Bicycling in Goa

K: One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to get out and about in the countryside to see the local villages, people and sights. We rented bikes from the hotel and set out for a tour of the surrounding area. These bikes were an adventure in and of themselves: way too heavy, no gears, brakes that marginally work, and seats that don't adjust. Despite all of that, we had a wonderful time navigating the dirt track paths and the local roads -- one lane for cars traveling in both directions, scooters, tuk-tuks, cows and water buffalo.

We took a small ferry across the River Sol and biked along the river to see the local fishing villages. I loved the smell of curry wafting from the homes that were mostly decorated for Christmas. Calls from children wishing us "Merry Christmas and hello" came from so many houses.

V: Nothing like an all-day bike ride sitting up, out of the saddle all day! The bike seat wouldn't adjust upwards to a comfortable level. Work those thighs! Despite the condition of the bicycles, we enjoyed the countryside excursion to a remote fishing village.

Those silver things in one of the photos are smelts, getting sundried. Lots of activity in the fishing village we rode to. Let's just say that a bicycling American woman is something the fishermen don't see everyday. It was fun to hear those whistles and watch those unending glances her way.

Our ultimate destination was a seaside shack called the Blue Whale, which was recommended for nice atmosphere and decent cuisine. As the photos belie, it was beautiful on this nearly-deserted stretch of southern Goa beach.
Despite the menuboard, there didn't appear to be any Russians there when we were bathing in the surf and basking in the sun. The food, and cold Kingfisher beer, was good, after our bike ride.

And now, I can't resist a sly comment on how curious it was to see so many signs advertising cheap dental care in Goa... . Oh, wait, that's right, it makes perfect sense--there's so many British tourists!!!!!!!


Sips: More Kingfisher and local Indian wine Sula Rose, which wasn't bad at all.


Bites: Puri (deep fried dough that puffs up), raita (mildly spiced yogurt), pork vindaloo and fish curry (typical Goan fare), idli (south Indian spongy rice cakes), and dosas (south Indian crepes stuffed with vegetables).

Christmas Day in Goa

K and V:
We couldn't resist sharing more photos of the Goa community Christmas decorations and the resort's Christmas evening gala event.

Christmas in Goa!

K: All I can say is that it is a Christmas explosion here in Goa. The hotel has decorations that could rival any hotel in the US. There are Santas and reindeer, manger scenes, snowmen, Christmas trees and lights everywhere. The towns are equally as well-decorated and many homes are adorned with xmas lights. Children are dressed in Santa hats with blinking lights, wishing us 'Merry Christmas' everywhere we go. On Christmas eve we dined at Mike's Place which was throwing quite the Christmas bash, with live music by 2 Indian DJs, singing everything from Christmas carols to Elvis, Neil Diamond, the Beatles and Elton John.

Tonight we are looking forward to the Gala Christmas dinner and dance at our hotel. Given the set-up, it looks like it'll be quite the event. My goal is to get the Brits up and dancing, and not just the women. The men seem to just sit and drink their pints. Should be a fun night for us!

V: We are staying in the town of Cavelossim in South Goa. It is an absolutely stunning stretch of uninterrupted beach. This part of India was settled by the Portuguese in 1510 and that occupation lasted until 1961. Today fishing is the dominant industry, and tourism and all the merchants and peddlers associated with such tourists are proliferating, as well. Much of the population is Christian, and there are churches in most of the communities.

Russian, russian, russian on signs everywhere, was a very surprising find, as the two photos on top attest. Apparently the Russians are competing with the Brits for who can 'control' south Goa. The beachfront snack shacks all have the Union Jack flying on one side of their huts, and the Russian red, white and blue on the other.

The lovely trinket-selling women, Karen's new friends, as seen in photo, were pleased to meet an American woman who would buy their wares (ankle bracelet, wrist bangles, bejewelled box), as the Brits were too 'cheap' and the Russians are too 'mean', the ladies said.

The bicycle-pedaling ice cream man was doing pretty good business on the beautiful beaches.

"I'm dreaming of a white-sand Christmas ... ."

Tomorrow, alas, bye to Goa and inland we journey, to Mysore.

Sips: Tasty Kingfisher beer has become a staple thirst-quencher for us.

Oh, wait, that's not really the focus of the last photo.

Note, please, the red wristband on Karen's beer-mug-wielding hand. Yes, we are at a resort that has ... a buffet breakfast, organized pool and resort activities, other folks--yes, the Brits and Russians--with green wristbands, for the all-you-can-drink house brands liquor and beer deal. We prefer to head into town at night to experience some local cuisine and culture, and, thus, have red wristbands. I know, it's sad, we are wearing wristbands, ala a cruise ship. Even the peddlers on the beach can tell where we are staying with one look at our wrists.

SoBo in the Big Mango

K: Two days in India, and I love it. I am not sure what my expectations were for Bombay, but they have been exceeded. And since the Indians themselves don't call it Mumbai, neither will I! The city of Bombay is buzzing with activity ... and it is a city of a severe contrast--tremendous wealth alongside the biggest slums in Asia. But despite this, people (old and young) are working, selling things, providing services, engaging in commerce (from the smallest of businesses to the largest).

The colonial-era architecture is truly wonderful, and, in many respects, the city has a very European feel to it (with a bit more people and lots more traffic). But it's very possible to walk to Bombay's chief sites of historical and cultural interest, and so we have explored the city on foot a lot over the past two days. It is a little hairy to cross the street but certainly not as bad as many cities throughout SE Asia.

After a guided tour of the city today, I have a much better appreciation for the tremendous diversity of the people of Bombay, as well as India as a whole. While certainly a predominantly Hindu populace, it was interesting to see the influence of Buddhism, Islam, and the Parsis (descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who fled persecution by the Muslims).

I am also stunned by how well people are dressed. All the school children are in matching uniforms; women are adorned in the most beautiful saris and jewelry; men are in slacks and collared shirts. We Americans could learn a lot!

Oh, and last but not least, there is certainly a feel of Christmas in the air! The hotel is beautifully decorated with Christmas trees, poinsettias, reindeer statues and even some Santas. There are Christmas carols being played throughout the hotel and shops, which is nice and odd at the same time. And we were treated to a little concert at the hotel by a group of blind, orphan boys. I cannot adequately describe how beautifully they sang.

V: What food, what activity, what scenes and sounds! Bombay (as the locals still call it) is a buzzing, 24-hour hive of activity, much like NYC. So we naturally chuckled when our guide said she was giving us the SoBo (South Bombay) tour, and that Bombay (Mumbai) is called the Big Mango! Picture a very crowded Big Apple, with little taxis whipping through the intersections with little to no heed to traffic signals (or pedestrians in the crosswalks), panhandlers of very minor ages with their hands out, and sidewalks full of curio and trinket vendors, and shops with spices, rugs, linens, silks, carvings and castings, and all things related to the Hindu god pantheon (with Buddha busts seen occasionally).

Fascinating to be in a place with centuries-long influences of the world's major religions. We were particularly enlightened by the practices of the Jainists, the supreme non-violent adherents who will not harm any living thing, be it animal or vegetable, as we visited one of their temples, and the Parsis (or Zoroastrians), who neither bury nor burn their dead. One of the world's oddest jobs must be that of the Parsi attendant who 'exposes' the dead body to the air, for the benefit of the feeding vultures, shall we say. All of this occurs in a Tower of Silence that no outsider can see. Interesting stuff in this part of the world, indeed.

Sips: There may not be a lot of sips on this trip due to the the nasty 25% tax on all alcohol! The tax, of course, is meant to deter alcohol consumption which, of course, it doesn't. We have enjoyed the fine local brew Kingfisher.

Bites: So far, authentic Indian cuisine is amazing. The first evening we sampled one of the best Indian restaurants in Bombay (Khyber) which featured tandooris and curries from all over India. Night two was Bombay's best seafood restaurant, Trishna, where we had tandoori pomfret (local fish similar to butterfish) and crab with butter, pepper and garlic sauce. Delicious! Both coffee and tea are prevalent and the fruit lasses or juice combinations are really good.

Sights: SoBo (South Bombay) including the Gateway of India, the Hanging Gardens, Dhobi Ghat (the world's largest outdoor laundry), Ghandi's living quarters (now a museum) in Bombay, a Jain Temple, Crawford Market and shopping at Bombay Electric, an eclectic shop, and Curio Cottage, a marvelous jewelry store.

And so it is now south we shall go, to Goa!

Victoria Terminal Railroad Station, India's largest (seen in Slumdog Millionaire)	Victoria Terminal, commonly called VT
Sugar Cane juicer	Parakeets at Crawford Market
Clothing and Linens at Crawford Market	Vegetable Stands at Crawford Market
Viggo, the Maharaja	Dogs lie on every major road (seen quite a few three-legged ones....)
Goods going to market	A slum
Crowded apartment living	Entrepeneurs, at any age
Dhobi Ghat, large open-air laundry	Men wash
and press	and rinse
and dry	and deliver clothing and uniforms for businesses and homes throughout the city
Jainist deities	Jainism's deity of female energy (Grrrrllllll Power Goddess?)
Stylized Swastika, ancient Jainist symbol	gilded, neon-lit carriages
"Big Ben" at University of Mumbai	School boys smile!
Our lodgings, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai	Christmas tree in hotel lobby
Christmas displays all over the hotel	Gateway To India monument

Incredible India

K: Why India, you might ask? Well, I have always been intrigued by the tremendous diversity that this country of more than 1.2 billion people offers. Of course, it could also be the steady stream of TV commercials promoting "Incredible India."

Whatever the case, I couldn't be more excited about this next adventure. The wildly crowded cities, high-tech corridors, remote villages, the dazzle of Bollywood, ancient temples, beautiful beaches and inland waterways, eclectic ethnic groups, the vestiges of the British Raj, jungles, wildlife... .

And then there is the food, ranging from the spicy curries of the north, tandoori, vegetable thalis, lassis, fresh fish and seafood, wonderful bread and the spices--cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, clove, garlic, chilis, coriander, nutmeg--YUM!

I always try to provide a bit of historical context about our travel. So here are a few tidbits for those of you who are interested.

• 2nd most populous country in the world



• Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the 2nd most populous city in the world



• India has the largest concentration of poor people in the world



• One of the fastest growing economies in the world



• Originated four of the world's religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism



• Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in India in the first millenium



• Annexed by the British East India Tea Company from the early 18th century and colonised by the Brits until the mid-1900's



• Became an independent state only in 1947

Click on this Map of India link and scroll down and resize it as needed to follow our journey!

V: Wow, we are heading to India. It shall prove to be amazing and awe-inspiring, I am certain!

First of all, I am looking forward to being on my absolute favorite airline, from NYC through Dubai to Mumbai--Emirates!!!! (Great cuisine de la aeroplane, and I'm sure I'll watch at least 8 movies.)

We arrive in Mumbai, in the Maharashtra territory, then down to Goa (party town) where we will celebrate Christmas, then through the Karnataka/Kerala regions to Mysore, the Nagarhole National Park, the southern hill station of Ooty, on to Alleppey where we will tour the the waterways and canals via houseboat, and finally, to the southern tip of India, the beach town of Varkala. On the way home we will stopover in Dubai for 2 days.

We have the shots, the malaria pills, bug dope and our own homemade Delhi Belly Kit. Now it is time to organize the gear, pack and plot our discoveries! We will be blogging on the trip, so stay tuned.