Blogs from Goa, India, Asia

22.12.23 – 10.1.24 Im letzten Blogeintrag haben wir den Text zu Jaipur unterschlagen: zwischen Agra und Pushkar liegt die «Pink City», so genannt wegen der lachsfarbenen Fassaden in der Innenstadt. Verwinkelte Gassen, laubenartige Märkte, Tempel und Paläste gibt es zu erkunden, und natürlich das majestätische Amber Fort etwas ausserhalb der Stadt. Beim Lunch im Restaurant nebenan werden wir Zeugen eines Bollywood-Drehs, respektive der x-fachen Aufnahme einer einzigen Szene, in der sich ein Paar fetzt, was das Zeug hält. Äusserst amüsant. Auch Jodhpur ziert ein grosses Fort auf einem Hügel, inklusive beliebtem «Sunset-Spot», wo man allerdings vor lauter Fotografierenden die Sonne kaum mehr sieht. Einmal mehr sind wir beeindruckt von der prächtigen Architektur und den prunkvollen Innenräumen der ausladenden Palastanlagen. Ein weiterer Höhepunkt ist der Ausflug in die Umgebung der Sta... read more

Goa attracts many foreigners. Some come for a 2 week holiday, others come for the winter season. some as yoga teachers, some as parents putting their kids in the local international school and others as seniors escaping winter in cold countries. Taylor and I are none of those....we are the unusual ones waiting here for the weather to warm up in the home of our hearts. We could just stay in Montreal longer, waiting for spring. But despite Goa not quite feeling like home, it's still a way better place to wait out winter!! By February we've snowboarded, played in the snow and stayed inside building all the Lego we can. So now, here we are, in the most beautiful interim place I could find. It's been 3 years since we escaped a Covid lockown in ... read more

Toddlers! Beware mommies! Only a mother can understand the plight of another one! Toddlers are indeed very cute, chubby, little ones whom the world adores and pampers. Their mischief, their broken syllables, and their over expressive way of making you understand, overloads there cuteness. But this cute little one has some very scary aspects. Besides nappy and potty, the most difficult thing to handle is their tantrums. Vacation on the other hand is a much needed medicine for every mother but one with a toddler is a real adventure. Here I am going to jot down some tips from my experience of a beach holiday with my 2 years old toddler. These are just to avoid a grumpy kid and make your travel at ease. 1.Toddlers love surprises!-First rule is pack less of your items and ... read more

About 2 weeks ago, I began writing about our time in Goa and the odd transition to the nunnery, as India began it’s decent into Corona Hell. I imaged I could provide a short escape for you from the daily stress of getting sick, running out of supplies or losing your job/money during this horrific time. I’ll leave those initial thoughts here before I join the rest of you in grief and worry… Upon arriving in India, I realized it turns out taylor is a completely normal, average person…when we left the airport in Mumbai and jumped into a taxi (driven by a woman…both inspiring in India and terrifying, she was a horrible driver!) he said “whats that smell?” Has there ever been a person, ever, to react differently?!!! Social Distancing is easy in a Nunnery ... read more

Hugging 162 klm of the west coast, with 54 beaches lapped by waves from the Arabian Sea, Goa is the smallest and richest state in India. It’s well known for sandy beaches, scrumptious seafood and it’s Portuguese heritage. Goa has a long history as a Portuguese colony, dating from 1510 until they were forced out in 1961. Their indelible mark is still evident in the state’s baroque architecture, whitewashed churches, crumbling forts, and the stunning cathedrals of Old Goa. Panaji is the capital, though Vasco De Garma is the largest city. Our train pulled into the station at Margao, 40klm south of Panaji at 6.00am on Friday morning, 45 minutes late. Margao is the second largest city by population, and the commercial and cultural capital of Goa. For tourists, it’s mainly a transport hub, somewhere they ... read more