Blogs from Benaulim, Goa, India, Asia - page 6

Debarking from my air conditioned carriage 5 hours later than I expected I headed straight for the nearest beach, Benaulim, a small fishing village about 15km away from Margoa. It was too hot in the midday sun to attempt a further bus journey to the southern beaches. I had expected Goa to be different from the other states but I was still surprised by the women all in Auntie Francis dresses (simple cotton a-lined numbers), numerous little churches and mission schools but delighted in the lush tropical fauna, laid back attitude (almost horizontal - apparently the goans are labled the laziest people in India_ I think they are just chilled!), mopeds whizzing along the dirt roads and plentiful supplies of ice-cream. There was a real mix of people in the village; travellers, package holiday makers, long ... read more

From the hippy-laden beaches and marijuana-filled air of Anjuna I arrived yesterday at the rather more sober surroundings of Benaulim Beach in south Goa. The area tends to attract a rather more middle-aged crowd as well as families and package tourists. However this shouldn't put anybody off as is my opinion the beaches are some of the best around here. There is literally miles and miles of sand and if you are feeling particularly anti-social you can certainly find a place to sunbathe in total solitude all day without seeing another soul. The beaches also aren't so cluttered with bars and restaurants which gives them a rather more relaxed and rural feel. In fact intially I thought I was going to struggle to find a place to stay but in the end I persuaded a nice ... read more

So yeah, I still have some time on the internet. So I guess I'll just respond to some of the things I've been getting comments about. Mom: yes, there are cows everywhere. We're talking, right in the middle of the "highway". Ryan: I didn't catch the journalists last name. I think Sandi has it. His first name is Josh. And the curry, believe it or not. Curry does not exist in India. Curry is just the blend of crazy spices they use. But holy crap, they have some spicey stuff here. I think you and Marc wanted to know how the Butter Chicken would be out here. Just so you know, if you didn't catch my other update. It's nasty. so much better in Canada. Karolina: Sandi has emailed you and vicki and people. Just wanted ... read more

Well we just arrived in Goa after a couple of days in Mumbai. I really liked Mumbai but it was quite expensive (comparitively) so we decided to move on. We were a little shocked on the way in by the shanty towns. It seemed like every spare piece of land has had something built on it from a tent made from plastic sheeting to a 2 storey brick built house. All of which are built illegally and are causing huge health problems for their inhabitants. They are gradually trying to clear these and redevelop them but with around 40% of the population living in these places it will take a massive effort to provide replacement housing. The city centre itself was completely different to any other the other cities we have been. Its very modern and ... read more

After a great day around Mumbai - Crawford Market delights, the immense, opulent Taj Hotel we left the next day on the early morning train. It's not a pretty sight from the train - the poverty, the dirt and decaying buildings. We have great hopes for India with its population and economy expanding so rapidly...I'm sure it can't come too soon for many of the people. The Konkan Railroad train to Goa is only some 20 years old. It was built partly as a military defensive manoeuvre as there was no swift rail link along this rugged coast. There are dozens of tunnels - some longer than two kilometres. The trip is a treat as the train winds through mountains, beside lakes, rice paddies, forests and high, dry fields. The sun was setting as we arrived ... read more