Realising Anjuna


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Asia » India » Goa » Anjuna Beach
December 3rd 2010
Published: December 4th 2010
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Day 2.
1. Everything's damp here - nothing gets dry quickly - clothes, tobacco, the road.
2. It rained, thundered and sort of lighteninged today.
3. I only took one photograph today - partly because i didn't want to take my camera to the centre for the first time (I will do next time though!) and partly because I'm still nervous about getting a big flashy item like that out in public yet.
4. I wih I had someone to share a room with as it definitely works out cheaper... perhaps the swedish girl at the centre I met today...?
The aim today was to get to the animal rescue centre and be back in time for dinner with the americans (collective name - hope they don't mind...) at 7pm.
I woke up... then went back to sleep... then woke up again - this heat makes me sleepy... but then so does the cold... I just like sleeping I guess.
Got a taxi to IAR and tried to memorise the jourey so I could take myself there in future. Met Ronald. A really nice Indian guy with a very good english Accent and who did a very thorough job at showing me around... except he never asked for my return ticket for an emergency, so after all that, I think I could have just bought a single! DAMMIT!!... all the doggies and puppies and cats and kitten, snakes, birds and whatever they find that needs help. Some of the dogs were dangerous, some extremely badly injured (this was quite shickingg to me but I managed to keep a lid on it), some sad, some scared, most of them pretty happy and wanting a walk. After meeting a few people, I was shown the system for walking the dogs. My tag with a number on goes on the dog's cage so I remember which cage it has come from (details on the door of what's wrong with the dog and what treatment they're having), I put a chain around it's neck (quite a strong method of pursuading the dogs not to run away) and we go for a little walk down the track which leads to the main road. If we go onto the main road, chances are the dog will be attacked by the local pack. Some of the dogs are very easy to handle. Some are total mentalists and are VERY strong. Much stronger than Lady, but then most dogs are! Boots the Beast the weak little beast. The dogs are taken in, sterilised, vaccinated and released back where they were found. The puppies are rehomed (if people want them), they are not released. I meet a few english speaking people who seem nice and then meet Jan, Nigel and jean Pierre. Jan and Nigel are married and live in Vagator, Jean Pierre is most defintely French and stays here until december then goes back to his mountain home in central france. After I've walked the dogs, they're very helpful in giving me advice on cheaper accomodation and hiring a scooter.
I get a scooter from Krishna for 4000 rupees a month. I made a mistake and forgot that i wasn't staying quite a complete month, also apparently he didn't necessarily give me the best deal on the bike. When I see him again, I'll tell him and try and knock him down... haven't paid in full yet so plenty of time for that... teehee... this bargaining business is easier than I thought.
They make some phone calls and there are three hotel/guest houses they want me to see as my hotel is ripping me off apparently... it is nice, but too expensive for long (around £20 per night - a very nice landing pad though). We make our way, me on a scooter for the first time in nearly 9 years to the guest houses, via a bar in Vagator. The IAR deals with people's pets too and one they are just taking back to someone is a cat who's had a bladder operation. For a while in the bar (yes, the cat came too...) the cat looked almost dead in its cage, but came round after its anasthetic and by the time we were ready to take it home, it had come round! The owner was a very sweet India lady who was very upset at seeing her cat in this state, thought we'd dome something to the cat, so it had to be explained to her what had happened and that the cat would be fine in a few hours. I totally didnt think of that. She really had no idea what had happened to her cat at the centre, other than that she'd taken it in as it wasn't very well.
Plenty of cool people around in Vagator, lots to do, but most people either sitting around or buzzing about on scooters. Jan and Nigel are so nice to me and we chat about life here, drinking, eating meat (which is something not a lot of the volunteers at the cente do... mosty vegan!) and their lifestyle. It sounds nice, but to be honest, it doesn't seem like people really 'do' a lot. I think I could get bored if I lived here and didn't really have anything to do. yeah, the beaches are lovely... perhaps this is just what I'm learning about Anjuna and touristy hotel life in particular.
After seeing a few hotels, I pick one called Yellow Tree and although I tell the woman I will pay in advance until 26th december, I second thought later on that that I may search around for an even cheaper option, although the price of 550 rupees (around £7) is very good for a hotel right near the beach, I think I can do better. This is a good way out of the upmarket Villa Anjuna though.
So, the scooter is cool. I get some confidence and bazz about the dusty lanes to try it out. I feel pretty dodgy without a helmet though, especially since I've had a motorcycle accident before and it was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Apparently you need to wear one on the 'highway' only. I take it easy and am very alert. After heading back to the hotel and having a snack then a swim then a nap (which actually made me feel worse) I meet the american people I met yesterday and we wander down to the cliff to have some food. It's so expensive so we agree to go somewhere else - people in the same fram eof mind as me - I like!... We sat and listened to a guy playing Pink Floyd covers on his guitar in a bar and I look around at the people. Tourists. I think I'm definitely ready to move somewhere else. I'll probably get bored of there and want to be somewhere else even, but for now, this is OK. I'm finding my feet and am sussing things out.
On the way back, there is a bar playing some films so we end up watching 'Don't mess with the Zohan' - a fitting tribute to Israel and Jordan where the Americans have just come from. Funny film. not sure why I watched it in Anjuna but there we go. Tomorrow I'll bugger off and try out somewhere else.
It just goes to show, that even on a big and daunting trip such as this, for me, it's easy to figure out (only in a couple of days) where you feel more comfortable and where you really want to be.
Definitely want to head to Arambol at some point as the beasts had a great time there... fewer touristy types perhaps... but further from the IAR. Will have to go on a day trip and see!

5. I feel like I'm just living the experience. Not expecting anything. Not looking to do anything in particular.
6. Apparently even to the Indians, the food I'm eating is spicy. Does that mean for westerners or for everyone?
7. i feel little bit bad that jan arranged the reduced price at the yellow tree hotel providing i paid all in advance and was there until the 26th...i haven't paid anything yet though and Jan did say she hoped she wasn't 'road railing' me...


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5th December 2010

its raining in goaaa ??? bad...somthng wrng with the weather cycle of india...name it global warming :)

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