Woman Selling Roasted Nuts at the Beach
Hanuman (Monkey God) Temple
Saying Hello to the Elephant
28 year old Female Elephant
Elephant Family
Women in the Water in Their Saris with Umbrella
More Women in the Water in Their SarisMen in their Bathing Suits
Self-Explanatory
I think They're missing a "B"
No Lawnmowers - People pick grass to maintain the lawn
Francis our Guide at the Spice Plantation
View from the Pier/Jetty in Dona Paula
Dogs on the Beach
Smoothing Concrete on the Pier
Shopping on the Pier
Sunrise View from My Room
Birds at Breakfast
Wooden Boat 
Wooden BoatWell I think I’ve discovered one of the reasons why people love India. I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Goa which is on the Arabian Sea. Goa used to be a Portugese colony so there is a lot of European influence here. And unbeknownst to us this weekend they were celebrating Carnaval. So there were floats, music and plenty of traffic.
Goa is actually a state and there is a North and a South. Billie had found a place on Craigslist, Zuarti View, in a place called Dona Paula which turned out to be a fishing village. The place was in a great location, the rooms were clean and I had a great view out my window and off my balcony of the inlet and all the fishing boats. Right across the street was the Arabian Sea. Never in my life did I think for one second I would be standing with my feet in the Arabian Sea. Pretty long journey from Valley Stream, Forest Rd. and South High School.
Our colleague Sergey and his dad Basil (who is from the Ukraine) were staying in town so we met up for dinner Friday night. We tried to get in to a place that was recommended call Mum’s Kitchen but they were all booked up so we decided to take an auto rickshawe back to a place across the street from where Billie and I were staying. It was hilarious because they had this live music – two Indian guys singing Rhinestone Cowboy. We could not have asked for a better location because we were hanging out with our feet up looking out and listening to the Arabian Sea lap on the shore.
I learned how to toast in Russian – Nastrovia – which means, “To Your Health”. It was quite the interesting evening as Sergey’s father does not speak any English but somehow we managed. I also learned to count to five in Russian. I’m so global (ha ha).
On Saturday we all did a tour together. We went to a couple of churches, a temple, a spice plantation and then to the beach. I’m over the churches and the temples – don’t care if I don’t see either of those for the remainder of my time in India.
The spice plantation was really interesting. It’s in the jungle and there is a guide who takes you around and talks about the different spices and how they are not only used for cooking but to cure a variety of ailments as well. The best part was when the elephant came by. I don’t remember her name but she was 28 years old and really friendly. I could have gone for a ride but those rides are bullshit rides – they’re like 15 minutes and you basically go around in a circle. I want to do a elephant trek through the jungle that would last at least an hour or longer. I’m sure I’ll find one somewhere.
The beach, Calangude, was actually pretty disgusting and very surreal as you can tell from the pictures of the women in their full length saris standing in the ocean. Also the people coming up and harassing you to buy their crap is never ending. I swear they don’t understand the word NO and it gets to the point where you just stop being polite about it.
Sergey’s dad decided he wanted to go for a swim and also ride a jet ski so Billie and I decided to walk around town and check out the shops. The clothes are so cheap – like $3.00 for a shirt and everything is about bargaining. So you’ll see something and say how much and they say 300 rupees and you say 200 and they say no and you start walking away and you pretty much get it for what you want.
We went to dinner at a different place on the beach in Dona Paula Saturday night but again there was this music like a “lite music” radio station with Indian’s singing Glenn Campbell, Hank Williams and even an Elvis song. It was hilarious.
Today I did a very bad thing but I couldn’t help it. There was a momma doggie and her puppy and they were so skinny that I bought some cookies (I figured since they eat whatever they find on the street cookies wouldn’t be all that bad) and fed them. I didn’t feed them by hand – I broke the cookies up and threw them over to them. It’s really hard for me to see those doggies and not want to take them all home – clean them up, feed them and give them a taste of the Pac Heights life.
So Billie gets to go back to the states tomorrow and I’m here for another two weeks before I go home. Bangalore is a hard place – it’s dirty, the pollution is terrible – there is no infrastructure and it takes an hour and half to go 8 miles. I am going to be very sad without her but Sergey is here. He is going to take a few days off the week after next and go to OOTY which is up in the mountains about 6 hours from Bangalore. There is much to do there and he’s invited me to join them on the trip so I just may ask Richard if I can take a couple of days and go do that.
Goa is actually a state and there is a North and a South. Billie had found a place on Craigslist, Zuarti View, in a place called Dona Paula which turned out to be a fishing village. The place was in a great location, the rooms were clean and I had a great view out my window and off my balcony of the inlet and all the fishing boats. Right across the street was the Arabian Sea. Never in my life did I think for one second I would be standing with my feet in the Arabian Sea. Pretty long journey from Valley Stream, Forest Rd. and South High School.
Our colleague Sergey and his dad Basil (who is from the Ukraine) were staying in town so we met up for dinner Friday night. We tried to get in to a place that was recommended call Mum’s Kitchen but they were all booked up so we decided to take an auto rickshawe back to a place across the street from where Billie and I were staying. It was hilarious because they had this live music – two Indian guys singing Rhinestone Cowboy. We could not have asked for a better location because we were hanging out with our feet up looking out and listening to the Arabian Sea lap on the shore.
I learned how to toast in Russian – Nastrovia – which means, “To Your Health”. It was quite the interesting evening as Sergey’s father does not speak any English but somehow we managed. I also learned to count to five in Russian. I’m so global (ha ha).
On Saturday we all did a tour together. We went to a couple of churches, a temple, a spice plantation and then to the beach. I’m over the churches and the temples – don’t care if I don’t see either of those for the remainder of my time in India.
The spice plantation was really interesting. It’s in the jungle and there is a guide who takes you around and talks about the different spices and how they are not only used for cooking but to cure a variety of ailments as well. The best part was when the elephant came by. I don’t remember her name but she was 28 years old and really friendly. I could have gone for a ride but those rides are bullshit rides – they’re like 15 minutes and you basically go around in a circle. I want to do a elephant trek through the jungle that would last at least an hour or longer. I’m sure I’ll find one somewhere.
The beach, Calangude, was actually pretty disgusting and very surreal as you can tell from the pictures of the women in their full length saris standing in the ocean. Also the people coming up and harassing you to buy their crap is never ending. I swear they don’t understand the word NO and it gets to the point where you just stop being polite about it.
Sergey’s dad decided he wanted to go for a swim and also ride a jet ski so Billie and I decided to walk around town and check out the shops. The clothes are so cheap – like $3.00 for a shirt and everything is about bargaining. So you’ll see something and say how much and they say 300 rupees and you say 200 and they say no and you start walking away and you pretty much get it for what you want.
We went to dinner at a different place on the beach in Dona Paula Saturday night but again there was this music like a “lite music” radio station with Indian’s singing Glenn Campbell, Hank Williams and even an Elvis song. It was hilarious.
Today I did a very bad thing but I couldn’t help it. There was a momma doggie and her puppy and they were so skinny that I bought some cookies (I figured since they eat whatever they find on the street cookies wouldn’t be all that bad) and fed them. I didn’t feed them by hand – I broke the cookies up and threw them over to them. It’s really hard for me to see those doggies and not want to take them all home – clean them up, feed them and give them a taste of the Pac Heights life.
So Billie gets to go back to the states tomorrow and I’m here for another two weeks before I go home. Bangalore is a hard place – it’s dirty, the pollution is terrible – there is no infrastructure and it takes an hour and half to go 8 miles. I am going to be very sad without her but Sergey is here. He is going to take a few days off the week after next and go to OOTY which is up in the mountains about 6 hours from Bangalore. There is much to do there and he’s invited me to join them on the trip so I just may ask Richard if I can take a couple of days and go do that.
