Goa Going Gone... (Cindy)

Our time in India is sadly coming to a close, and we wanted to go out with a bang. We decided to head to Goa, a Portuguese-influenced beach town, for the weekend. The overnight trains are difficult to navigate here! Even if you have paid for tickets, you still might not have confirmed beds, which would mean a 10-hour journey sitting on a dirty floor. The train was an experience in and of itself--unlike other sleeper trains I've been on, there's no privacy on this one--at least in the second class, the only available option when we booked our tickets. We had beds across from an unfriendly family, and could smell urine wafting from the nearby toilets whenever the train stopped moving. I tried not to drink water for fear I'd have to use one, but I did muster up the courage once. Jessica and I had to hike up our pants before entering, and I had to pull my shirt up over my nose just to breathe. Needless to say, we were extremely grateful to ride back in an air-conditioned bus with beds that had pillows, mattresses and curtains. When discussing with an Indian friend of ours, he called us princesses, but I think most Americans we know would have agreed!

Goa was very different from the India we've seen so far. It was once occupied by the Portuguese, so many of its churches and other buildings have a European feel. Nestled among palm trees and brightly colored bungalows and larger homes, it has a more modern and Western quality. It's lush, and jungles are abundant--although it's dangerous to go during monsoon season. So no elephants this go around--sorry Jessica! We took an all-day bus tour with an eccentric young tour guide who sported a Miami-like vibe--and his name, even though he was Indian, was Ricky Fernandes. He told us Goa is laid-back and that people who live there don't like to work--they just relax and enjoy life. Not sure how people make a living, exactly, but I like the philosophy. We saw some beautiful churches (unlike other parts of India, the dominant religion here is Catholicism because of the Portuguese influence) and beaches, took a tour of an old Portuguese-style home, a quick look at an aquarium, and stopped quickly for some fenni, a famous Goan alcohol made from either coconuts or cashews.

The rainy season started this past weekend and it rained most of the day Sunday, but we did some shopping and walked around and relaxed in a cafe with some chai and a mango lassi. We even snuck in some seafood at a sweet little restaurant off of a cute side street. Then it was on the road again to head back for our final week--a bittersweet time for us. Just one or two more blog posts to come, and then we'll be able to talk to you all in person :).