Friday, February 12, 2010
Incredible India
And it tastes great!
needs no explanation
I am really trying to find this amazing Nair Hair removal ad, where one girl puts her hand on her friend's hairy arm and goes "Ouch, you need to Nair that." But I haven't found it yet. It's truly amazing
So you will just have to get into these, the Fair and Lovely series
This one is my favourite because it combines two of my favourite things, sports broadcasting and skin care!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Udaipur, that's where they filmed "Octopussy" right?
Mumbai happened in a flash. I was thrilled that we got to see the Albert Kahn exhibit at NGMA
And we had a few amazing meals, (especially the Masala Raman Noodles.)
And then we were off to Udaipur in the northern province of Rajasthan. We flew Kingfisher from Mumbai, and got stopped by the police on our way to the airport. No big deal but afterward the taxi driver and I had a very simplistic discussion in which we each conveyed our sincere believe that police are very bad business, and best to avoid.
We had a fairly uneventful flight only a few things are worth noting. 1.) Although the line-up to check in was very long it moved very quickly. Too quickly for me. I thought I was all packed and ready to go, but then my shoe broke, we forgot to take our liquids out of our carry-ons, the backpacks were not properly tied up, we didn't have any identification on them, etc etc. Point being I caused a huge slow down at the check in desk, and became one of the people I loath at the airport. You know the type.
Next item of note. Our landing in Udaipur was terrifying. At first I thought it was just me, then just me and Justin. But no. Looking around i saw many a worried face. Very foggy, very bumpy. But then the landing was surprisingly soft. Just goes to show what I know.
Lots of kooky white people at the airport. Justin and i have been playing guess where those whities are from? "American I think"
Now to Udaipur. We splurged on our hotel. It had a pool! And was phenomenally beautiful. we had blankets and hot water, both a first in over a month. And the grounds were lovely, with courtyards and gardens complete with turtles. Too bad we didn't bother to test the pool. I did jump in twice but both times the freezing water made me think I was going into cardiac arrest. I tried to tough it out to get Justin to jump in, but he wasn't having it. He had been really keen on the pool and in the end he didn't even get in. We did however, see the men's finals of the Australian Open. Federer is killing me.
Udaipur, is the most beautiful place I have seen since we arrived in India, and might possibly be the most beautiful place in the world. The ghats, where men and women come to bathe and do laundry, are stunning. From every rooftop there is a view of spectacular temples, palaces and city architecture. It reminded me of Italy or Greece, although i haven't actually been to Greece. We dined on the rooftops, in small courtyards. We shopped at beautiful artisan shops and paid a pittance. I bought perfume, and leather bags, I bought a turban and a new leather journal. Justin and I also had massages with an incredible man named Raju.
Raju knows exactly what ails you just by looking at you. He can tell you all about your body with the slightest touch. His massages are not always relaxing, although my proved to be very relaxing* but they definitely make you feel lighter, and can improve even the most nagging pain.
We stayed in Udaipur for a full week, and got into a very nice routine. We had breakfast everyday in the courtyard of Mahendra Prakash . We had the best service, and they would bring anything to our rooms, including the doctor, for Justin. Don't worry though, I am still fine.
We did yoga, also on a rooftop. The views could rival any romantic images of India you could conjure. The sun would pour over us as we did our sun salutations and shavasanas. And everyday was relaxing and leisurely.
We hiked to the Monsoon Palace and toured the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple. We even had high tea in one of the fancy hotels in the City Palace Complex, it was divine. Honestly the week flew by too fast. But we did meet some lovely people, and we even convinced our new friend Lucy to come with us to Pushkar.
Highlights of Udaipur
profound beauty
the walk from our hotel to the centre of town
tea at the City Palace
hiking to Monsoon Palace
Lucy, Emma, Sian, Steve, Mike and Raju
the warm days and cool nights of the Indian desert.
Lowlights of Udaipur
the pool at the Manhendra Prakash - unswimmable
*Without giving it all away ( I'll save that for those of you that actually care. My massage with Raju was borderline sex therapy, and I would definitely recommend it.)
And we had a few amazing meals, (especially the Masala Raman Noodles.)
And then we were off to Udaipur in the northern province of Rajasthan. We flew Kingfisher from Mumbai, and got stopped by the police on our way to the airport. No big deal but afterward the taxi driver and I had a very simplistic discussion in which we each conveyed our sincere believe that police are very bad business, and best to avoid.
We had a fairly uneventful flight only a few things are worth noting. 1.) Although the line-up to check in was very long it moved very quickly. Too quickly for me. I thought I was all packed and ready to go, but then my shoe broke, we forgot to take our liquids out of our carry-ons, the backpacks were not properly tied up, we didn't have any identification on them, etc etc. Point being I caused a huge slow down at the check in desk, and became one of the people I loath at the airport. You know the type.
Next item of note. Our landing in Udaipur was terrifying. At first I thought it was just me, then just me and Justin. But no. Looking around i saw many a worried face. Very foggy, very bumpy. But then the landing was surprisingly soft. Just goes to show what I know.
Lots of kooky white people at the airport. Justin and i have been playing guess where those whities are from? "American I think"
Now to Udaipur. We splurged on our hotel. It had a pool! And was phenomenally beautiful. we had blankets and hot water, both a first in over a month. And the grounds were lovely, with courtyards and gardens complete with turtles. Too bad we didn't bother to test the pool. I did jump in twice but both times the freezing water made me think I was going into cardiac arrest. I tried to tough it out to get Justin to jump in, but he wasn't having it. He had been really keen on the pool and in the end he didn't even get in. We did however, see the men's finals of the Australian Open. Federer is killing me.
Udaipur, is the most beautiful place I have seen since we arrived in India, and might possibly be the most beautiful place in the world. The ghats, where men and women come to bathe and do laundry, are stunning. From every rooftop there is a view of spectacular temples, palaces and city architecture. It reminded me of Italy or Greece, although i haven't actually been to Greece. We dined on the rooftops, in small courtyards. We shopped at beautiful artisan shops and paid a pittance. I bought perfume, and leather bags, I bought a turban and a new leather journal. Justin and I also had massages with an incredible man named Raju.
Raju knows exactly what ails you just by looking at you. He can tell you all about your body with the slightest touch. His massages are not always relaxing, although my proved to be very relaxing* but they definitely make you feel lighter, and can improve even the most nagging pain.
We stayed in Udaipur for a full week, and got into a very nice routine. We had breakfast everyday in the courtyard of Mahendra Prakash . We had the best service, and they would bring anything to our rooms, including the doctor, for Justin. Don't worry though, I am still fine.
We did yoga, also on a rooftop. The views could rival any romantic images of India you could conjure. The sun would pour over us as we did our sun salutations and shavasanas. And everyday was relaxing and leisurely.
We hiked to the Monsoon Palace and toured the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple. We even had high tea in one of the fancy hotels in the City Palace Complex, it was divine. Honestly the week flew by too fast. But we did meet some lovely people, and we even convinced our new friend Lucy to come with us to Pushkar.
Highlights of Udaipur
profound beauty
the walk from our hotel to the centre of town
tea at the City Palace
hiking to Monsoon Palace
Lucy, Emma, Sian, Steve, Mike and Raju
the warm days and cool nights of the Indian desert.
Lowlights of Udaipur
the pool at the Manhendra Prakash - unswimmable
*Without giving it all away ( I'll save that for those of you that actually care. My massage with Raju was borderline sex therapy, and I would definitely recommend it.)
Mumbai is to Bombay as ...
When Justin and I got to India we flew in to Mumbai but all we saw was this.
well hello there
The Sea Link is the shit
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Bandra
"Mummy can we take a rickshaw?"
ps. I have illegally copied these images from the Internet without crediting the photographers. Just thought you should know.
HTLGN - Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHyNhMcHrFk&feature=related
It is such a pain that HTLGN Canada has requested that youtube disable the embed but at least I got to see it. And now so can you. Don't worry you only need to watch the first 30 seconds.
It is such a pain that HTLGN Canada has requested that youtube disable the embed but at least I got to see it. And now so can you. Don't worry you only need to watch the first 30 seconds.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Got To Goa
We arrived in Goa in the afternoon thinking we could just hop in a rickshaw to Agonda. Unfortunately Agonda was quite a bit further than we thought and it turned out we needed to pull a rickshaw, bus, rickshaw combo to get there. No sweat for us, Justin and I are old pros. Getting to the bus station and finding the bus was easy, but as we got on board the conductor stopped us and mumbled something incoherent about our bags. We were trying to figure out what he was saying while standing on the practically empty bus when he pointed to the roof indicating that that is where our bags needed to go. So I told Justin I would figure it out. Now I was assuming that he was going to get some guy to take care of the bags, but instead he took off to the chai stand leaving me standing there looking at a ladder up to the roof. Well, I guess I am on my own.
I hoisted Justin's pack on my back and started climbing the ladder . I had gathered quite an intrigued crowd, mostly men who started watching me and discussing my bus scaling technique. I managed to get to the top no problem but then started to feel a bit panicked because getting to the top of the ladder was relatively easy but actually getting from the ladder to the bus was going to be another matter. I employed a sort of awkward inch worm shuffle, covering myself in dirt and grime while prostrating on the roof of the bus. But at least I didn't fall or dropped the pack in the process. A success, since as I slid onto the bus I was shimming awkwardly side to side and had several white knuckle moments where the pack lurched to one side or the other. But I made it. I tentatively darted across the corrugated metal roof to the rack and clip the pack to the frame so that it didn't go flying off the back of the bus. I then made my way back to the ladder. And again panic set in. I am sure you have experienced the sensation at the top of a rather steep ladder or hill when you realize you are going to have to swing your legs over the ledge and go back down. And it dawned on me right then that when we arrive I, ( read Justin,) was going to have to do the descent with the pack on. But the crowd watching me had grown and I couldn't very well stay up there on the top of the bus. I had to get down and get the other pack up there. So I swallowed my fear and descended the ladder.Then as I was coming down I saw Justin through the window of the bus sitting facing the other direction gazing peacefully out the window. Hmmm, I thought, what is wrong with this picture? Here I am covered in dust, and in all white I might add, and my strong male companion is resting comfortably on the bus waving at children. But I didn't want to disappoint my supporters now, since I could see they had called a number of other men over to watch me attempt the second pack. So I hoisted my pack and up I went. All the timing fretting and wishing I could stay up there rather than come down again. But again I made it up and back in one piece.
After my time as a Sherpa I got on the bus and Justin, true to form says, "girl you're filthy." Well he didn't say it but I can tell he's thinking it. "That was quite an experience. I had to climb those packs up there myself." I hinted
"good work girl," he said. Obviously the feat was lost on him. And then sure enough we were off. When we arrived in the town where we were meant to disembark I'd figured out what we were going to do about unloading our packs, since it is all I had been thinking about for the last fifteen minutes. While Justin is big and strong I thought his height might make carrying those packs on the ladder actually more difficult. So instead I told him I will climb up and hand the packs over the ledge to you. A rather simpler system. From there we are supposed to get a rickshaw, but there were any only taxis. Of course. Taxis being considerably more expensive.
Justin and I haggled with the lone taxi driver and eventually agreed on the fare to Agonda. Haggling is such an art, especially since you almost never know how much anything is actually worth. But a good rule of thumb is to ask the price, and then no matter what is said cut it in half or maybe even two thirds as a counter-offer. This usually is met by a look of shock indicating that you have greatly offended. Then they will ask you for your real price. And you should repeat your low-ball offer. From there they will give you a counter offer, which you should indicate is equally as offensive. Thank them and begin to walk away, that is when the price usually starts to drop to something in the reasonable range. Once the offers start to get reasonable give an inch and then don't budge. Deal done!
So we get in the taxi and ride out to Agonda. Agonda is beautiful and if I were to go back to Goa, Agonda is where I would go. For four days we sat on the beach without anyone bothering us. We slept in a hut literally 100 feet from the sea. And we met some really nice travelers, including a David Hainey doppelganger, Chad from Vancouver traveling with his eccentric Quebecois father Michelle. Michelle made fun of me for being American," he could tell," he said. Although he did tell me I sounded very Canadian when we were discussing the cheapest places to ski in Europe. Funny guy. Michelle and Chad were cruising around India on an Enfield Bullet. Very cool. It was also in Agonda that we experienced one of the highlight moments of the trip so far.
Agonda, we had learned is a very quiet place. Everywhere is usually dead by 10pm. But on the night we arrived, there was going to be a dance performance at the restaurant affiliated with our huts, Dock 'n' Chill is the name. We were sitting in the lovely lounge area smoking tobacco from the hookah with Chad and Michelle and Justin's friend Heidi, who was the reason we came to Agonda. There was a large party of Indians also there, as well as dozens of other travelers watching the dancing. It was quite a party and then all of a sudden the bar man yelled, "drinks are on the house." That was definitely a first, and took the festivities to a new level. Everyone had a great night dancing, drinking, and generally enjoying the festive atmosphere. At midnight an official showed up to shut the party down. We learned later that this was a very rare event in Agonda, and that the party was in honor of the Goan president of Shell Oil, who was there celebrating his birthday. One of those spontaneously lucky moments in life where everything falls into place and it seems that it is just for you. Actually the whole experience in Agonda was like that.
Highlights of Agonda
partying with Mr. Shell Oil
relaxing on the beach with practically no one else in sight.
meeting other interesting travelers
yoga on the rooftop of the ashram where Heidi is staying
sleeping to the sounds of the waves
Lowlights of Agonda
none, it was perfect
Justin and I were sad to leave a few days later. We weren't sure that we were making the right choice leaving Agonda for another beach town in Goa, Arambol, in the north. But we were planning to meet some other travelers, Sean and Aileen that we had met, and were looking forward to seeing the countryside of Goa, so off we went. We had noticed that the travel infrastructure of Goa seemed decidedly less built up than in other parts of India and so we decided to hire a driver to drive us to Arambol. We also thought that it might be nice to have a local give us a bit of a tour in the capital city. Unfortunately Ashok, our driver, wasn't much of a tour guide although he did stop in Old Goa so that we could see the Basilica Bom Jesus. They have some saint's body in there that hasn't decomposed in over 400 years. They used to take his body down every year so people could celebrate and revere him. But they had to stop doing that a few years back cause some woman bent down as if to kiss his foot and bit off his toe, claiming to be his descendant and wanting to take a piece of her relative home with her.
After touring Old Goa for a while we got back on the road to Arambol. When we got to town we had Ashok drop us off at the hotel that Aileen and Sean were staying and booked a room. At first we thought being on the second floor in the corner unit would be nice, boy were we wrong. About 100 meters away from us was the local Russian trance bar which serenaded us every night and into the dawn. The trance bar really sums up Arambol. Sean later told us that it was totally different when he had been there ten years ago. And I imagine that in about ten years Agonda could have the same fate. It was very built up in Arambol and seemed to be attracting a certain type of tourist. (Read pain in the ass nouveau riche Russians.) There was also a large population of trapped-in-time hippies who must have come to Arambol in the 70's and never left. In fact if they ever stopped smoking charras long enough they might be as startled by the changes as Sean.
The one highlight of Arambol was the Wednesday market in the neighboring town of Ajuna. The market was a hotbed of activity and we went with Sean who is a haggling pro. In fact he taught us a few tricks of the trade. And he was the one who told us that our counter offers needed to be shamefully low. The way he figured if the vendors could give us a two hundred percent mark up without batting an eyelash why can't we suggest an equally outrageous counter offer. Sean is also a shopaholic so it was quite amusing to watch him go full force in the stalls. He was also great because he took us to the Hotel Buena Vista for lunch so we could go swimming in their incredible pool. Thus we avoided the mid day heat at the market. When we got back to the market we were feeling very refreshed while all the stall vendors and other tourists were looking a little lethargic. It was then that we got some of the best deals of the day. I bought a beautiful green silk sari and a silver duvet cover with matching pillow cases. The bedspread and pillow cases cost me all of about $25.00. Imagine getting silk bedding at home for that price?! Justin also scored some great deals on some Indian style shirts and Ali baba pants. Suffice it to say it was a very successful shop.
The only other memorable day in Arambol was Republic Day, which happened while we were in town. In India they celebrate major national holidays totally differently than we do back home. The most distinct difference is that Republic Day is a dry day. Can you imagine no booze on Canada Day? It is almost sacrilegious! But we got around that one. Our buddy Raj, who was our waiter on the beach everyday made us pina colada's and told us that if anyone asked it was just fruit shakes. Thanks Raj! We spent the day getting pina coladaed on the beach, sunning in perfect weather, (sorry Torontoians) and frolicking in the sea. Then in the evening the local football (read soccer) club hosted a five a side tournament. It was actually quite impressive. They set up a full pitch in the sand with lights for when it got dark, and they even had an announcer and music blaring through the speakers. Although you couldn't understand a word he said. We didn't stay to see who won since it appeared the tournament was going to go until the early hours of the morning. But it was a really fun evening in Arambol. And then before we knew it it was time to head to Bombay to meet Teresa and Charlie.
highlights of Arambol
shopping in Anjuna
swimming at the Buena Vista hotel pool
Republic Day
Raj our cabana boy
football tournament
hanging out with Sean and Aileen
lowlights of Arambol
everything else about Arambol, with particular emphasis on sleeping within earshot of the trance club.
I hoisted Justin's pack on my back and started climbing the ladder . I had gathered quite an intrigued crowd, mostly men who started watching me and discussing my bus scaling technique. I managed to get to the top no problem but then started to feel a bit panicked because getting to the top of the ladder was relatively easy but actually getting from the ladder to the bus was going to be another matter. I employed a sort of awkward inch worm shuffle, covering myself in dirt and grime while prostrating on the roof of the bus. But at least I didn't fall or dropped the pack in the process. A success, since as I slid onto the bus I was shimming awkwardly side to side and had several white knuckle moments where the pack lurched to one side or the other. But I made it. I tentatively darted across the corrugated metal roof to the rack and clip the pack to the frame so that it didn't go flying off the back of the bus. I then made my way back to the ladder. And again panic set in. I am sure you have experienced the sensation at the top of a rather steep ladder or hill when you realize you are going to have to swing your legs over the ledge and go back down. And it dawned on me right then that when we arrive I, ( read Justin,) was going to have to do the descent with the pack on. But the crowd watching me had grown and I couldn't very well stay up there on the top of the bus. I had to get down and get the other pack up there. So I swallowed my fear and descended the ladder.Then as I was coming down I saw Justin through the window of the bus sitting facing the other direction gazing peacefully out the window. Hmmm, I thought, what is wrong with this picture? Here I am covered in dust, and in all white I might add, and my strong male companion is resting comfortably on the bus waving at children. But I didn't want to disappoint my supporters now, since I could see they had called a number of other men over to watch me attempt the second pack. So I hoisted my pack and up I went. All the timing fretting and wishing I could stay up there rather than come down again. But again I made it up and back in one piece.
After my time as a Sherpa I got on the bus and Justin, true to form says, "girl you're filthy." Well he didn't say it but I can tell he's thinking it. "That was quite an experience. I had to climb those packs up there myself." I hinted
"good work girl," he said. Obviously the feat was lost on him. And then sure enough we were off. When we arrived in the town where we were meant to disembark I'd figured out what we were going to do about unloading our packs, since it is all I had been thinking about for the last fifteen minutes. While Justin is big and strong I thought his height might make carrying those packs on the ladder actually more difficult. So instead I told him I will climb up and hand the packs over the ledge to you. A rather simpler system. From there we are supposed to get a rickshaw, but there were any only taxis. Of course. Taxis being considerably more expensive.
Justin and I haggled with the lone taxi driver and eventually agreed on the fare to Agonda. Haggling is such an art, especially since you almost never know how much anything is actually worth. But a good rule of thumb is to ask the price, and then no matter what is said cut it in half or maybe even two thirds as a counter-offer. This usually is met by a look of shock indicating that you have greatly offended. Then they will ask you for your real price. And you should repeat your low-ball offer. From there they will give you a counter offer, which you should indicate is equally as offensive. Thank them and begin to walk away, that is when the price usually starts to drop to something in the reasonable range. Once the offers start to get reasonable give an inch and then don't budge. Deal done!
So we get in the taxi and ride out to Agonda. Agonda is beautiful and if I were to go back to Goa, Agonda is where I would go. For four days we sat on the beach without anyone bothering us. We slept in a hut literally 100 feet from the sea. And we met some really nice travelers, including a David Hainey doppelganger, Chad from Vancouver traveling with his eccentric Quebecois father Michelle. Michelle made fun of me for being American," he could tell," he said. Although he did tell me I sounded very Canadian when we were discussing the cheapest places to ski in Europe. Funny guy. Michelle and Chad were cruising around India on an Enfield Bullet. Very cool. It was also in Agonda that we experienced one of the highlight moments of the trip so far.
Agonda, we had learned is a very quiet place. Everywhere is usually dead by 10pm. But on the night we arrived, there was going to be a dance performance at the restaurant affiliated with our huts, Dock 'n' Chill is the name. We were sitting in the lovely lounge area smoking tobacco from the hookah with Chad and Michelle and Justin's friend Heidi, who was the reason we came to Agonda. There was a large party of Indians also there, as well as dozens of other travelers watching the dancing. It was quite a party and then all of a sudden the bar man yelled, "drinks are on the house." That was definitely a first, and took the festivities to a new level. Everyone had a great night dancing, drinking, and generally enjoying the festive atmosphere. At midnight an official showed up to shut the party down. We learned later that this was a very rare event in Agonda, and that the party was in honor of the Goan president of Shell Oil, who was there celebrating his birthday. One of those spontaneously lucky moments in life where everything falls into place and it seems that it is just for you. Actually the whole experience in Agonda was like that.
Highlights of Agonda
partying with Mr. Shell Oil
relaxing on the beach with practically no one else in sight.
meeting other interesting travelers
yoga on the rooftop of the ashram where Heidi is staying
sleeping to the sounds of the waves
Lowlights of Agonda
none, it was perfect
Justin and I were sad to leave a few days later. We weren't sure that we were making the right choice leaving Agonda for another beach town in Goa, Arambol, in the north. But we were planning to meet some other travelers, Sean and Aileen that we had met, and were looking forward to seeing the countryside of Goa, so off we went. We had noticed that the travel infrastructure of Goa seemed decidedly less built up than in other parts of India and so we decided to hire a driver to drive us to Arambol. We also thought that it might be nice to have a local give us a bit of a tour in the capital city. Unfortunately Ashok, our driver, wasn't much of a tour guide although he did stop in Old Goa so that we could see the Basilica Bom Jesus. They have some saint's body in there that hasn't decomposed in over 400 years. They used to take his body down every year so people could celebrate and revere him. But they had to stop doing that a few years back cause some woman bent down as if to kiss his foot and bit off his toe, claiming to be his descendant and wanting to take a piece of her relative home with her.
After touring Old Goa for a while we got back on the road to Arambol. When we got to town we had Ashok drop us off at the hotel that Aileen and Sean were staying and booked a room. At first we thought being on the second floor in the corner unit would be nice, boy were we wrong. About 100 meters away from us was the local Russian trance bar which serenaded us every night and into the dawn. The trance bar really sums up Arambol. Sean later told us that it was totally different when he had been there ten years ago. And I imagine that in about ten years Agonda could have the same fate. It was very built up in Arambol and seemed to be attracting a certain type of tourist. (Read pain in the ass nouveau riche Russians.) There was also a large population of trapped-in-time hippies who must have come to Arambol in the 70's and never left. In fact if they ever stopped smoking charras long enough they might be as startled by the changes as Sean.
The one highlight of Arambol was the Wednesday market in the neighboring town of Ajuna. The market was a hotbed of activity and we went with Sean who is a haggling pro. In fact he taught us a few tricks of the trade. And he was the one who told us that our counter offers needed to be shamefully low. The way he figured if the vendors could give us a two hundred percent mark up without batting an eyelash why can't we suggest an equally outrageous counter offer. Sean is also a shopaholic so it was quite amusing to watch him go full force in the stalls. He was also great because he took us to the Hotel Buena Vista for lunch so we could go swimming in their incredible pool. Thus we avoided the mid day heat at the market. When we got back to the market we were feeling very refreshed while all the stall vendors and other tourists were looking a little lethargic. It was then that we got some of the best deals of the day. I bought a beautiful green silk sari and a silver duvet cover with matching pillow cases. The bedspread and pillow cases cost me all of about $25.00. Imagine getting silk bedding at home for that price?! Justin also scored some great deals on some Indian style shirts and Ali baba pants. Suffice it to say it was a very successful shop.
The only other memorable day in Arambol was Republic Day, which happened while we were in town. In India they celebrate major national holidays totally differently than we do back home. The most distinct difference is that Republic Day is a dry day. Can you imagine no booze on Canada Day? It is almost sacrilegious! But we got around that one. Our buddy Raj, who was our waiter on the beach everyday made us pina colada's and told us that if anyone asked it was just fruit shakes. Thanks Raj! We spent the day getting pina coladaed on the beach, sunning in perfect weather, (sorry Torontoians) and frolicking in the sea. Then in the evening the local football (read soccer) club hosted a five a side tournament. It was actually quite impressive. They set up a full pitch in the sand with lights for when it got dark, and they even had an announcer and music blaring through the speakers. Although you couldn't understand a word he said. We didn't stay to see who won since it appeared the tournament was going to go until the early hours of the morning. But it was a really fun evening in Arambol. And then before we knew it it was time to head to Bombay to meet Teresa and Charlie.
highlights of Arambol
shopping in Anjuna
swimming at the Buena Vista hotel pool
Republic Day
Raj our cabana boy
football tournament
hanging out with Sean and Aileen
lowlights of Arambol
everything else about Arambol, with particular emphasis on sleeping within earshot of the trance club.
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