Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Different zones for different folks; where do I fit

As I perform my daily ritual, walking from one end of the beach to another, I have noticed there are definite zones of the beach that attracts different people. However, I am not quite sure which zone I an average looking white lass like me fits into.
The end of the beach near the cliff with its techno/trance bars and restaurants seem to attract the shaved headed, tattooed, pierced, beautifully body sculpted but rather serious people. These alcohol drinking, meat eating folks who like to wear tight Che Guevara t-shirts and army, camouflage design baggy shorts. Unfortunately my lack of body art, wee bit of belly flab, longish hair and smile makes me an odd one out here. Next is the hippy drum circle zone. Here folks are dreadlocked, unshaven, patchouli smelling, wearing colored clothes, with long skirted women decorated with flowers in their hair. Needless to say lots of dope smoking goes on here, Bob Marley and Jim Morrison T-shirt are popular and many of the restaurants are vegetarian. If I let me hair loose, wear my rainbow colored bikini and sarong I can pass as one of the crowd but the lack of bulging eyes and spaced out look gives me away as an impostor. Then on to what I have dubbed no man’s land. This zone of the beach is where people just walk up and down on their way to one zone or another. Here, some people fly k and there are sometime surfers or body borders in the waves. Next to this is the ex-soviet union zone. Here is where the majority of Russian tourist live, so most people are blond, blue eyed and let their many kids run around naked. I have also spotted the odd nudist or very scantily clad sunbather hiding in the sand dunes.  The huts here are a bit more luxurious which reflect the fact that many Russian here have money. The yoga classes, menus and other signs are in Russian. Here my lack of blond hair gives me away and I feel over dressed in my conservative style bikini. Then last at the other end of the beach is the Indian zone where many Indian families have their annual holiday. In completer contrast to the Russian’s, the Indian parents keep their kids well covered. The wee boys, as well as the grown men use their underwear as swimsuits but the wee girls have to keep on their dresses as they play in the water ad make sandcastles. Indian mothers too wear their saris and clothes in the water so walking in this zone with a bikini is a cultural no no. So when in this zone, I wear my sarong on top of my bikini and with the Indian men starting at my white skin it is obvious I do not fit in this zone. The cultural diversity of Arambol is what makes it so fun, so I guess it does not really matter if or which zone I fit into, just happy to be here.

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