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Published: February 4th 2010
Hello from Arambol, a beautiful beach in northern Goa. We have spent the past week checking out more than a dozen tropical beaches - needless to say, I am in heaven. I don't mean to rub it in (especially for those back in Raincouver), but we haven't been pelted with a single drop of rain since we arrived in India!
After Hampi we hopped an overnight bus, which turned out to be an 8-hour trip from hell. We got the sleeper berth right at the back of the bus, so we actually caught air off the mattress when the driver went over bumps - and the road was pretty much all bumps. Added to that were the nonstop diesel fumes, traffic jams, and hot, cramped quarters - just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, people started smoking! At 4:30am, the bus dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, to be picked up by a minibus to take us the rest of the way (at additional cost). It would have been nice if they'd mentioned that when we bought the tickets!
When we finally made it to our destination (Gokarna, in northern Karnataka), we were very happy
to not be bouncing around in an exhaust cloud any more - and we vowed not to take any more night buses this trip. On the bright side, when we got settled it made Kudle Beach (Mel's favourite beach so far) that much sweeter. It was relatively quiet, with great sunsets every evening. We checked out the surrounding area on foot - Om Beach, Half-Moon Beach, and the town of Gokarna, and decided that Kudle ("kood-lay") was the place to be. It was the perfect balance of being out of town, with the conveniences (ATMs, masala dosas, etc.) a short walk away.
After a few days there, we packed our bags and moved on to Agonda - another relatively quiet beach town in Southern Goa. We spent a few low-key days there, and had to spend an extra one when I got hit with a gut bug. Mel took great care of me though, and I was back on my feet in no time.
We then moved up the coast by train and bus (during the day!), to northern Goa. Our plan was to go as far as Querim Beach right on the northern tip of Goa, but
Cute beach bums
Dogs roam around everywhere here - most of them are good natured and happy to join people in walks on the beach. There are just too many of them though, in various states of health, unfortunately.by the time we got to Arambol Beach we were bagged from a full day of travel and decided to find a place there instead. It's beautiful too, although there are many more people. There is a long street winding back from the beach which is lined with shops selling travel threads, knick-knacks and souvenirs. We spent a couple of nights at a guesthouse right in the heart of the action, but then moved out to a great little spot on a palm tree-covered, oceanfront hillside a short walk from the beach. It feels like a villa - we have a nice rounded balcony where we've hung the hammock and a beautiful view of the water through the trees. There's a fair amount of wildlife around too - we are serenaded by crows every morning at 6:30am sharp (yay, earplugs!). We also have a gecko lizard to take care of the mosquitos, and Mel discovered this morning that chipmunks sometimes visit us and scamper long the rafters above the bed - good thing we have the mosquito/chipmunk dropping net above the bed!
We've been doing plenty of walking on the beach, enjoying amazing sunsets every night, eating lots of
Kudle moonrise
We've been enjoying the moon in the clear skies almost as much as the sun. delicious (though not the least bit Indian) food, and generally taking it easy. Tomorrow we're going to move down the coast for a couple of days at yet another beach called Vagator, where Mel has kindly agreed to indulge my interest in the trance music that originated in this area.
This definitely feels like the relaxing, decompressing part of the trip, and I have been absolutely loving it - however, we have been in resort-land (surrounded by travellers), and it hasn't been overly cultural. The next leg of our journey will take us north to Rajastan, where I anticipate much more adventure and culture. So I'd better get out of this internet place and soak up the sun and surf while I can!!
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Stephanie McNeely
non-member comment
Great photos and stories!
Great sunset photo of you two. So happy to hear you are both having such a great time... soak up the sun for the rest of us ;)