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22 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
I spent the night waking up randomly and happily looking out the window then, once I was too tired to keep my eyes open, I’d fall back asleep. It was fantastic 
.
Our stop finally came at around 7 and I very reluctantly got off the bus. We were immediately surrounded by auto drivers, who all wanted to take us to the station. They said 150 rupees and we fought tooth and nail until we finally got it for 120. Once we’d finally shoved all our luggage into the small auto, the driver went back on his word and said 150. Rachel, however, was in such a tired mood that she got really angry with the auto driver saying, “you saw our luggage before! Did you expect us to leave it on the side of the road?!” The driver had no comeback for that so he gave in.
We successfully got to the station and had a quick breakfast of dosa before going on the search for a bus to Kollegal. We soon found one and took our seats for the 3-hour ride. After an hour or so, Lissi and I moved to our own seats by the window. There was this guy across the aisle from me who apparently found me very interesting because he kept staring at me. Seriously though, almost every time I’d look over at him, he’d be looking at me. It was SO creepy!
We got to Kollegal at around 1 and grabbed an auto. We had to go through the school gate since the home’s was locked and as soon as we got through the gate, the auto was swarmed by home girls. It was such a great homecoming! They were all screaming “hello akka!” and giving us high fives. Some of them even continued running next to the auto until it left the school’s premises.
We got to the bungalow, carried our luggage inside and said hello to Yolanda (who was very happy to see us) and Jon Prakash. As Rachel got her stuff from my suitcase, Yolanda kindly made us all tea and we sat down to just chill and drink tea.
After a little while, I was itching to unpack and take a shower so I excused myself, grabbed my suitcase and headed toward my dorm.
I, of course, found my door locked so I went to Jayne’s room to get the key. She greeted me back, gave me the key and also gave me wonderful news. PRITHE HAD PUPPIES! YAY! Don’t tell Jon. But YAY! Prithe had three puppies! We don’t know what’s going to happen to them but for now, she’s got her little babies.
Anyways, I went into my room (after finding a sign on my door saying, “welcome back, my dorm mother[s]. We are the 11 disciples and lost 2 but now we found the 2 disciples. We love you from Dorm 5”) and went to boil some water for a shower. The pot was dirty, so I went to wash it. As soon as the water hit the pot, a tail-less gecko hopped out and got itself caught in the sink. I think it was Ron the gecko.
In any case, I got the water on the stove and watched as Ron finally got out of the sink and scrambled up the wall. However, the lack of tail made it so he couldn’t get very far. So, he got stuck on the wall and every time he tried to move up more, he would almost fall. So I tried to get him in an empty pot. But he didn’t like that so he practically flew into the pot of water I had put on the stove. Hot water. He didn’t like that either. So, he hopped again and landed in the burner. I shrieked of fright and turned off the burner. I picked up the black thing (I’ve no idea what it’s called) that was over the burner and found him hiding underneath. He immediately scrambled out of sight. I think he may still be on the counter seeing as he can’t climb. Poor Ron…
Anyways, as I waited for the water, I swept up our mess of a floor and unpacked a bit. Then I took a shower and continued unpacking afterward. I was exhausted and really wanted to sleep but everything was such a disorganized mess, I just had to continue.
I was sorting through my clothes when my dorm girls came home from school. They were all SUPER excited to see us. Ramya told me that everyone thought we were coming home yesterday and all the girls were waiting for us but when we didn’t come, they were all really disappointed. And when they found out during school that we were home, they wanted to immediately leave school to see us, but the teachers wouldn’t let them. She also said (and all of dorm five agreed) that they had a terrible week because Lissi and I weren’t there. I felt so needed and so loved, it was simply incredible.
Then, Rebecca came up to me and stared at me long and hard. After a while, she goes, “there’s something different about you.” And I asked her what it was (I figured she probably noticed I was more tan and wanted to tell me I was now ugly because of it). After a bit longer she said, “You’re fatter” HAHA! So funny! It’s all good though because Lissi later told me that the girls thought she looked thinner. Apparently as Lissi gets thinner I get fatter 
.
Anyways, while I was in Goa, I bought some clothes that I later discovered didn’t fit me, so I gave them to the girls. It was seriously like Christmas all over again. They were SO excited! I then became really happy that the clothes didn’t fit just because then the girls would get something out of us being gone for so long.
Then I continued to go through my clothes and found some that I didn’t want any more so I gave them to the girls as well. I also took out a few for the use of future volunteers. I tucked the clothes I won’t be wearing until I get back to America in my new suitcase and put the others neatly back into my wardrobe. My suitcase is about halfway full and it’s not even all my clothes (let alone all the other stuff I wanna take home). I think I have a slight problem. Oh dear, I really need to ask Sujatha if it’s possible to send packages from Kollegal, haha.
When Lissi saw me packing stuff, she became really sad and told me about how she’s really going to miss venting to me. I made us some strawberry tea and we just sat and talked for a little bit. Soon the girls also noticed my semi-packed suitcase and expressed how incredibly depressed they were to know that I’ll be leaving. I felt terrible for them and I also felt terrible for myself. I don’t want to leave…
In any case, 6:00 came before I knew it and I headed to study time. I was actually really successful in keeping the girls quiet, although I did get a lot of help from Shruti. At the end though, they were all finished and I just let them do what they wanted. Reena wanted to draw a picture of me so I sat in front her and made different funny faces to make her and Sarah laugh.
She finally finished and showed me the picture. It. Was. Hilarious! She made sure to make me fat and give me lots of pimples. And she made my necklace hang from my face rather than from my neck. I’m not sure how that works…
7:30 soon came and we all headed to dinner. EGG DAY! I was SO hungry too! YAY!! After dinner, Jaya told me I need to help her. She said she wanted me to wake her up at 2 in the morning so she could study. 2. In. the. Morning. Fantastic! After getting this news, I went to the dorm and talked to the girls for a bit. We made a plan that, on Sunday, I’d take all nine of the girls out to a get a coconut for our final coconut walk. We all got quite emotional thinking about. Last coconut walk ever. So sad. Like really really sad. I can’t believe I only have a week left in Kollegal…
Goa – Leaving
21 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We awoke at around 9:30 and started the long task of packing our things. By the end, we were all very glad I had bought the suitcase because we simply couldn’t fit all of our things in the ones we initially brought.
Then, we dropped our luggage off in the lobby and headed for the pool so we could kill time. We ate a yummy Indian breakfast at the pool’s restaurant then had a nice, cold swim. After that, we, of course, laid in the sun for a little while. It was SO hot!
At around 2, we decided we’d better get a move on since we were going to meet two guys (Rachel met them at the beach and they said that we NEEDED to try some true Goan food) at 3:30 for a quick lunch. So, while Lissi and Rachel changed and had showers, I went into town and got cake. I really wanted cake .
Once I got back to the guest house lobby, I got changed and ate my piece of cake. YAY! Then, we said goodbye to the guest house staff and lugged our stuff out to the bus stop.
The bus soon came and got my huge piece of luggage in the driver’s compartment at the front of the bus.
A half hour later, we made it to Mapusa and then got on another half hour bus to Panjim. By the time we finally made it, my bag was pretty banged up (dang cheap Indian stuff. I hope it can survive long enough to make it to America) and it was like 4. So, we were late for our meeting 
.
In any case, we found the guys pretty easily and they bargained down a taxi for us so we could head to a restaurant. We got there and took a table. One of the guys ordered everything for us as we didn’t know what any of the food was. It was nice to not have to decide for myself .
Then we just talked. The guys were so cool! They are film directors and have traveled around the world to shoot movie scenes. At one point, they were talking about when they had to go to America. One of them told me about how he needed to wait at the airport for six hours straight because the security people didn’t trust him what with his dark skin, beard and mustache. Oh dear! He also told me that he met an American man who wanted an Indian girlfriend because (and he made sure to tell me “no offense”) all the American girls only want money. It was SO funny! Then Rachel piped up and told me that the American she met in China were super annoying because they were all “America is SO great!” She assured me, though, that I am nothing like the Americans she’s met so far. I found it all incredibly interesting .
We talked way past when the food was delivered and eventually one of the guys said we should eat before the food gets cold. It was rice, some fish and sauce and some shrimp stuff. At first one of the guys, Nikil, took out a fork as he thought we’d prefer it but then his friend made the comment that food like this is better when eaten with the hands. We all agreed and pushed aside the silver ware and ate with our hands. Ah, how I have missed it! And, the food! It was DELICIOUS! It was actually so good that it was worth me having the killer stomach pain I experienced after eating it, haha.
A few foreigners came in the restaurant and gave us strange looks when they saw how we were eating. That was the highlight of my day, haha.
Before we knew it, it was 5:50 and we really needed to go. When the bill came, the guys insisted on paying all 1300 rupees of it. We, of course, fought with them but finally gave in when they said we could pay for the meal when the five us meet again in Mysore. Then, we headed out of the restaurant. One of the guys got us a taxi and went with us to the bus stand as he and his partner needed one to Bangalore as well.
At 6:30, we boarded. Oh. My. Gosh. The sleeper bus was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before (well it was kind of like the train, but so much AWESOMER). First off, we all had really comfy beds rather than seats and we could just stretch out our legs and stare out the huge windows beside us. Also, our beds were on a second level above the normal seats and we had to climb a short ladder to get up. On top of all that, there was an outlet right on the wall. Of course, that didn’t matter much as my laptop and chargers were all in my big bag, which was tucked in a compartment in the back of the bus. Anyways, when I got on my bed and settled in, I seriously didn’t want to leave. I mean I already LOVE long car/bus/train/plane rides but THIS, THIS was like heaven to me .
By about 12, my eyes were starting to sting and I reluctantly left the view outside and drifted off to sleep.
Goa – Day Eight
20 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
There’s really not too much to tell about today as it was a chill-out-and-take-advantage-of-the-beach day. We got up around 10, got ready for the day then had breakfast across the street. Then, we all headed for the beach.
We tanned/swam/walked along the beach/talked to random people for hours. By 5, I was sick of the beach and went to back to the apartment by myself. Once I’d taken a shower, I was feeling loads better and just had some alone-time until Lissi and Rachel came.
I then waited for a good two hours for them to get ready to go out to dinner.
We eventually headed out and decided to go back to our favorite restaurant out of all the ones we’d tried. The food was, as before, absolutely delicious .
We were waiting for the bill, when Lissi went to some people sitting at the table by ours and spoke to them in German. And then the talking started…
At one point, I was right next to Lissi and two of the people, who were in an extensive conversation in German and I was across from Rachel, who had turned around and was talking to the other person in English. Since I couldn’t very well contribute to either conversation, I just sat there, feeling awkward.
And the talking continued…
And continued…
At one point, Lissi and Rachel decided we could go, so we all stood up…and they talked to the Austrian people some more.
THEN they were actually just about out the door when they thought we’d better go back and say goodbye, so they did. Then just started up another conversation with them.
AND THEN! We got out the door! And Lissi and Rachel talked to the people some more…
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all up for meeting and talking to new people and stuff and, quite frankly, these people were really interesting (They kept saying how they always walk around holding sticks just in case any stray dogs were around and how the dogs weren’t afraid of knives, just sticks. One of the people told us how incredibly excited he was about trying to start a bonfire on the beach, which was pretty funny) but by this time, I was practically falling asleep where I stood. I was EXHAUSTED. Plus, I wanted cake but by the time we finally headed out, the bakery was closed .
In any case, we left around 12:30/1. When we got back to the apartment, Lissi realized we really needed water, so I left with her to get some. After our little mission, I packed a little bit and now it is almost 2 in the morning and I think I’m going to stop typing and got to sleeeeeppp…
Goa – Day Seven
19 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We got up around 10:30, as usual. After dressing, we decided to go out to breakfast at a place across the street. As we were waiting for our food, Rachel met briefly with one of the sellers she had set up an appointment with yesterday. After she’d successfully gotten her long shirt/dress/pirate outfit, she came back and we had our breakfast. We were all really tired despite having a good night’s sleep. I think the market yesterday really drained our energy.
Once we got back to our room, Rachel told us that she needed a day of alone-time so she told us to go ahead to Old Goa without her. So, Lissi and I went out by ourselves. It felt so weird without Rachel there!
In any case, we got a bus to Mapusa, then a bus to Panjim then finally got a bus to Old Goa. I had hoped that by this time, I’d be more awake but I was still just as exhausted as I was when I woke up. Since Lissi was feeling the same way, we only spent a half hour or so at Old Goa. We went into a Catholic church, which was packed with people taking pictures. It was really cool-looking and interesting. There were signs everywhere saying that the tourists needed to be quiet as there were people there for mass. So strange!
After a short walk around the premise opposite of the church, we got a bus to the Panjim market. It was incredible! The market was all inside and reminded me of a mini mall. On the bottom floor, there were tons of fruit and vegetable sellers. Then, on the second floor (which bordered around the bottom floor), there were shops selling items. I found the entire trip worth it just to see this market!
Once we were ready to go, we got a bus back to the Panjim station, then one to Mapusa and then one to Anjuna. We got to the apartment and just crashed with complete exhaustion.
After relaxing for a while, we got ready to go out to dinner then headed for a beach restaurant. Surprisingly, we didn’t get offered any weed all the way to the beach .
The food was, as usual, yummy and cheap . And, on our way back, Rachel and I each got a piece of cake at a bakery. The piece I got was simply delicious!
In exactly two weeks, I will be in America. Holy cow…
Goa – Day Six
18 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We woke up around 10:30 and had a quick breakfast of muffins. After getting ready for the day, we headed out of the guest house and caught a bus to Mapusa.
At first, Mapusa seemed like it was just like Mysore but then we got to the market. People were selling Western clothes left and right. It was really interesting. Lissi and I had decided to wear our Indian clothes today and everyone kept commenting on them, saying that they were very nice and asking where we got them. This was SO different from going to Mysore! No one really thought anything was unusual when we’d wear our Indian clothes there.
In any case, we had a delicious lunch of good ol’ masala dosa then went to do some shopping. Rachel and Lissi, as usual, HAD to buy some Kashmire scarves. The three of us sat on stools around a woman’s stock of scarves and, after A LOT of deliberating Lissi FINALLY picked out four scarves that she liked.
Then came the bargaining, which took almost as long as the choosing. The seller started the price at an insane 11,000. At this, Lissi kept trying to put two scarves back as she soon saw that she would not be able to afford them. The woman, however, would NOT have it. Every time Lissi set the scarves down, she’d put them back onto Lissi’s lap. It actually got quite entertaining after a while.
A good twenty minutes passed before Lissi finally got the price down to 1,700 and bought the scarves. During all this, a pregnant woman waited for us to finish so she could try and sell us some jewelry. Rachel and I got some nose rings from her.
After that, we tried to find a bank so Rachel could exchange money but to no avail . So, we grabbed a very quick snack of bread and chai then caught a bus back to Anjuna.
Once we got back, Rachel and Lissi changed into their bathing suits and we all headed down to the pool to relax.
At around 6:30, we went to the apartment and got ready for the Saturday Night Market. Rachel insisted on putting some makeup on my face .
Once we were finally all ready, we got a taxi to the market (the market started at 8pm and ended at 3am). HOLY COW!! The market was INCREDIBLE! As soon as we walked under the market’s archway, we were swept into a huge crowd of foreigners and Indians (mostly foreigners ). There was a parking space for motorcycles to our right and the lines of motorcycles seemed to never end. Above the parking space there were hundreds of lit-up decorative stars hung from the trees.
Then we got to the actual market. It was quite similar to the flea market except for a few very important things…
First, it was at night. Second, there was a live band playing music that boomed throughout the whole market. Third, there was a dance party going on at the same time. Fourth, some sellers were foreigners (which I was actually quite upset about because of how much more expensive their things were due to not being able to bargain and also, I just didn’t like the idea of foreigners taking over jobs that the Indians could have). Fifth, the people there were SO…how do I describe this…eccentrically dressed . Some were wearing hippie clothes and others had a full-on Goth style (leather, dreadlocks, short skirts, chains, the whole thing). It was just so interesting to see everyone. And there I had been in my traditional Indian clothes .
In any case, we walked around for a bit, stopping briefly at some shops. I finally finished all my gift-shopping, YAY! At one point, however, Lissi and Rachel stopped at a shop run by two French ladies. The dresses/long shirts/pirate outfits (:P) that were being sold caught Lissi and Rachel’s eye at once. Yet again, I was left in complete confusion as to why things like these are so interesting for Lissi and Rachel.
In any case, after a good half hour or so of watching the two of them try on dress after dress, Lissi bought one and Rachel set up an appointment with one of the ladies so she could get the one she wanted.
We left the shop and found ourselves extremely tired and well past ready to go home. After grabbing a taxi (Rachel told the man we paid 250 for the taxi to get to the market even though we paid 270. Oh Rachel…), we headed back. However, our empty stomachs couldn’t be ignored so we had the man stop at the little restaurant that Lissi and I had found yesterday.
Rachel and I both got fried noodles while Lissi got chospy. You see, Lissi has this thing with ALWAYS being the one to accidentally order spicy food and she ALWAYS ends up needing our help in order to eat it because of how much she can’t handle spicy. So, when she got her food, I said to her, “I’m going to laugh really hard if it’s spicy again.” It was. I laughed. And then I felt a bit jealous over the fact that she always gets the spicy food and I don’t . But that’s okay, because Lissi gladly shared with me .
After our dinner, we headed back and got ready for bed. I am now very excited to be able to SLEEP. I’m exhausted…
Goa – Day Five
17 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
So, I’m gonna have to admit that today was only okay. Tsk tsk tsk…
We got up around 10 and had another breakfast of bread and hummus. Our plan for today was to go spend the first part of the day at the beach then the second half in Mapusa, where everything is supposed to be much cheaper. I, however, really didn’t feel up to going to the beach seeing as I was SO burnt so I told Rachel and Lissi they could go ahead and I’d just do things in the apartment for a bit. After all, they assured me they’d be back around 3. So they set off and I stayed.
I organized my clothes, read a book, watched TV and went on my laptop. 3:00 soon rolled around and they still hadn’t come back. But I was okay and just continued on.
By 4, I was getting a bit anxious but was still fine. At 5, I was on the verge of being upset. 5:30 came and I was just downright angry. Like really angry. I only have four days left in goa and sixteen left in India and I wanted to use each day to the fullest.
So, I left the apartment and headed to the beach to look for them. I ran into them as they were heading back. They said that they had no idea what time it was and that they were really sorry. I did my best to bury my anger. After all, they both genuinely felt bad and I didn’t want to dwell on it and make them feel even worse.
In any case, by the time we got back to the apartment it was 6:20 and there was simply no time to go to Mapusa. I was in such a terrible mood especially since I expected to do nothing for the remainder of the day.
But then Lissi suggested we go get pedicures. I wasn’t too crazy about it since I wasn’t feelin too great but decided I may as well try and turn my mood around. So, we decided on going after Lissi took a shower.
She wasn’t finished until 7:40. An hour and ten minutes to take a shower and blow dry her hair… Wow… It’s times like these when I am really happy I’m not the type of the girl who needs that much time.
In any case, Rachel was too tired to go out again so Lissi and I headed out and soon found a beauty place by the beach. The man there was asking for 300 rupees per pedicure and Lissi tried to bargain but the man insisted that the price was good. So, we decided to do it. The man called his partner, also a guy, and they set to work.
I must say, it was really weird at first to have a guy doing my toenails and scrubbing and massaging my feet but, after a while, it wasn’t so bad.
We talked a lot with them. The guy doing Lissi’s feet is named John and is the owner of the shop. He is 28, is from Tamilnadu, has a birthday on May 1st and has a wife and one-year-old son. The guy doing mine is named Roj. He is 25, is also from Tamilnadu and has a birthday on the wondrous date of November 11th . The best part? They are both Christians.
John told us that whenever a foreign woman comes in, she talks so friendly with him (I’m guessing he meant “flirty”) but then she asks if he’s married and after he tells her he is, she’s not as nice. Haha! So, after he told us that he was married, he turned to Roj and said to him (in Tamil), “why did I just tell them I’m married?” which meant he was probably afraid we wouldn’t talk to him anymore.
Once they got to painting the nails, they said that it was “woman’s work” and that they weren’t very good at it, haha. They actually weren’t that bad at all.
We sat there for a good hour and half and by the end, 300 rupees felt like nothing. Lissi even told me later that she felt really bad for trying to bargain. I think that after finding out their whole life’s story and knowing that everything depends on how much money they bring home from work, paying them such a small amount seems like it’s not good enough.
In any case, we went home with very soft feet . And I was feeling about ten million trillion times better. It was simply fantastic! I’m happy to say that my first ever pedicure was done in India .
We got back to the apartment, expecting to grab Rachel and head out again for dinner. Rachel, however, was half-asleep so she requested fried rice and Lissi and I went back into town.
We checked a few restaurants on our street for fried rice but couldn’t find any that had it. Then we came to a European restaurant and was, yet again, unsuccessful. The waiter there found out that we were looking for fried rice and, after a quick glance around to make sure no one could overhear, he said to us, “I feel like I’m betraying this restaurant when I say this but…there’s a really good fried rice place down the road.” He gave us a big grin then saw us off. Lissi and I were laughing about it all the way to the fried rice place. It was SO funny!
The restaurant he directed us to was SO cute! It was just an open bamboo hut. Lissi and I ordered noodles and one fried rice to go. The prices were so cheap as well, it was great!
After a nice big bowl of yummy noodles, we said goodbye and delivered Rachel the rice. I think we’ll be going back there again later .
Wow, even though I didn’t do much today, the day still zoomed by!
Goa – Day Four
16 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We got up at like 10-ish and had a breakfast of hummus, bread and tea (the tea was via room service ). It was so nice to just relax and have a simple breakfast at our apartment.
At around 11:30, we headed out for Vagathor Beach. We caught a bus ride for 7 rupees each and then walked a little ways before coming to the beach.
Vagathor was insanely different from Anjuna. First off, there were no shacks selling stuff, so the beach looked really blank. Secondly, there were a lot more Indians there and I even saw a Muslim lady wearing a burk walking along with her husband (who she was holding hands with, which was SO strange to see…) Third, the waves there were so big!
After some laying on the beach and getting attacked by waves, we soon realized that being at this beach was very annoying. The Indians were obsessed with taking pictures of foreigners and Lissi, Rachel and I started to feel really self-conscious. At one point, some Indian guy came by, sat next to us and wouldn’t leave. Rachel kept trying to shoo him away by saying he was invading our personal space, but he just didn’t budge. So annoying!
After the three millionth time of catching some Indian taking secret pictures of us, we decided we should move to a spot where there were more tourists.
Finally, some privacy! We went around some rocks to find a little beach full of foreigners. It was so much better!
By like 4:30, I was burnt to a crisp and ready to leave. So, we gathered up our things and headed out. On our way to the bus stop, we stopped at a restaurant with Wifi and had some lunch.
After our meal, we got on a bus and made it back to our apartment. Then, we, of course, took showers and changed and stuff. That was when I realized that I am burnt in every place of my body that wasn’t covered by my bathing suit. YAY! I have succeeded in my goal to get hopelessly sunburnt . Now, I’ve no idea how I’m gonna sleep tonight…
Anyways, once we were all ready, we headed out for a nice long walk in the cool night air. We passed by a woman at her house and she asked us if we recognized her. Apparently she was one of the shopkeepers and she knew us from when we’d walk by her shop, which was really cool considering how many tourists she must see in a day.
It was really interesting to see where she lived, which was really just a small hut. She told us that her day consists of waking up, cooking and eating breakfast, working at the shop, cooking and eating lunch, working at the shop, cooking and eating dinner, going to sleep. I couldn’t help but to feel sorry for her .
In any case, we somehow made it to the beach and found a nice restaurant for dinner, despite the fact that we had decided to try and keep from eating out every night. Oh well…
This was my favorite restaurant yet! I got a Chinese dish that had to be one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever eaten. And it was only 80 rupees/$1.50. It was SO delicious!
Once we’d finished our meal, we headed home stopping only briefly for some ice cream.
Another day in Goa has ended and as the end of our holiday comes nearer and nearer, I can’t help but to think about the fact that my time in India is also coming to a close. And that thought makes me utterly depressed .
Goa – Day Three
15 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
We got up around 9:30 and got ready for the day. Then, we headed for the flea market. Despite the fact that a guy told us yesterday that we wouldn’t get a taxi to the market for less than 200, Rachel got it for 170. It’s very helpful when you have a half-Indian who is a brutal bargainer .
We got the market which is basically just an insane amount of all different kinds of shops tightly packed next to each other. It was SO cool!
We had to bargain left and right! Dang, the sellers really liked ripping off foreigners! We had to play the “we live in India” and “Rachel’s dad is Indian” card SO often!
At one point, we completely lost Lissi and Rachel and I decided to get bags and just check outside the shop every once in a while for her. We looked through the bags for so long! I finally chose one I wanted but the lady demanded 750 for it. Insane price! As we were bargaining, we saw Lissi across the walkway outside the shop. After we’d beckoned her over, she showed us a bag she bought that I really liked that she got for 200. We’d only gotten the lady down to about 400 so I decided to try and drop the matter and go buy one that Lissi bought. However, as I was leaving, she said I was terrible for wasting her time and that she’d take 250 for the bag I had chosen. I soon realized that she was right and I was being really rude by leaving after being in her shop for SO long. So I got the bag. Oh well…
Later, we came across another lady who was absolutely determined to sell us some jewelry. She first caught Rachel and mine attention when she said she had nose rings. Woot!
After Rachel played the “half-Indian” card, she gave us the nose rings for super cheap then threw in two free ones. And, for Lissi, she gave her THREE sets of REAL SILVER toe rings (6 rings in all) for the insane price of 500. Back in Kollegal, we can only get those type for 300 per set! So, Rachel and I got some tea from her as well because she was actually giving us a good deal.
We had a quick lunch and all agreed that it was past time to go. I was so hot and sweaty that all I wanted to do was go back to the guest house and hit the pool. Despite my slightly miserable state, I was feeling pretty good about what I bought.
Then, Rachel saw a shop selling luggage. That’s when my day really turned sour. I agreed that it would be a good idea just to buy a piece of luggage so I don’t have to worry about it later. The seller first asked for 2,500. So Rachel started the bargaining. She said 1500 and when the seller wouldn’t budge below 1700, we started to walk away (I was doubting getting luggage there by that time). Then some random English dude came and told the seller 1500. We finally got it for 1550.
So, I rolled away the luggage feeling kind of apprehensive about it. A German guy stopped me and asked how much I spent on it. I told him the price and he had a “that’s an okay price” expression on his face. Then, he told me that I could get them much cheaper in a city called Mapusa in Goa. I, stupidly, asked the price I could have gotten it for. He said 800. GRRR!! My mood immediately turned completely sour. I was SO upset! I could have saved 700 rupees/$14!
I grumpily rolled my unfortunately not-broken luggage to the taxi. I began to completely doubt that I’d have enough money to last me until I leave India.
I got back to the guest house and felt a bit better when realizing the logic. First: I had already expected to pay between 1,000 and 2,000 for the luggage. Second: I would never have discovered Mapusa if it weren’t for buying the luggage. Therefore, I would have just bought it for the same amount in Bangalore anyway. Third: Despite the insane drop of money in my wallet, aside from the luggage, I really only spent 1500 and that was mostly on gifts.
Having made myself feel better, I changed into my bathing suit and went with Rachel to the pool. Unfortunately, it had gotten cold and windy so we really couldn’t go swimming. We just chilled on the tanning beds and read books.
After some time, we went back to our room, changed, grabbed Lissi and headed into town to buy breakfast for tomorrow at a market and some dinner.
The market was SO incredibly expensive! Of course, it was all imported from the West so that was why everything was costly. I found a small box of poptarts for 450. That’s 9 bucks! Insane!!
We ended up just getting hummus, bread and water then went to look at a chut place we had passed on the way to the market.
FINALLY! TRUE INDIAN FOOD! And, even better, it was Indian-priced . We figured that this was probably the place where Indians came to eat and foreigners simply overlooked. Not us though! We ordered enough food to fill our stomachs (and it was all simply DELICIOUS) all for 90 rupees. Yup, a yummy dinner for three people for a little less than $2 . It made me feel even better about the money I spent at the flea market.
Once we got home, we watched a movie on my laptop then got ready for bed.
And that was day three of Goa. This week is flying by!
Goa – Day Two
14 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
Last night was the first night in 3 weeks that I ACTUALLY fell asleep quickly and stayed asleep all night. It was amazing! Anyways, we all got up around 10 then just chilled in the apartment for a bit. Then, while Rachel watched TV, Lissi and I headed into town to get a late breakfast. As soon as we were coming up to the gate of the guest house, a random Indian man gave each of us a rose and told us Happy Valentine’s Day. Wow. That was the first flower I’ve ever gotten on Valentine’s Day. And it was from a random Indian man! YAY!
Anyways, we first got me a new bathing suit since the one I bought yesterday didn’t fit and then bought some croissants from a bakery, some water, a pineapple and a cantaloupe.
On the way back, Lissi gave her rose to a random Indian woman. An Indian man nearby said to Lissi, “You are supposed to give that to your boyfriend!” HAHA! I just realized how I now need to describe people as Indian or foreigner. This is a strange, strange place…
We got back to our apartment and munched happily on our breakfast. Then, after chilling for even more, we all got dressed in our bathing suits and headed for the guest house pool.
It was noon by the time we officially started our day. At the pool, we swam for a little bit (the water was absolutely FREEZING) then Rachel and I worked on our tan while Lissi did her best not to get burnt by hanging out in the shade.
The sun got so hot after a while that, at regular intervals, Rachel and I had to go cool down in the pool. After a bit, Lissi had to go to the room for some stuff. While she was gone, Rachel and I had a quick lunch of sandwiches. Hmmm, sandwich. First sandwich in four and half months and it was SO good!
Lissi didn’t come back for a good hour or so and when she finally did arrive, we discovered why she took so long. She was carrying a plate of cut-up pineapple. Oh bless her heart! She slaved away all that time with the quite-blunt knife that Rachel brought from Kollegal so she could cut up pineapple for us.
In any case, once we’d finished our plate of pineapple it was 3:30 and we decided we should head for the beach.
On the way, I stopped at the shop where I had bought my swim suit and surprisingly got my money back for it. I was expecting it to be A LOT more difficult than it was…
Once we’d made it to the beach, we chose some tanning beds and paid for drinks from the nearby restaurant so we could use the beds. We dropped off our stuff then headed for the water.
As we stepped out into the water, our feet hit rock. It wasn’t too bad though especially since the water was SO WARM! I couldn’t believe it! It was so windy out so we just played around in the waves for a bit. Lissi, especially, enjoyed the waves. Whenever a wave hit, she’d just giggle and giggle and go crazy. It was quite funny, really .
We, of course, tanned some more. Just as we were settling on the tanning beds, all different sellers came to get us to buy stuff. There was a seller with drums, one with jewelry, one with DVDs, one with a massage, one with henna art and another with ice cream. It was actually quiet entertaining . After tanning for a bit, we went back into the water. Then tanned. And so forth. ‘Twas quite relaxing .
At 5:30 or so, we decided we would go back to the apartment, take showers, get dressed up then go back to the beachfront for a nice dinner.
We probably spent a good two hours on walking back to the apartment and getting ready. Then we finally headed out for dinner.
We went quite a ways before finding a good restaurant, during which time we got offered weed twice . The restaurant we found overlooked the water and the dim lights and slow music made it feel so chill. I got a Chinese dish of noodles and chicken (it was actually less expensive than the Indian food, which is so weird!) and, of course, a plain naan.
As we waited for our food, we just chatted and enjoyed the atmosphere. The food itself was simply delicious! Poor Lissi though! She accidentally ordered something really spicy. One of the huge reasons why she was excited for Goa was that she wouldn’t have to eat spicy all the time. So, she got some French fries after she’d eaten as much of her meal as she could.
Once we’d finished, Rachel ordered an ice cream. So we chatted some more while we waited for that.
It wasn’t until 11 that we finally left. The time went by so fast! We stopped briefly at a jewelry shop selling real silver jewelry. Lissi got a silver ring for 200 rupees. $4. Insane!
In any case, we got back to our room nice and late and now I just want to go to sleep .
Goa – Day One
13 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
How’s about we skip the whole description of each day thing and just say that they are all incredibly amazingly AWESOME. Kay?
Anyways, I had a not-so-good sleep on the train. You know, seeing as I had no pillows or blankets and the train was a bit bumpy. I awoke and realized that my hands had fallen asleep and my ears were all blocked. In any case, I woke up at the early hour of 5 then just sat with eager anticipation of when we arrived at the Goa train station. I waited for about two hours.
Finally, we came to our stop and got off the train. We said goodbye to the Indian guy who was in our compartment then went on to the next adventure of trying to get to the hour-away city of Anjuna.
While we were in the parking lot, we saw a little puppy rolling around on the pavement. At first, we thought it was just playing but then Lissi spotted a bit of blood and we realized that the poor thing had been hit and it was rolling around in pained anguish, its little mouth opening and closing. It made me incredibly really really sad .
But we needed to focus! We started by checking the taxi prices. 1,200 rupees. No thanks! So we continued on our way. As we were passing by the little puppy again, we found that it had finally died and its mother was standing and licking the poor pup with her two other puppies hanging out near her. Poor mommy .
FOCUS! We found the bus stand after being offered many different rides by different people. We found a Russian couple and asked where the bus was going and they said it would take everyone to the bus station, where we could get another bus to another bus station then another bus to Anjuna.
We waited for a good half hour or so when a guy came up and said he’d take us to Anjuna for 800. We declined his offer as it was still too expensive. Then, as he was walking away, the couple went to him and struck a deal. He’d take us to the second bus station (where we could get a bus to Anjuna) for 200 rupees for the couple, Lissi, Rachel and me. We agreed.
However, we were nearing the first station when we discovered that he meant 200 per person (either that, or he changed his mind). The Russian lady ordered the man to stop and let us out. The couple gave him 100 rupees for all of us then, when he demanded 100 rupees from each of us, the Russian lady told us to just walk away because he was being ridiculous. We did . I felt empowered!
So, we went to the station and the couple found the bus they needed. After saying goodbye to them, we continued on our search. We discovered that we needed to wait in a nice long line in order to go to the second station. So, we waited. And waited.
We were in line for another good half hour when the Indian guy from the train came up to us. Small world! We chatted a bit but were interrupted by a man who asked where we were going. Rachel told him Anjuna and he asked what price we wanted and we said 500 rupees. He agreed and we piled into his car and went on our way. FINALLY!
Not. After about ten minutes in the car, he decided to change his mind and tell us that 500 was way too cheap. Rachel was quite angry and argued with him for a while. He told us he’d take us to the second station for 150 total. Rachel insisted on 100 but when he wouldn’t budge, we told him we’ll figure out the price later.
He had picked up his cousin and after he dropped her off, he said to us that he would take us to Anjuna after all. However, he insisted on 550 rupees. I thought that 500 was already steep enough and told Rachel that we should just find a bus but she said that she simply couldn’t be bothered to move and agreed to the man’s new price.
This guy was actually quite hilarious. He had NO idea where he was going! He had to keep stopping and asking for directions. And he’d say the most random of the things to us like Lissi and I should leave India but Rachel can stay because she is half Indian.
Finally, he found the guest house Rachel had booked and helped us get our luggage. After he gave each of us a rather awkward hug and said goodbye, we went to the reception desk.
The employee there said that the room would be ready in an hour so we dropped off our luggage and headed out to breakfast.
On the way, we took in our surroundings. FOREIGNERS WERE EVERYWHERE! For the first time in four and a half months, I saw more white people than Indian people. And the clothes they were wearing were SO cool! Plus, there were quite a few hippy-type people with dreadlocks and baggy pants. It was all SO incredible. It was only until then that I actually felt like a foreigner. I’m not sure if I like that feeling…
For breakfast, Lissi and Rachel had omelets and I had a DELICIOUS bowl of banana and chocolate porridge (AKA oatmeal). Oh my gosh, it was SO good!
After a little bit of wandering around, we headed back to the guest house, got our key and followed an employee to our room.
Okay, I’m going to try and describe the guest house area as best I can. The house was made up of a long, brightly colored building. The building had three stories. Balconies showed where each apartment started and ended. My favorite part was the vegetation. A narrow walkway attached the apartments together and on either side of the walkway was LOADS of plants. Big and small. Colorful and plain. Vines crawled up the sides of the buildings and coconut trees towered over the balconies. It is simply BEAUTIFUL!
Anyways, we got to our apartment (which is on the top floor ) and entered into a living room area, which the balcony is attached to. We threw our stuff on the floor then went into the bedroom, where there is a double bed and a TV (Rachel went CRAZY over this. I realized that I hadn’t watched TV in four and a half months ). Attached to the bedroom is the bathroom with, you guessed it, a hot shower! YAY!! That’s always my favorite part about guest houses . And all this for 435 rupees/$8 per person per night. That’s $60 per person for our entire stay :O.
Since Lissi got absolutely no sleep on the train, she crashed on the couch while Rachel and I watched TV for a little while. Once Rachel left to take a shower, I took a nap on one side of the bed and Lissi moved from the couch to the other side of the bed.
I slept and slept and slept and didn’t wake up until about 2. Lissi mumbled that Rachel was at the pool so I left to find her.
The pool area is located at the end of the line of apartments. It’s SO nice! First off, the water is completely spotless and secondly, by the pool there is a bar and restaurant.
I soon found Rachel on a tanning bed and we just sat and chatted. Then a guy from London came over and we talked with him for quite a while.
Rachel and I soon decided we’d go into town to do some shopping and get me a bathing suit. When we got to the apartment, Lissi was awake and wanted to go with us. So we all headed out.
We came to a shop right outside the guest house. The shopkeeper there had such excellent English, it was great.
The clothes being sold here in Goa are SO COOL. LIKE AWESOME. Almost all of them are one-size-fits-all due to elastic and drawstrings. I found a few clothes and, after doing some hard bargaining, bought them.
We continued on our way, stopping to look at shops randomly. As we neared the beach, shopkeepers became more and more annoying about us looking at what they were selling. We came across a girl who was trying to sell us jewelry. Lissi told her we’d come back later and she said to her, “promise you’ll come? Promise?!” and she shook Lissi’s hand in agreement. It was quite funny.
After buying bathing suits, we made it to the beach. SO AMAZING! People were wearing bikinis…IN INDIA! Dude! I had to keep reminding myself that we were still in India because there were just so many white people wearing hardly any clothes.
Lissi, Rachel and I just walked along the beach for a while. We saw some crazy things like cots you can rent that overlook the beach and have lots of cushions and hippy parties with people dancing like they were high, haha. Speaking of drugs, we also came across a guy who wanted to sell us weed. No, Dad, we didn’t buy any .
Once the sun was beginning to set, we sat down to a meal by the beach. The restaurant was really nice. We all ordered Indian food (it was the cheapest food on the menu) and the waiter asked us if we even knew what the food was that we were ordering. I then thought about how they probably weren’t used to foreigners actually buying Indian food. It was kind of heartbreaking to think that tourists would come to India and get Western food.
In any case, we slowly ate our meal, relishing in the cool breeze and the chance to relax. Just as we were finishing, a live band began to play. We listened for a while then left and began the long walk back to the guest house.
As we were walking, Rachel passed the girl who had been trying to sell us jewelry when we first came. Then I passed by her. Then, just as Lissi was almost past her, the girl runs up to her, grabs her and says over and over again how Lissi had PROMISED to come back. The girl told Lissi that if she didn’t buy anything, she’d break the girl’s little heart. It was SO funny. Lissi didn’t know what to do! Rachel came to her aid by saying that we had all week and could come back later. So the girl made us promise again that we’d come back and, this time, gave each of our hands a good shake. Oh great… I can’t wait to pass by her tomorrow…
Once we’d finally made it to the guest house, we took showers, watched TV and talked for a bit. Rachel and I talked about how the tourists here probably buy things at the price the shopkeepers set and that’s why the keepers always set the initial price SO high. I can’t imagine not bargaining. For instance, when I was buying a pair of pants today, the lady originally wanted 500 rupees. We got it down to 300. And the shirt? From 350 to 250. Then we got onto the subject of how there are probably many foreigners here who have never seen India outside of Goa. They have no idea what real India is like. It’s a shame really…
Eventually, Lissi and Rachel went to bed and I set to work on this.
This next week is going to be so incredible. The three of us are all SO different and I think that we are going to make each other experience and do things that we wouldn’t usually do. I can’t wait for tomorrow to start .
