Sunday, August 31, 2008

backwaters

Yesterday lover and I went for it, and boarded a houseboat in Alleppey at noon to take an overnight journey through the famed backwaters. The boat was quite large with a small kitchen in the back, then a bedroom with fan and attached bathroom for us, next was the living space with cushioned couches running the lengh of the boat, a dining table area, and a smaller table and chairs lounge spot as well. Our crew were 3 very nice Kerelan men who barley spoke English, so there was not much communication between us.

Jonathan and I put our day packs away and settled in for some relaxation and beauty. We left our monster packs at the guesthouse we had been staying at, it was as if we were taking a vacation on our vacation, only carrying our small backpacks!

Just as we found ourselves lucky in Goa to be there before peak season, we felt the same about the boat. At the take off spot there were hundreds of these boats, and I could just not imagine all of them out and about..there would end up being traffic jams or something, and it would just not be as serene.

The day started off just perfect. The weather was holding up, and even though it was overcast, the light was quite nice for pictures. The river goes through phases of being really wide to just snaking paths through rice paddy fields. The colour of the water is a deep army/olive green. All along the water is vegetation of lilly pads and algae forming their own little masses of what looks like land. Although those patches look beautiful, they are actually a result of pollution to the river. Its funny to be admiring something while also realizing the disparity of the situation.

The rivers edge is stunning, running though villages lined by palms, and along vast green fields. The water is the life of the people that live along it. They bathe, wash dishes, clean laundry, swim, and fish in these waters. This gorgeous backwater, that is also polluted by too many motor boats, and unsanitary disposal of waste. Their own waste. It makes you wonder how they do not see the problem in this. I suppose its just that they grew up here with this way of life, their parents did the same, and so on down the line. So to the people living along the banks its just the way it is.

Watching the women wash their clothes was such an oddity to me. First, its in this water, next, they are actually beating the hell out of each and every piece of fabric. I am befuddled at how this actually cleans anything. The woman stand on the step that is in the river at their home, and soak their clothes in the water. Some have bars of soap that they then rubbed on the fabric, some don't. They then start slamming each and every piece singularly on a stone of the wall. THWAP THWAP THWAP...over and over till they ring the cloth dry and either lay it on a bush or the ground, or, if they are lucky hang it on a line to dry.

The bathing is also a spectacle. They go to the same step, fully clothed in a long dress if its a woman, underwear if its a little boy or girl, or a piece of fabric around their waste if its a man. They then dunk all the way under in what cannot be warm water, then lather up like crazy beneath their clothing and dunk again. This is their bath. There is no modesty since they are technically dressed, but still its strange to have to wash while boats are going by, and all your neighbors can see you.

On board we just lazied on by as life continued on shore. Our chef was phenomenal, and could have been in the kitchen of a 5 star restuarnt as far as I am concerned. He whipped up magnificent vegetarian Kerelan dish after dish for us all day in that tiny little kitchen. The entirety of the ride was worth it for the food alone, and everything else was an extra perk!

After a quick stop to pick up some prawns for Jonathan and the crew to eat at dinner, our boat broke down. Leave it to India, and us, to have a moment like this!! Jonathan was more perturbed than I was, as I knew there was nothing we could do, and at this point, have come to expect any and all transport to break down!! During the 2and 1/2 hour hiatus on the bank of the river while 2 of the men worked to fix the boat the chef prepared our first delectable meal. We were gluttoness to say the least! The lunch spread consisted of a huge plate of rice, a large bowl of spicy vegetable curry, the most amazing beetroot recipe {the colour was extravagant magenta!} a typical Kerlen cabbage salad featuring cardamon galore, crispy popadons, a chilled green bean salad as well, and a perfectly spiced yogurt topping to cool all the spiciness down. There was enough food for 5 people, and every bite just melted into to gloryesness in our mouths.

After lunch the boat worked again, and we were back on our way along the water. It started to rain then, but even that was beautiful. The between lunch and dinner snack was tea and fried bananas. These bananas were perfection rolled in the slightest bit of flour and sugar with a dash of salt then fried, but not to the point of grossness. In fact I loved this treat.

We continued to relax and observe, and just when you would think we were too full to eat any more the chef brought out our dinner. Dinner was also a decadently huge meal. There was a misunderstanding {of course}and the chef brought out all 4 prawns for Jonathan and I, along with all the other plates of food. We had a hard time convincing the crew that we had bought the prawns for them to eat, mind you, these things were huge, about the size of lobsters. Finally they accepted the prawns when they realized I was going to have nothing to do with the creepy crawlers! The rest of the dinner consisted of another grand plate of rice, a warming pot full of chapatis, a large bowl of yummy Dal fry, an okra salad, a different kind of bean salad, and curried potatoes. We ate till we could eat no more, and I think we over did it, but it was all too good!!!

By the time dinner was over we had docked for the night. After digesting for quite a while, and trying to avoid the meringue of bugs while watching all the lizards scuttle about we decided to retire.

Sadly we both had a very poor nights sleep before being jolted awake at 7:30 am to prepare to head back. Overall this was quite an experience, and I am so glad we went for it..I mean, how many people can say they rode the backwaters of Kerela on a houseboat...even if it did break down?!!
xoxooxo
Alicia Claire

Friday, August 29, 2008

Film Photo Post

Here are more pictures from the film we had scanned in South Africa: shots from NYC, Barcelona, Egypt, and Tanzania.

.


This is a shot of Manhattan a few blocks from our friend Tommy and Rui's apartment (and stores!). The entire neighborhood of Greenpoint really feels as industrial as the side of this frame.



The endless red clay roofs of Barcelona, from the Gaudi park.



The cross from the church in the park along with clouds.



A very famous line of stonework that supports a walkway up above. Alicia was excited about this shot as it was seen in one of her favorite TV shows, "America's Next Top Model" :)



Our obligitory sphynix and Giza pyramid shot.



Alicia's perspective on the three pyramids at Giza.



Alicia and our wonderful guide Colin sweltering in the heat. Note: Alicia hates her outfit.



Cairo in the distance past a likely flea-ridden camel.



Camels are very strange, loud, gross animals with bad teeth.



This gives you a tiny idea of just how massive the Great Pyramid at Giza is.



These elephants were blocking the road in Lake Manyara National Park. We had to back track quite a bit to get around them.



A massive mangrove tree along Lake Manyara.



Monkeys at Lake Manyara.



A big elephant in Ngorongoro Crater.



Alicia loves zebras!



The tide along the Paje coast goes out by nearly a kilometer causing the local fishing boats to sit on the sand hours a day.



Alicia looking fabulous on the lush water.



Alicia and I having a magical time in Paje.

Umbrellas are the look

Not for the rain...as we have been wildly lucky and not had many wet moments, but for the sun!!! It is so hot here it is practically unbearable. We are now in Alleppey, only about an hours train ride out of Cochin, Kerela. Don't worry, that ride was easy breezy..we did get stared at as we were the only travelers on this commuter train, but the ride was short and sweet. My fall down the flight of steps leading to the train with my giant backpack on was not as sweet!!!
To get to the track our train left from we had to go up 2 flights of stairs, then over a lil pedestrian bridge, and back down. The bottom of my super comfy Jesus sandals slipped on the edge of the step, and I had I not been wearing a 30lb pack on my back, and holding my not so light day pack in my arms, I might have been able to catch myself. But instead I made even more of a spectacle of myself..luckily for me with nothing more than a few bruises. But as if I don't get stared at enough as is here!!!
Any how...we made it. So far as I mentioned Alleppey is HOT!!!!! If I did not have my umbrella to shade my ever so delicate skin I just do not know what I would do!! Everyone here in India is smart enough to carry them around though. Men and women alike. That little bit of shade truly does make a difference in over all temperature.
We are staying at a gorgeous spot that is super lazy and pretty. We actually got the recommend from our friend Laura, who was here in December. The guy that works there is super cool, and remembers her, and was so happy to know that we came here because of the recommend!!
Lover and I have decided to do something extravagant, and spend a night on a beautiful houseboat that rides up the supposedly stunning backwaters. On the boat they serve you all meals, and all that is required of the passengers is to just relax and enjoy the beauty. Not so bad.
ok..xoxoxox
Alicia Claire

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Goa and Fort Cochin picture time

More pictures from Goa:


One of countless old Goan Catholic churches.




A field outside of Anjuna with water buffalo.



The dreaded night train south to Kerala.



Here are some pictures from Fort Cochin (aka Kochi), Kerala.




There are some massive old trees here.



Alicia and I met a kooky rickshaw-walla (3-wheel taxi driver) named Jitu. He took us around to some super bizarre places a couple days ago including a fisherman village. This is their mini-entrance to Cochin Harbor.



Some fishermen getting ready to head out for the evening.




Everyone keeps saying how clean Kerlala is compared to the rest of India (which is a solid trash-sty, everywhere...). Fort Cochin so far is as filthy as the rest. We're hoping that when we get out of the city trash will go into the trash, vs. in the gutter or on the side of the road.



Our funny driver, Jitu, loves playing with the digital camera. He took this picture of a wholesale rice stand. Each dish is a different set of rice.



A lumber mill cutting local wood, mostly coconut trees. I don't think this place would pass an inspection by the fire marshall in the US.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

trendy smendy

A lil bit on traveler fashion:

Whilst in Barcelona is when I first saw a new kind of pant. The best way to describe it to you is like balloon pants, or geenie pants, or even hammer pants. They are usually made of cotton or some other light breezy fabric, and are fitted at the waist{worn low on the hips} and then the crotch of the pants hangs real low to about the knees. The length of the pants is either to the ankle or, shorter to about midway calf, kind of like carpi's. After being all billowy to the knee, the fabric then tapers dramatically and is fitted round the remaining leg, and ends with a tight elastic fit.

The first person I saw these pants on was our friend Sarah who we stayed with there. Now, on her they looked good, because she is petite, beautiful, and rather perfect, so she can pull off anything. As we wandered the city I started to see these pants on many girls and in trendy shops. I was not in love with the look on many other people though. I started referring to them as the Barcelona pant.

Last week in Goa, after many months without seeing this look it popped up again. At first I just thought, oh, these girls must be from Barcelona. I then realized that this style was being sold at all the rickety shops, and I saw many people, girls and guys featuring the look. I then had to ponder where the trend actually started, in Goa or Barcelona. I also was not that shocked to see many people in the look, as I just figured that people were taking in the "cool" Goa fashion, as this place has always bee known for its bizarre party fashion.

Now, in Kerela, even more people are sporting theses silly pants. Guys, girls, older, younger...all Travelers. At this point I am so over them, and they are just a mockery of fashion. Why does every traveler want to be wearing the same "uniform"??!?!?! Not to mention, as I stated earlier..they do not look good on every body type. What happened to being an individual and featuring your own true look, and bringing with you something unique and different to other parts of the world???!!!

Ok...rant and rave..
xoxoxo Alicia Claire

Monday, August 25, 2008

Never Again...

...will I ever ride on an overnight train in my life!!! I cannot take it. It is just the worst thing ever. As you all already know how my first experience of this in Africa was, here is the India version.

After a most pleasant time in Goa we had to get it together for our 17 hour overnight train ride to Kerala. First off, our train was scheduled to leave at 7:15pm, and we got to the train station about a half hour before {as suggested} to get settled. Of course the train was well over an hour and a 1/2 late. This left us standing outside waiting with our what seems to get heavier and heavier luggage, as the sun set and bugs come out in force. Oh, and also, the spot where we had to stand to get on the proper car had the 2 nearest lamp posts out. So here we were in semi darkness, getting eaten alive, to the point that my magic bug cream was not working so that I had to put on a hoodie just to cover my delicate skin. This made me even more miserable, as now I was way too hot, and had too much time to contemplate the impending doom of the train ride to come. I did get some good stretches in during that time though, and that is the only positive thing about the clock ticking away on us.

When our train finally showed up we climbed on and into the tiny hallway to find our bunk. This train trip we could not get a bunk for 2 just to ourselves like we had in Africa, but rather we had a shared cabin that held 4 beds in total. Two bunks facing each other in a tiny compartment with a curtain only to close against the hallway..not even personnel curtains on each bunk as I had wished. As we wobbled down the too thin hall I saw our room # and slid back the curtain. To my horrified surprise there was a family of five camped out in there on all 4 beds. By family of five I mean four adults and one teenager. They immediately scrambled up and a moved themselves and all their stuff to one side of the cabin. I was in a nightmare. How would I ever sleep with 5 people crammed on the opteher side of this minuscule room??!??!!

Lover saw my immediate and growing distress, and went to try and ask if there was any other free space so that we did not have to cram. As he did this I just sat there with all our stuff as the family less that 2 feet across from me all just stared at me. We were out of luck, and had to stay put. The good news is, one person out of the 5 spoke English, and we ended up having quite nice conversation and learned that they were getting off the train in about an hour. They had ridden from Delhi {a 40 hour train ride!!}.

After they got off the train we had the room to ourselves...at least for a little while. Jonathan and I both settled into our separate bunks and were going to read before we attempted to sleep. After a peaceful 20 minutes a new family came to join us in our cabin. This time it was family of 3, one of which was a bratty little boy around the age of 5 or 6 who just did not shut up..nor did the parents show us any courtesy by telling him to be quiet. As dreamman stood up to my bunk to try and wish me a goodnight, a cockroach scuttled on the wall just by my head, and I just lost it. I hated that moment, and really every moment of that ride. I was literally tempted to get off the train at the next stop, and just be done with it!!

I finally, ..finally, made it to sleep, only to awake so many uncomfortable times due to the jostling of the car, and just from being all paranoid about cockroaches creeping across my face. I was also jolted awake by that same wretched family when they were getting off the train, sometime before 5am, when they ever so polietly turned on the disgustingly bright neon light in our cabin and were making no effort to be quiet.

Shortly after the family left, the guy who goes back and forth up the tiny aisle shouting "coffee, chai......coffee, chai" and then some other nonsense in Hindi started, and he also helped keep me up and disturbed. Sometime during his rant we got a 3rd and final roommate, the best one yet, a guy who just passed out, and when he woke earlier than us sat with the shade slightly open so he could work on his computer. Thank goodness for him, beasue I had at least 2 hours of undisturbed sleep then.

Oh...and the bathroom situation was the same as in Africa...best to be avoided at all costs!
Ok....I repeat NEVER AGAIN!!!!!
XOXOXO
Alicia Claire

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Yet more photos


Cows, domestic tourists, and sunset on Calangute Beach.



A typical Goan fishing boat. A large part of the Goan population are Catholics, due to the fact that Goa was a Portugese colony up 1961 until the Indian president at that time got fed up and sent in the Army (which didn't fire a shot).



An aging Portugese building in the central town of Mapusa.



Cruising around in the lushness.



Hanging out with each other on the super scooter.



Mossy walls.



A typical field between the villages.



The palm trees here are very tall and skinny.

Labels: , , ,

Dance Club Nonsense

Dancing around the world has been a lil tougher than anticipated...I am trying, that is for sure, its just not so easy.

We are in Goa which is known for its parties. Although, we are in the off season of course, but there are still plenty of people here, and clubs, bars and restaurants open. Last night we attempted an evening of dancing. We went to the same spot we had been the day before for a drink, Tito's. The sign had said there were to be 3 different DJs playing house and hip hop. Also the owner told us that on Saturday night they were open till 6am and the place would be "rockin".

We were both skeptical, but we had nothing better to do, and I am always down for a dance. We arrived around 10pm to avoid the cover and pat down {this was a good move on our part, because I would not have wanted to pay for what follows}. Jonathan and I decided to find a table and bench near the perimeter of the club so that we could listen to the ocean and have a couple drinks and lounge. Tito's does serve cocktails, and since Goa is supposed to be the spot to get drinks in India I jumped into the deep end one last time, and ordered a drink. I have to admit it was better than most of my other experiences, but mediocre at best. I started out ordering Fenny and a juice. Fenny is a clear alcohol made from either distilled coconut or cashews, and its locally made.

I went coconut style, with a pineapple juice on the side. Fenny is rough. Real rough, like rubbing alcohol rough. They serve it as a small shot in a tall glass {of course no ice} and then you can order either a juice or soda of your choice to go with it. Pineapple juice was a good choice since it helped mask the fumes, making it able for me to choke it down. Next I had the same small shot, but of the local vodka...this was 1000 times better!! The only trouble is that after 3 drinks I felt as if I had really only had 1 strong drink, and to keep buying a million cocktails did not seem like a good idea.

The place did get "Rockin" as the owner had said. Before we knew it, Tito's was packed. We were surprisingly part of the very few crowd of travelers. The overall crowd was mostly Indian guys dressed terribly in the "cool guy outfit" which consists mostly of bad iron on decals, along with sequin and glitter emblems, paired with tight lame over done jeans with "cool" fades and prints on the butt and thighs. The girls were featuring tight jeans and hideous heels with flowy pastel tops. Blahh..Very bad super trend grossness.

As for the music..House and Hip Hop...umm..did I say house?? There was no house music to be heard!! It must have been a mis print on that sign!! Instead the music was bad bad bad late 90s rap and hip hop, I guess. Also there were the cliche clubby top 40 jams maybe from last summer thrown in there too. oh, and about the 3 different DJs, that did not happen either, it was the same guy for as long as we were there. But the Indian crowd was all about it!! The dance floor was packed with people that had no rythem, and I have absolutely no idea what beat they were moving to, but they all seemed to be loving it. I on the other hand, had to muster all my strength to just sit there, and try not to laugh out loud at the monstrosity before me.

As you may have guessed, this was not our scene and there was no dancing to be done for me at Tito's. Lover and I left and took a stroll on the beach before taking a lunatic taxi ride home. The night was nonsense, but we had fun just taking in the silliness of cultural differences.
xoxoxox
Alicia Claire

Photo Op

The other day, actually before we went to Tito, and before our monsoon moment we went into another local part of Goa. We walked throughout he scorching open air market, with wafts of dried fish and spices tickling my nose {not in a good way]. We wandered till I just couldn't bare the heat anymore, and Jonathan needed a snack. We ended up in a local joint not accustomed to travelers. Jonathan had 2 fab samosoas for 50cents. At this point in our trip we are used to being stared at, but I had a whole new level of nonsense happen at this spot. I was glasncing around the room to see a table of guys staring at me {common for Indian men to stare annoyingly at fair skinned ladies}, but what really got me was that one of them was taking pictures of me on his camera phone!!! As if I am some sort of circus freak or something!!
I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster, and made him feel stupid for sure. The funny thing is, had he asked to take my picture I would have posed it out, and loved it, you all know this, bu he was being all sneaky. Not to mention, in every guide book you will ever read it stresses not to take photos of people...its jus rude, unless you ask. I have seen so many amazing looking people, and have wanted to have their picture, but have held back, then this sleeze ball guy just takes mine like its no thing..uugghh!!!
Total nonsense!!
xoxoxo
Alicia Claire

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Getting really, really wet

Alicia and I went down to Baga two nights ago. This town is the apparently the center of tourism madness in Goa. The streets were full of tourists (remember, this is the monsoon off-season), countless shops, and a Dominos and Subway on top. The biggest night club in Goa, Tito's has a property at the end of "Tito's Lane" called Mambos. We stopped here to watch the the ocean and ponder the absurdity of this part of Goa before heading home. Right before we left there was a quick but intense rain shower. It ended soon, and as it was getting late we wanted to get started on the ~15 minute ride back to Anjuna.

Of course as we were leaving Baga (a den of insane traffic) the rain picked up a bit. By the time we were a few minutes outside of town our luck with the weather (so far it has been amazing) ran out. A true Indian monsoon torrent of rain poured down. We had to pull over. I was relieved to see that nearly everyone else on a two-wheeler did the same and were huddled together under any sort of overhang people could find. We squeezed our way in without any reaction from the locals and waited until they all started out again.

This is the result of about 1.5 minutes in the downpour:

Of course this was not the end of the rain. By the time we finally got back we were soaked all the way through. Besides the wet, and a bit of a chill from being on the bike, and somehow in the midst of heading home me losing our used-Spanish cell phone, it was an amazing experience.

shades of green

Electric lime green
Army green
Shamrock green
Hunter green
Jungle green
Moss green
Sea green
Celedon green
Asparagus green
Murky green
Pine green
Palm frond green
Olive green
Jade green
Grass green...
and so on. These are all the shades of green I have witnessed in Goa
xoxox
Alicia Claire

Friday, August 22, 2008

Doo Doo is a Don't Do!!!

Yesterday on our lil expedition I got so excited to take a photo of the already discussed moss covered walls, that I was charging ahead not looking at my footing. I ended up stepping in a huge pile of cow doo!!!! THIS REALLY HAPPENED!!!! Of course I immediately screamed in horror, and then had to settle down and clean this bad luck of fate off me! Thank goodness I have a constant nose problem and carry enough tissues with me for an army, because I needed many along with my hand sanitizer to take care of the drams. I have to say over all I was lucky though...I could have completely slipped and fallen flat back into it!! That would have been an even worse nightmare! I got away with not too much on my sandal, and just had to laugh it off. So, just a reminder, if your going to gallivant down roads where cows and oxen roam freely..Do not, and I repeat DO NOT take your eyes off your path!!!!
xoxoxox Alicia Claire

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Zoom Zoom in the Green

We spent the bulk of our day yesterday exploring the area on (gasp!) a scooter! As most may know I'm really not keen on two wheeled transport. I'm also not very keen on Indian roads. However, getting around here without a scooter is super expensive (one taxi ride is the cost of the scooter for the day) and walking long distance in this heat is not really an option.

Thus we decided that we would safely-as-possible ride around and see Goa off the tourist strip.

We rented a Honda Activa (100cc) for 200INR a day (about $5) from our hotel. Quite a steal!

To those safety-minded (especially my parents! :) the roads we are on are all small country roads with little traffic. The fastest we got was 45kph (28 mph) and most of the time we are going about 20kph (12.5mph) so we're not talking about rocket speeds here.

After a bit of teaching on the road next to our hotel we were off! It is really hard to describe the beauty of this area (pictures to follow). The country lanes are narrow and filled with the old moss-covered Portuguese houses Alicia already described. Everything is utterly saturated green. Yards are giant overgrown fields of lushness. The areas next to the water are either filled with giant skinny palm trees or strange waterways covered in rice patties.

Nearly everyone we encountered gave us a smile (after first waving a smiling at them for a moment). Alicia had excellent luck giving people the Indian 'head bobble' (a bizarre custom here of moving your head from side-to-side without moving your shoulders. I still can't do it, but Alicia has it down) which elicited a bright smile and head bobble back.

There were quite a few other Westerners riding around, but since it is off-season here we suspect the numbers we saw were a fraction of what this place is like in Oct-March.

We rode from Anjuna up through the neighboring villages of Vagator and Chapora (both almost closed down in terms of bars/restaurants, etc... due to the season). Then we rode up to Majorim via the larger town of Solim (not shown on the link below).

Map of the area.

All in all we were gone for about three hours. The time spent really was magical as we both felt we really saw the "true" coastal Goa, as opposed to the strange hippie/trance music traveller creation that this place turns into during the winter. For example, the sleepy village of Chapora is apparently quite popular which hard drinking Muscovites during the 'season', and Vagator is supposedly overrun with stoned Israelis (both men and women, fresh out of their conscripted army service). To us these towns were sleepy and beautiful with almost all the hotels and guesthouses closed down.

After avoiding cows and giant scary water buffalo we headed back to Anjuna for a delightful dinner and a bottle of what turned out to be terrible Indian wine.

-Jonathan

A Special Treat...

For those of you who are not blessed with bizarre Indian Television. I give you... crazy auctioneer guru guy!

Photo post from Goa

Yes! Internet is cheap here, and it is absurdly hot outside. So I've been sitting under a fan processing photo time for you all...



Vagator (about 4kms from Anjuna, where we are staying) from the 17th century Portugese fort that sits on a hill above the village.



A birthday kiss on the beach from my amazing lady!



Fishing boats along a local river.



"Sundowner" (as they would say in Tanzania) birthday drinks overlooking the ocean. Alicia with her "Sleezy Breezy" and me with a foul "Kingfisher Strong" (ABV 8%) - my advice is to stick with the regular Kingfisher.



6am at VT station in Mumbai. Too early, but adventure-tastic!



For those that don't know already, Alicia does not really do early mornings or extreme heat and humidity. A without a doubt, not both!



A busy market street in the Fort early of South Mumbai, directly south of the train station.



As per Alicia's previous post - cocktails in India are likely to be a don't-do.



Stick with beer. The beer is good.



Our Beetle from Wilderness in South Africa.



Driving past a township in the Western Cape.



On the bus headed from Wilderness to Port Elizabeth. Note the two people walking on the left side of the road. There was probably a foot between them and the bus.

Sleazy Breezer..

First things first..Goa is a major DO DO!! This place is completely beautiful, and to think we contemplated changing our itinerary around, to skip the south all together due to weather. Well, sticking to the plan could not have been a better choice. So far the weather has been hotter and muggier than a train station in NYC in the middle of summer. But this was expected, there has been only a short drizzle since we have been here..which was NOT expected. This time of year should be torrential downfalls...{knock on wood for us}.
Yesterday as you know was lovers birthday, and we had such a memorable day. We rented a scooter from our guest house which is the look and how everyone gets around here. After a brief moment of practice Jonathan and I were off to explore this special place. With me seated behind him grasping the back handle and tucking my orange skirt up we were off. The free feeling of the wind against our skin as we sped around getting views of parts of Goa we would have never seen on foot was amazing.
Due to the extreme weather here everything is sooooo green and luscious. I cannot even handle it. Every longstanding brick wall built has now been taken over by moss and sprouting plants that makes it look surreal. Like something out of Tim Burton movie. The immaculate colour of the moss ranges from Electric screeching green to appropriately named deep dark moss green. All the buildings here have such character as well. Influenced by Portuguese architecture with melted colours faded from continuous sun and tinged with moss, lurk in the back round of every small street.
After riding for a while we made our way to the greenish brown hued sea {which is the opposite side of the Indian ocean that was so crystal clear and teal in Tanzania}. For Jonathan's birthday one of the things he wanted to do was go on a hike up to an ancient castle that is in ruins now, overlooking the ocean. For a lady who prefers heels, cocktails, and dancing as her workout..I sure have been doing a lot of off road hiking nonsense instead!! The hike was stunningly gorgeous and terribly hot and sticky, as sweat just rolled down my brow continuously. The path was no more than a walkway imprinted in the ground from so many feet over time. It weaved its way up this gigantic mountain with rocks and pebbles tumbling around us. There were moments closer to the top that we had to extend, reach up, and brace ourselves to make the high step from one jutting rock to the next. The whole while there were creepy crawler caterpillars and bugs galore also making there way around!!
Once at the top though, it was too gorgeous. All I could imagine was a fierce fashion photo shoot with glittering gowns and overly dramatic makeup and hair hair and more hair blowing in the sea wind. Although we had non of that stuff, nor would I even dare try to get it up there, so we did not have the photo shoot of my dreams! :{
The nature alone was lovely enough..with castle walls growing green, and rolling ground, also decadent green, sprinkled with black rocks and old ruins. It evoked something out of The Lord of the Rings to me.
After we came back down we were both ready to celebrate dreammans birthday with a cold beverage overlooking the ocean. We ended up at this cool spot on a cliff side gracing the omnipresent Indian ocean. Jonathan went with the local Kingfisher beer, and I had a sleazy breezer!!! I really did!!! hahahhaa!! The options were beer {which I am not in love with} or a fizzy drink called Bacardi breezer. It comes in a smaller bottle in 3 flavors, cranberry, orange, or lime. It tastes like a liquefied freeze pop with bubbles, and I loved it!! Now, would I ever have this drink in my hand in America??!! NEVER!! But in Goa, on lovers 30th, I was psyched to have something other than wretched wine, or an even more wretched cocktail!!! Looks like from here on out I will be a sleazy breezer drinker in India!!!
ok...xoxoxoxo
Alicia Claire

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Birthday time in Goa!

It is a wonderful day to be a bit older thanks to my wonderful wife and a beautiful place. We arrived last night safe and sound via a pleasant-for-India ~12 hour train ride and a psycho-fast taxi driver. Our hotel is cheap and cute and Anjuna (so far) is super amazing.

We ate dinner and breakfast at the Blue Tao cafe which was utterly divine. What I would describe as organic hippie goodness, it is a welcome and super healthy addition to our diet. I suspect we'll find more of that here as Anjuna is a very popular spot on the 'traveler circuit' in India. Thankfully for us we are here very off season and the crowds are not here. Though there are still a surprising number of Westerners around.

We are off to go explore the area. More soon.

-Jonathan

Monday, August 18, 2008

More photos

Some more photos (all from Tanzania):

The view from Kilima Kidogo, our friendly South African friend's guesthouse at the end of Paje Beach.



Alicia perfectly dressed to pose in a Stonetown (Zanzibar) doorway.



Jonathan against a very old mud brick wall in Stonetown.



Creepy sea shoe. Don't leave your heels in the ocean!



Flip-flops converted to more useful food-gathering purposes.



Alicia and I walking down Paje beach.



A typical alleyway in Stonetown.