Goa - Day 1

First off - I'd like to acknowledge that my last post was not very positive and would like to hopefully raise some spirits with the following post.

GOA!...wow. What an amazing place. We took a midnight train from Mumbai down south into Goa. It was weird walking through the Mumbai terminal as I instantly recognized it from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Although there was no Jai-ho (I may have spelt that wrong) ringin in the background there was certainly a level of hustle and business even into the night. The train was a good experience free of any troubles. I actually really enjoyed watching the dark scenary roll by while listening to some favorite tunes and snapping night photos of streaking lights in the distance. 8 hours after leaving the big city we soon approached the scattered towns amidst the denser tropical forests as the sun came up. I took Papi's advice and avoided the morning Chai at the Goa station terminal.

Goa itself is becoming very busy. In the early 1960's it was just being discovered and popularized by forieners. Now, the place, unfortuantely for the locals, is being shaped by the influx of thousands of tourists every month. The once pristine and unpopulated beaces of Baga in the north part of Goa now are packed full of sun decks and portly american and european tourists eager to pay a couple hundred rupees for a head massage. I didn't love the busy atmosphere, but it was a very nice beach. I took the opportunity to part ways with the relatives and head out onto a nearby outcropping of rock cliffs. To my surprise, as I rounded a distant corner I found a small, secluded beach with an acompanying restaurant bar attached. Jackpot. Probably one of the nicest scenes I have every stumbled upon. I made a promise to come back and bring some friends a long.

On that note, I have good news. Auntie Pam is in the process of builiding a house out here. I think there was talk about it having a Jaccuzzi? The future looks happy.....really, really happy. Hopefully you can expect an invite to the Indian Paradise sometime in the near future.

Future Travels:
- Goa until the 6th
- Dubai on the 9th

Key Lessons:
- Get off the beaten path and take a risk! - you never know what treasures await.

On The Mind:
- Environment - Impact of tourism
- Future travels with Friends (Devo on the 28th!)