I spent my last night in Palolem chillin’ at Cheeky Chappati’s with Parker and the girls and we then continued the evening on the balcony, chatting and sharing past and future travel experiences. After goodnights and goodbyes, it was off to bed as I had an early morning bus to take to Palolem. I was a bit jinxed because the lights went out about 10:00pm and did not go back on until… who knows, not while I was there. That meant packing at 6:00am with a headlamp before a shower and then it was time to wait out in the rain for the 8:00 bus. That came at 9:30. Fortunately the actual bus part of my adventure was relatively smooth. It did suck a bit having to keep my pack on my lap but my neighbour was good about it and we had a laugh about me trying not to let it fall on his head. I should mention it’s the fullest and heaviest my pack has EVER been, 22kg to be exact.

Once I arrived in Panjim, Papi picked me up and took me on a whirlwind tour of Old Goa, including seeing St. Francis Xavier’s body. Turns out he was quite a douche and inititiated the Goa inquisition but somehow he is still revered anyways and they bring his corpse out every 4 years. From there we checked out a raging waterfall at a temple and then on to Valpoi, a small village of less than 8000 near where Papi and his family have small farms. It’s so beautiful, all kinds of greenery and birds and butterflies (apparently the Atlas butterfly roams here but can only be spotted in the early mornings) I kept trying to get shots of the ones I saw for Sophia but no luck. The most exciting discovery for me that caused much laughter between Papi and Ignacio (who helps on his sister’s farm) was the Mimosa plant. Not the one DMT is derived from but the one that responds to touch. I was running around like a 5 year old touching as many as I could, I didn’t even know there was such a thing and there I was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of them! Then I was given a lesson in Chai making which was surprisingly very similar to the process of making Turkish coffee. The rest of the evening was spent eating the dinner Ignacio’s wife made and burning coconut and bamboo wood with a leaf that helps keep the bugs away. Fortunately not the lighting bugs which were super cool and the sounds out there at night were amazing. Next day was much the same, recipe and cooking demonstrations from Papi, then eating and dish washing demonstrations by me. Also went for a long wander around all the farms and saw the progress of the one they’ve recently started developing. The process involves a lot of hacking and burning and then letting the monsoon take over to compost everything down so that planting can happen.

Now the countdown is on, it was off to Bogmalo, a town near the airport. I had the best garlic shrimp of the whole trip at a restaurant beside my hotel. Papi, Guru (Shooter’s in Calangute) and Raj came for some rum on the roof the first night and when the rains started again we watched some Russel Peter hilarity.
Second last day I went to Vasco to send a package, this time it was smooth like butter since I know what to expect and even had my passport photocopied in Palolem in preparation. I also took the opportunity to air out my stinky bag and contents and I forced Papi to sit through my 3000 pics while he stocked up my harddrive with music and videos. After some yummy streetfood, I went back to Bogmalo to sleep in preparation for my last day. I spent it sleeping in, reading as much as I could of the book I had to return, and finally and sadly, packing. I fell asleep listening to the waves crash for the last time outside my room.

After my Calangute goodbyes, I was dropped off in Palolem. I had been here in April and it was absolute madness and now it’s significantly less crowded and the majority of tourists here are foreigners from various places. I’m staying at the Seagull which is a step up from the place in Calangute, mostly because it’s on the second floor and isn’t as hot and moist as the floor level one in Calangute. There’s also a closer restaurant and internet cafe here but no wifi to be found. Electricity is a luxury as there are frequent blackouts (the longest lasting 7 hours so far, no wonder my rechargeable batteries can never get a decent charge!) and one day, I hope to learn what a hot shower feels like again, also would be nice to feel cleaner after the shower instead of before as the water leaves a sticky film on the skin initially. Thankfully, because it’s slightly cooler here, I don’t start melting within 2 minutes like in Calangute, it just means I have to keep my trusty headlamp within reach when it gets dark outside.

The first couple days I spent wandering about the town and the beach and saying hello to the much less terrified foreigners and finding kindred spirits among them. I’m now on the last of Papi’s books and desperately trying to finish Empire of the Soul before I have to leave it behind along with the rest of India on Monday. It’s an excellent book and really puts things into perspective, I think it’s best read after experiencing the country first. I’ve also been putting together a bit of a yoga practice for the next couple weeks so I can ship the heaviness home on Friday along with various items including my rotting Merrel’s that I haven’t used since Hadrian’s Wall. Coconut oil has been upgraded to the duct tape of oils, not only does it keep the dreads at bay, it’s good on the skin and even helps hold off the mold on my leather shoes. The rain and wind are really starting to pick up, with only a few hours of rainlessness a day and my nights are spent listening to furniture being tossed around the balcony, pouring rain, and the sound of dogs running around between the roof and the ceiling trying to stay dry. The best purchase of late is an umbrella because my rain jacket is completely useless, I’m more wet on the inside as it also helps to hold in all the water that gets through. (Serious about the blackouts, 3 since I started writing, thankfully there’s a backup system in the cafe).

Now onto my companions. My neighbours are Alex and Melissa, two social workers from London (though Melissa is originally from Texas) on a yearlong sabbatical. They first wanted to work with kidlings then decided to take a break from kids and work with the animals. This is where the dog whisperer part comes in. My first day I thought it was the beer on my skirt that made the dogs walk so close behind me that their paws would be stepping on the back of my flip flops. It wasn’t the beer, it was the Tiger Biscuits that the girls have been feeding every dog in Palolem with that have created a sense of complete adoration in the dogs towards white skinned women. Our trifecta has been spending quite a lot of time at Cheeky Chapati’s, enjoying great food and connect-4. The place is run by a lovely Brit family and they’ve ensured our entertainment by playing the likes of Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse and supplying bored games to keep us occupied during the rains (I spelt board that way on purpose). Our cohort of dog and calf followers always try to keep us company but alas, the dogs are easier to hide under the table than the cow babies. We also have enjoyed the company of a fellow burner, Parker who we seem to run into regularly who has informed me he just survived the same belly anger that had Melissa and Alex laying low the first couple days I was here.

We decided to go on an adventure yesterday to change it up a bit. Our goal was to see Inception in Margao. The day started with promise, the world was dry and our bellies full of goodness. Got on the bus with the tunes reminiscent of my dad’s Putumayo Presents collection and we started rolling along on the two hour journey to the city with the attendant whistling loudly to reverse and hollering like an auctioneer at the bazillion stops along the way. By the time we arrived, it was pouring heavily and we slowly made our way to the theatre only to find the only english movie was some stupid disney thing and the hindi movie looked fantastic but needed to be understood unlike the typical rom-com bollywood flicks. We decided no-go and continued to get drenched as we looked for a place to stop for chai. We stopped at a restaurant with plastic chairs and were inexplicably sent upstairs to the cushy fabric covered portion of the building where we guiltily sat our dripping selves down for tea. After drying off a tad, we braved it back on the streets checking out the market and doing some shopping, including the prize of the aforementioned umbrellas. On the way back, we had to line up at the bus stop with another gazillion umbrella toting people trying not to get stabbed in the eyes. After being told incorrectly which one to get on, we squeezed on before it rolled off, this time it was standing room only with a terrible bus driver that made us glad it wasn’t taking us the whole way as we were ready to hurl at any moment with motion sickness. Fortunately, I had a sweet local lady sitting near me that helped us figure out which junction to get off at and what was going on with the crazy dude that looked like a conductor that was waving me over with a toothless grin. ‘Oh he’s just mad’, as in mad hatter mad so I stayed put and she ensured I got her seat when she left. We ended our day with veg burgers at Cheeky Chappati’s and blisters and wet clothes but happy with our adventure and hopes of electricity for most of the night.

Now it’s my last day in Palolem, I’m catching up on my blogging duties and off to pick up a few things like a refill for the mosquito plug-in and some gifts to ship home before my last dinner at Cheeky Chappati’s with the girls tonight. At the crack of 8:00, I’m off to Margao in the morning where I’ll be heading to a farm for a couple days.

Just when I thought I might start getting bored with Calangute, I was walking to get water and next thing I know, I’m about to get run over by a car that’s headed straight for me and speeding up as it gets closer, at the last second, the car stops and the driver is pissing himself laughing at my expression of terror. Papi’s in town. We went to check out Arambol beach where a contingent of dogs and puppies followed us everywhere and I ended up almost losing a sandal when I stepped in the wrong spot and my whole foot sunk into the mud. From there, we checked out Mapca market where we got some fruit and I stocked up on band-aids from the chemist. Wet + Sand + Loads of walking = blisters upon blisters from my sandals. Once back in Calangute, I got a call from the embassy saying my VISA for India had expired, when I had gotten my SIM card, they had scanned all my pertinent info so I was a little freaked out until Papi starts laughing and I find out it’s Wayne pulling a prank on me. Anyways, we all went to l’orange to watch their friend’s band play and meet up with a bunch of other friends and there were flaming tequila shots and Papi tried to convince me I was eating turtle eggs but they were really stuffed mushrooms and they were delicious so I wouldn’t have cared even if they had been turtle eggs.

After the chaos of visitors, I had more days to chill and get into the futball games and find I’m really starting to feel at home in Calangute with many familiar faces to chat with daily and having laughs while the tourist papparazi lines up to take photos with me. Sometimes it’s innocent, like the fellow asking ‘why not?’ the same way a 5 year old would when I said no to a smooch, sometimes it’s a little creepy when your neighbours are knocking on your door at 11:00 at night (I should add it’s pitch black here by 7:30) asking to ‘make friendship’ because they’re bored. I find it easier to respond by referring to a partner nearby that’s coming soon than trying to explain why my husband is on the other side of the planet and that I’m alone here.

I had a day trip to Panjim which was really cool, this is Papi and Tina’s town so I had a map with places to go and tour around. It was a lovely day, little rain, I would just walk, find a bench, stop and read, repeat. There was a beautiful garden I hung out at for a while and then I went to Kala Academy for some chai. It was so serene there, open concept with a lush lawn, a nice walk by the river and string music playing in the building. I enjoyed reminiscing the calm feeling from the Ashram in Bombay. I also walked around the town, checking out the older Portuguese homes and managing my way around piles of uniformed children on lunch break. Two little girls said hello and high-five’d each other when I responded, so sweet.

For my last day in Calangute, I made sure I went to all my haunts, visited and said goodbye to the familiar faces and ate all my favorite meals, including a late night dose of egg sandwich. The last week or so there have been many more foreigners in contrast to the complete lack of them my first week, most have been fairly closed people, wandering around with looks of fear and pretending not to see you. I decided to be adventurous and hang out with some of the foreigners who were hanging at a pub nearby and actually interacting with the people around them and had invited me to join them several times as I went about my day. Turns out it was a 21st birthday party for one of the crew of a French Navy boat. I was very glad the seats were plastic when the celebrations turned into beer showers for everyone. At about 8:30 and drenched in beer, I wished them well and made the short journey home to dry out my clothes so that I could pack them the next day. It was definitely an entertaining way to end my time there!

Anyways, SPAIN ROCKS! Ciao for now! Tomorrow, the Palolem edition.

Arrival:
Arrived in Mumbai at midnight, the end of an 8 hour flight, with a 7 hour layover of boringness as everything was shut. I got out for air and got in trouble from the armed security guards when I came back in so I found a corner to sit and wait until the security check would open at 4:00am with future attempts of escape thwarted. Once through, I found a place to read while the area started to fill up in anticipation of the early morning flights. At about 6:00am, the boards lit up and there were 10 flights scheduled to go within half an hour. With the rains and backup, my flight didn’t end up taking off until after it was expected in Goa. By the time I arrived I was so tired I could barely see, didn’t help that my ride shaved his head and grew a beard but I still manage to recognize him and we were off to Calangute. Once there, I was settled in to La Bamba, a guesthouse near the beach and Papi took me around to reaquaint myself with the town before he had to drive back to Vasco. After an evening of chatting with Vernon, the guesthouse owner, I crashed out until the next afternoon.

Daily Life:
A typical day for me involves sleeping until noon, going to eat at Infantaria, going to the Internet cafe, fending off taxi drivers, getting bitten by mosquitos, reading, watching tele until the power goes out, reading some more (I’m on my sixth book since I arrived 2 weeks ago), doing some lazy yoga, procrastinating on my blog, listening to tunes and catching up with people back home. A couple of nights I stayed out past dark, one night I met a Portuguese Canadian and we sat, drank wine, and he drank so much Fenni I keep thinking I should contact him and see if he’s still alive. Another night, some friends of Papi and Tina, Wayne and Shetta, came down and we hung out at Shooter’s and chatted late into the night. Ainsley, who runs Shooter’s and I met last time, has a new puppy named Shooter who likes to dance around and I freaked out Shetta making her believe that my dog bite scar came from Shooter’s mom. One day I made it Neomi’s, a highly recommended salon, where I had my hair trimmed for the first time since Feb 2009 and it was dried straight but within an hour, the curls were back. I’ll enjoy them while I have them! Another day there was a province wide strike so it was a unique experience to wander the streets with all the shops shut, it surprisingly didn’t feel as strange as I thought it would. Papi’s come to visit a couple times to bring me books and introduce me to friends and markets and somehow our rum-drawn discussions turn into in depth descriptions of Katana sword creation and his new machete named Meanster. What is it with boys and their fascination with stabby things? I’ve also been keeping tabs on the futball matches, especially since Spain has now made it to the finals for the first time ever!!! I keep meaning to bus it to Old Goa but I’ve just been too lazy to get up at a decent time, although I have made it to Infantaria for breakfast once!

People:
As it’s low season, the vast majority of the tourists are from other parts of India. It’s wierd walking on a beach whose population consists of 95% males and I usually get roped into being photographed with what turns into a lineup of tourists as if I were a big horned sheep in Banff or something, it’s pretty funny. When the locals see it happening they holler out the rate I should be charging. I’ve also been offered a paid part in a movie but I turned it down. I’ve now been here long enough that I can tell the Goan’s from the rest of the crowd. Goan’s are more like Canadian’s, pretty chill and relaxed. There aren’t beggars here as this province is one of the wealthiest and has one of the highest rates of literacy in the country. When people ask you if you want a taxi or to purchase something, a simple no thank you and a smile is enough unlike other places I’ve been where any response is an invitation for ‘just one more question’. There’s the old man who shuffles along and wishes me good morning, no matter the time of day; there’s the boy at the Internet cafe who plays K’Naan for me when I come by and told me that when they played the song in the school, most of the kids were so moved that they cried; there’s the Rajesthani woman I met when she was trying to sell me jingle-jangle anklets on the beach and even though I didn’t purchase anything, grins a big hello when she sees me in town. There’s several others who’s aquaintance I’ve made that appear along my path most days that make my lazy days a little more interesting and make me feel like a veteran in this city of tourists.

Monsoon:
The monsoon is amazing. Definitely something that needs to be experienced, even if for a short while. A few downsides are seeing the drowned rats that make their appearance after a big rain, being picked apart by various scavengers, definitely gross. You also have to be careful to hang your clothes around so they don’t start to mold from the humidity. The constant weather changes are not agreeing with my head but so far I’ve only had one knock-me-on-my-butt migraine, though there’s some pain daily. Seeing a street go from dry to flooded in less than 10 minutes is fascinating, except the part where you end up having to wade through ankle deep water unexpectedly. It’s beautiful here though, everything is lush and green and my skin and hair are very happy. The best part for me though is the sound, from my room I can hear the waves crashing on the shore at any given moment and the sound that the rain makes when the sky opens up lulls me to sleep.