make for you, good price.

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Me: Bye boss

Dude:OKay mam, get in, get in... but only because you are very beautiful, you are here alone?

Me: No boss, my husband is in the cottage (sometimes you gotta lie)

I asked an Indian boy to take my picture on the boat, he held my camera, then BAM! A wave knocked him onto his bum. He was okay, but my camera was not. The screen is all cracked, and there is no view hole, all of these pictures were taken blindly. That's impermanence for you.

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Once we arrived I got out my wallet to pay the dude, wait... where is my wallet? Ah crap I left my wallet in my room. "Dude, let me walk back to my room, I'll come back and pay you." He trusted me because he had no other choice.

The walk back was not so much a walk, more like a climb, jump, and scramble. There was no trail so I had to make my way along steep cliffs, muddy climbs, and prickly bushes. All the rocks were filled with crabs that scattered when they heard me coming. 1/4th of the way through I got a bit stuck in a tough spot. Enter Guillam (William with a G) My french-canadian, brown speedo sporting, climbing buddy. As it turns out he is doing a round the world trip as well, actually he is the first person I met who was doing the same as me. Anyway, after some scrapes, bruises, and slips in the mud we made it back. HOORAY!

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I ran up to my room, grabbed my wallet, then hopped on another boat back to Anjuna (with the same conversation as listed above.) I paid my debt to the other dude then headed into the market. I hate shopping in India because people grab you and whine at you "Yes mam?, You need this mam?, Mam my shop this way, please please, make me happy day mam." My favorite haggle that they use would have to be as follows;

Buyer: Excuse me do you have shawls without tassles?

Seller: Yes mam, right here you look, many colors I have

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Buyer: uh boss? Those are tassles at the end, I said NO tassles

Seller:No mam, these are no problem.

Buyer: Yes they are a problem, I want NO tassles boss

Seller: Mam... is same, same, but different

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Same, same, but different? Man I wish you guys could here me do this with their accent, you would be rolling.

After that I stopped into a hut that had live music. The band was called, are you ready? "Spiritual disco queens" It was a bunch of foreigners chanting to techno. Kindof awesome in a silly way.

You guys... this trip is crazy.