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Published: December 31st 2005
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after two and a half months of straight backpacking, we were plenty prepared to take in what India has to offer. people we have met so far during our travels have said that they either LOVE or HATE India. although it is very different from any other country we have experienced thus far... we already LOVE it!
India has a warm vibe that is almost contagious. at least to us. for many travellers, the pollution, extreme poverty, constant haggling, and high risk of diarrhea deters them from seeing the true beauty of this magical country. each state in India is soooooo different with a rainbow of languages, customs, religions, food, clothing... culture when it comes down to it. this sub-continent is SO big we are overwhelmed with our short stay. so what do we do? we are staying in one place for the holidays and loosely "organizing" our master plan for the next few months!
so far: the people are ridiculously friendly, the architecture is beautiful and the food is unreal!!!!!!!!!
we landed in Mumbai and the minute we stepped out of the terminal into the hustle and bustle of India's capital, we were greeted by swarms of
mosquitoes and a pleasant thick breath of "air" we never knew was possible. this is when we knew we had arrived in India! they say that a day spent in Mumbai (previously referred to as Bombay) is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes!! disgusting.
after a few days here we decided to split and chill out at Goa, the smallest Indian state south from Mumbai. we are in a small little hippy beach town called Arambol in the north of Goa. we left Mumbai the evening of the 15th around 7pm. the train was fully booked until the 19th, so we took a bus; we were the only non-indian people other than one korean couple! absolutely not a single feeling of being unsafe though... all warm and smiley people. it was so cute... in the morning, we were at a rest stop and almost all of them whipped out their toothbrushes!
we didn't get into one of the main cities of Goa until 12:30 pm... and all the taxi drivers were hassling us - saying they could take us where we wanted to go for $4.50 each, blah blah blah. we have become quite travel savvy though, and asked
someone if there was a local bus that ran to Arambol and how much would it be (prices are always changing if it looks like you don't have a clue). so we got to the chaotic bus station at quarter to one... and just our luck! a bus for 10 cents was leaving at one!
it was a trip. arms and legs everywhere, we were sweating but def enjoyed standing in the isle after sitting for so long. an hour later we got dropped off at the top of a hill w/a few buildings scattered around that looked like the middle of nowhere. then we saw some white people drive a motor bike out of a long unmarked road (looked like a dirt driveway) towards the beach. we walked with our packs for about 2-3 km before we reached a beachy/dirt road version of Fairfax, CA. except there were no cars and a single road that led to the beach.
the west coast of Goa is known for its beautiful beaches, so we decided to make Arambol our home base through the the holidays and just take day trips to the other towns, markets, and beaches. it is
a day trip to panjim, goa
this city was painted with vibrant colors... our cameras never turned off! so nice to feel settled and get re-energized for an extended period of time after always being on the go for nearly three months! it is also fun to see familiar faces around town and getting to know some of the local restaurant/bar owners. Arambol is also a very popular destination for musicians, so we enjoyed many nights of open mics and live performances.
the last two weeks, we stayed two huts up from the beach on the main strip that was covered with colorful garments being sold, steel bongos and store fronts that offer pastries and fresh fruit drinks. every morning we split a pot of the yummiest masala chi tea, as we dug our bare feet into the sand which was the typical floor of every restaurant here.
there were NO "package" tourists as they call them here - just a mellow, eclectic, worldly group of people visiting/living there, all happy family owned businesses, no cars, a beautiful beach with cows meandering around at will, phenomenal sunsets, restaurants that let random solo musicians rock out together, "donation" based beach yoga classes, reiki, astrology readings, massage... our little paradise should be the new name!
after soaking
up the sun and befriending everyone in town, we got the travel bug again! yesterday we spent 13 hours on a jam packed, local bus ride that brought us along an unpaved dirt road through god knows what... literally it looked like we were driving through the middle of nowhere! yet again, we do what we want (the cheap way!) and found ourselves to be the only westerners on the bus.it was a trip!
late last night we arrived in Hampi in the state of Karnataka. this is a small city that is surrounded on ALL sides by intricate temple ruins which it is very famous for. a lot of these ruins date back to the 1500's and we plan on renting a motor bike to check out all these historical sites in the next few days. surprisingly, we are very anxious and excited to get back to site seeing after taking a break for so long!
just wanted to wish you all a HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2006? crazy.
xoxo S & J
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ablondon
Adam Blake London
Nice pics
hello ladies...beautiful pictures...we need to talk about thailand...email me!!!!!!!!!! love you adam