Top of the trip (apparently)
So this morning we got to Goa (guaranted after a looong and cold coach journey), and took a local wibbely wobbely bus to Arambol. The beach is huge, and filled with relaxed, spiritual-minded old hippies in their best 40-50s, and the younger generation following their footsteps and trying to get a glimse of the old hippie-era here. There is a tiny village, and small restaurants (and huts for yoga classes, meditation classes etc.) in the sand along the beach, just in front of all the palm trees. In other words its great!
We have rented our very own hut on the beach, so the Arabic Ocean is only 30-something feet away. Since I am way ahead of Caroline and Ludwig considering tan-ness, Caroline has decided to go for what she calls 'the sausage tactic', which basically involves us lying on the beach and turning slightly every half-an-hour or so (just to get the right colour). I'm not complaining.
So I think this place is amaaazing, and am looking forward to seeing more of Goa. Caroline's favourite part so far, however, isn't quite the palm-trees, the watermelons or even the waves... She greatly enjoyed watching me having my armpits and eyebrows waxed and screaming with pain. The woman who did this actually used sowing thread and thats it. And despite the fact it was her idea from the beginning, she apparently got away with having 'too thin hair'. I bet she paid that woman in advance just to say that... hmmmm...
Else all is well, looking forward to having amazing Indian food that we have been promised in half-an-hour!
Peace, love and sunshine / Jenny
Around India in 73 days
I am gonna be off in India for 2.5 months, and I though I'd try to stay in touch! For Swedes I'm keeping a travel diary at www.resdagboken.se (alias jennyish) but for all you lovely people who speak English i will keep you posted here.
The crew; me, Caroline and Ludwig, are currently in Mumbai. We came here on Monday morning, after going via Helsinki on Sunday night.
So far it's been both amazing and very different and tough in a way. The trip from the airport to our hotel was the strangest thing ever. I mean, of course we had read up on India beforehand, but we didn't actually understand that people were literally living on the streets, pavements and even between the motorway lanes. It is so crowded here, and stepping over a box you can actually be stepping over someone's house. We are contstantly approached with people wanting to sell us things, or begging for money. It is heartbreaking, but I guess we have to, well maybe not get used to it, but accept we have to live with it here.
We have, however, met loads of great people too. There are loads of backpackers from all over the world and everyone is really friendly and easy to talk to. The day before yesterday, a lovely Indian guide took us around the entire Mumbai, and showed us a hindu temple, the Mahatma Gandhi Museum (in the house where Gandhi lived and worked), the Hangning Gardens, and a tiny laundry service in the slum. It was an entire community, that even had a school for the children of the workers.
Yesterday we went to Colaba Market and had a look at a million spices, materials, vegetables and fruits. We also found a contemporary arts museum, with photograps and paintings by Indian artists. Part of the experience was also looking at the exhibitions of hopeful local amateur artists, who displayed and sold their works just outside the museum.
For me, who is a huge Shantaram-fan (the novel about Mumbai that everyone here talks about), one of the best things has been having dinner at Leopold's; the favourite cafe of the main charachter.
We have been staying at Sea Shore Hotel, which is the top floor of a building with seven something steep stairs, and with no hotel sign on the street. We didn't think the taxi-driver was being serious when he stopped outside literally a hole in the wall. I however suspect that this hostel, that isn't actually that bad, is one of the nicer in this very budget range of prices.
Later today we are off by bus to Goa!
Much love/ Jenny
