So here I am in Goa.
I spent a nice day actually in Mumbai before leaving.. I walked to the train station to try to get a ticket back from Goa -> Mumbai but no luck there.. But in the train station I met a girl who I talked to a couple times in Dharamsala.. It seems when you travel in India you run into the same people constantly.. And you meet new people too.. I went to waste some time by having a beer at the big tourist joint in Colaba.. 170 rupees for a beer, which.. although it's only about 4 dollars, is ridiculous.. it should be 60 and no more than 100.. anyhow I met an English couple where the girl was an NRI (Indian born not in India, or "non-resident Indian") and their friend who they'd just bumped into from Belgium.. So that made 3 hours disappear, talking politics and all that good stuff.. Strange to have my head return to "the real world" as it were, after all these weeks.. politics and academics and american television... (everyone else in the world gets american television but we don't get any of theirs.. )
Where I am in Goa (which apparently is quiet and peaceful, for Goa) is pretty much like being on the beach in any tourist resort.. There's cocktails available, though i'm not much for cocktails.. Sand, and chaise lounges (i think they're called.. the beach recliners). There's Bob Marley.. and hard trance seems to be the fashion here.. that and drum circles.. so i prefer the latter..
Last night there was a nice bonfire drum circle - straight outta Santa Cruz, really.. People dancing with firesticks and one Frenchman sort of leading the pack with African chanting and drumming.. good stuff. And this same Frenchman the other night was doing David Blaine-type magic tricks.. although he was explaining them in French to my friend and so I didn't get the words but i got the point.. and he's quite good..
And on the other side of the coin are these two girls i shared a taxi with from the train when i arrived.. from Wales and Scotland, and they represent the tourist population. just here to drink and have a good time..
But my favorite are the ex-pats.. the ones who've been in India for a long time (or rather, who keep coming back).. The dark tan, greying dreadlocks, and wisened eyes of those who really know India.. because you can't understand India until you understand yourself, really.. otherwise you only see as deep as you look. Me i only scratched the surface, really. and I know I'll come back here.. i just have some work to do before then. But in the meanwhile I'll see if I can't enjoy this last week.. knowing my train is booked for next wednesday.. knowing i'm coming home to less than 0*C and snowy New England.. and i can just sit on the beach and let all that go.. just sand sun wind water.. the four elements and me in the middle..
:)
