Part of Agonda Beach @ Sunset |
It is actually KC's turn to catch up on blogging of our trip to India, so I will make this short. And I must make it short as KC demands daily that we go swimming during the afternoon high tide to catch some pretty huge waves, and that is coming up pretty soon. We took a 32 hour train trip to get here, 20 hours to Mumbai and 12 hours from there to Goa, but I would say it was worth it. Goa is beautiful. The beach KC found is very private, with several very laid back restaurants and beach huts along the sand. The ocean is much like the Atlantic or Pacific (not blue like the Caribbean but some pretty amazing waves) and the beach is actually pretty white. The weather is hot hot hot, but in the evening feels amazing. It has been a great way to take a break from Dhamtari, and we wish it didn't cost so much to fly to India or this would be a new vacationing spot :). Tomorrow we leave on an early train back to Mumbai, then are staying the night and exploring Mumbai for a day-then its off to Raipur on an overnight train and back to Dhamtari for teaching and helping in the hospital. It has been an amazing week.
Our mantra for this trip has been "ooooh India" and here are some examples of when we have had to use said mantra:
1. Our first train from Raipur to Mumbai was 3.5 hours late. We left at 10:30pm.
2. In the middle of the night in the sleeper car I awoke to something crawling on my face- a large cockroach, and KC informed me later that yes he saw one the moment we stepped onto the train but thought it better not to mention it
3. On arriving to Mumbai we found out that our OTHER train to Goa departed from a station 1.5 hours away in traffic....a $60 (in US dollars) taxi trip-oops
4. When the taxi driver tried to sneakily change out the 500's for 100's in the rupees that KC gave him and tell us that we didn't pay enough (KC informed him we did in fact give him the right amount)
5. After coming to Goa, when the guy with the beach huts had told us he had a vacancy when we called...and he really didn't, but as with all Indians he was SO nice about it that he made his friend take us in his huts for the night (at a cheaper rate)
6. Renting a scooter from a kid- (at the equivalent of $5 US a day) that was completely empty of Petrol causing us to run out of gas and having to have a nice Indian man push us with his foot- and also who forgot to mention that it was illegal to drive without a helmet on the national highways.
7. Getting pulled over and given a TICKET by an Indian policeman for not having the required helmet
8. Driving 3 hours north on the scooter (getting lost and getting the ticket) to find a spice plantation that isn't really a working spice plantation at all but a tourist trap where they take all of your money and try to get you to ride an elephant and smoke a banana leaf cigarette (yeah KC was realllll happy with my spice plantation choice) and yes I bought many souvenirs from here.
9. A running shower in the hut with WARM WATER!!! YESSS!
Colomb Bay- a beautiful spot we found on a scooter ride |
It has been an awesome week :) Hope our trip home is just as adventurous!!!
Raina (and KC)