Howdy. I've come a long way from the mountains and mist of Dharamasala a few weeks ago - today I encountered scorching sun and thirty-degree heat! I'm staying in Anjuna, a quiet seaside village in the north of Goa, with lots of palm trees and souvenir stalls. I just got here this afternoon and I'm going to start exploring the surrounding beaches and villages tomorrow.
Anjuna is nice enough - it's pretty quiet, with one or two main streets, and there are plenty of tourist bars and restaurants. There are some amazing sea views from the top of the cliffs, but it doesn't strike me as a place with an awful lot happening in it. Once you get to the sea front that's it, it's like there's nothing else to see.
The famous beach party scene of the 90s and early 2000s was clamped down on heavily by the Goan police, and the parties have either gone underground or died out altogether. Out in the evening, Western travellers whizz by constantly on hired motorbikes and scooters. Hopefully by the end of my four-day visit I will have tapped into these dangerous and exciting delights myself!
I'm staying in a guest house called Coutinho's Nest, a small avocado-green building nestling modestly towards the back of the town. For 200 Rupees a day (less than 3 quid) I have a bed and a shared bathroom. It is a friendly family-run place and it will be nice to crash here for a few days and unwind. I'm getting bored of my own company and I need to start meeting people soon!
I've just spent three hectic, enjoyable days trying to get to grips with Mumbai. Navigating the urban chaos of this city on my own felt like going through a rite of passage; it is such an insanely busy place. Travelling by public transport in India is like being trapped in the crush at the front of a major festival's main stage; hanging on to your belongings becomes a matter of life and death!
Most of all, Sunita's generosity really astounded me. Not only did she let me stay in her flat for free, she then invited me round to her home the next evening for dinner with her family. I spent a few hours chatting to her son, her sister and her brother-in-law about my travels, while getting my plate constantly topped up with food. Indian hospitality amazes me.
I felt uncomfortable being the focus of so much attention, but their Hindu ethics of doing positive deeds to attain good karma struck a chord with me. I wished my stop in Mumbai was less brief and I could spend more time with them. I am on a tight schedule - something which may become a recurring problem in my travels!
I saw quite a lot of sights in Mumbai. I skipped a few of the temples and museums my guidebook recommended, choosing instead to wander round the city-centre and watch the sun set over Marine Drive, which was beautiful.
The next day I met my friend Tanuj (who I know from the Delhi volunteer project) for a fiery hot Goan seafood curry, followed by a short stroll past the palatial residences of Bollywood superstars. Yesterday I passed by the Gateway of India (a stonking great archway on the quayside built by the British) and the Taj Mahal Hotel (a stonking great hotel next to it) to board the ferry bound for Elephanta Island.
Elephanta Island lies several miles off the coast of Mumbai and is famous for its ancient rock caves and religious carvings. I thought it was a tad pricey (having to pay two separate entry charges plus the fee for the boat takes the piss slightly) but I got some decent photos as I clambered round the island's rocky pathways.
It reminded me a little of the islands off the coast of Dubrovnik in Croatia that I visited with my good friends Rick and Katy last year. As the boat travelled back to dry land through the churning seas, I listened to the Doors song 'Riders on the Storm' on my music player and wondered what is to come on my journey.
The journey down to Goa went well - I got chatting to a Norwegian couple at the train station, which passed some time and distracted me from the horrible smell lingering around our platform. I sat with a Belgian guy called Johann on the train, and we drank chai tea and discussed our experiences of India as the train rolled out through the Mumbai suburbs in the black of night. India can be a bewildering experience at times and sharing anecdotes/horror stories with other Westerners is a welcome relief!
Time for my dinner - speak to you all soon!
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