We finished off India in grand tourist-style by spending 4 days in Goa. This is one of India's biggest tourist destinations and is famous for its neverending beaches, Portuguese influences (the colonists ruled here for 450 years before getting kicked out, only in 1961!) and its once LIVELY trance scene. The trance parties don't occur as often anymore but you can still hear the homegrown Goan beats in everyother beach front restaurant. The people here are very laid back and loved to deal with Canadians. We found out, from our taxi driver and many other locals, that this is because Russians are by and far their most numerous visiters and apparently have less manners than some other expats. We saw firsthand on a few occasions Russians treating the locals less than respectfully: bartering in an unfriendly manner, rudely interrupting, and just being cold overall to the locals (they were pretty cool with us however). All we could do was laugh at their austerity sometimes.
The biggest challenge in Goa was doing laundry. Erin and I always find a way to string up our laundry line in our room but here the humidity gives everything, including clothes, a permanent dampness. Your skin too is almost always sticky with sweat. Fortunately beer is cheaper and easier to acquire in Goa than anywhere else in India (in many places we visited it was very taboo and had to be served and drank in a special room, or in the very back of the restaurant, and always ordered in a low-voice). After a couple beers we forgot about the humidity and warmed up to some karaoke. And how ecclectic the karaoke was! The Russians dominated with their songs from the homeland (sung with great bravado and energy, you couldn't help but smile and clap along), followed by the locals singing some real catchy tunes in Hindi, followed by Erin and I doing our best to keep English relevant, singing Lola and CCR. Only in Goa?
Only a quickie update today. We hit up Mumbai after this for a couple days - by default since we had a flight from there. Mumbai was actually very charming and manageable for a city of some 20 million, a sort-of Indian New York.We have safely arrived in Vietnam now; myself feeling nervous about learning a whole new culture, language and the relative price of things; Erin pining softly about leaving India behind - she'd grown to adore its utter insanity. Next blog will be all Vietnam, check back soon!
The biggest challenge in Goa was doing laundry. Erin and I always find a way to string up our laundry line in our room but here the humidity gives everything, including clothes, a permanent dampness. Your skin too is almost always sticky with sweat. Fortunately beer is cheaper and easier to acquire in Goa than anywhere else in India (in many places we visited it was very taboo and had to be served and drank in a special room, or in the very back of the restaurant, and always ordered in a low-voice). After a couple beers we forgot about the humidity and warmed up to some karaoke. And how ecclectic the karaoke was! The Russians dominated with their songs from the homeland (sung with great bravado and energy, you couldn't help but smile and clap along), followed by the locals singing some real catchy tunes in Hindi, followed by Erin and I doing our best to keep English relevant, singing Lola and CCR. Only in Goa?
Only a quickie update today. We hit up Mumbai after this for a couple days - by default since we had a flight from there. Mumbai was actually very charming and manageable for a city of some 20 million, a sort-of Indian New York.We have safely arrived in Vietnam now; myself feeling nervous about learning a whole new culture, language and the relative price of things; Erin pining softly about leaving India behind - she'd grown to adore its utter insanity. Next blog will be all Vietnam, check back soon!
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