Meet Rani

Rani works at Ajay auyervedic massage hut on the beach. She is from Goa and has been a massage therapist for 5 years now. She too is 49 years old but we have lead very different lives. She is a mother of three boys and grandma to two children from her eldest son. She had an arranged marriage at 18 and had her first child by 19 and has until now had always been a housewife and mother. Rani’s husband works in Mumbai and has worked away from home for most of their married life. After her last son was married she felt that she wanted to do some work to make her own income and not just stay home anymore. She heard that doing massage gave a good income and felt she would like to work with ladies. So she undertook a course and started work doing massage for the tourist ladies in Goa. She gives a great massage and has that motherly caring touch. Of course she wants to chat with all her clients and she was very interested in the fact that I am not married or had no boyfriend. Older Indian people are always amazed at me travelling alone with no kids or husband.  So I joked with Rani and say things such as; “no husband no problem,” or “free life is best life,” which are all things that Indian’s have said to me over the years. Anyway we had a good laugh and she admitted that now she too feels that she has “a freedom life” and that with her husband gone most of the time she had been very independent throughout her marriage as well. So once I got to know Rani we found that our situations are not that different after all; we are both relatively independent women with few responsibilities, able to enjoy our freedom because for now have no men to tend too.

buired alive

The last day of 2012 2012 ended in a very relaxing and happy manner. After 4 hours of yoga (which I am sure I am now and inch taller from all those stretches) I visited Rani for a massage which was wonderful, then spent the rest of the day on the beach, swimming, people watching and walking. The beach was filled with Indian’s who had come from Mumbai for New Year and they were all in a playful celebratory mood.  Families with kids having beach picnic, young guys having picnics of the liquid variety and of course it would not be India without many romantic couples walking hand in hand and taking loads of pictures of each other. Ahhhh, nice to see romance still alive. Anyway, it is so natural and easy to speak with or join in a game of football with Indian’s on the beach. It was nice that no-guys hassled me and everyone was respectful and polite to each other wishing each other a happy new year. Walking down the beach I had a great laugh with some guys who were burying their friend on the sea shore. On my way back alone the shore I saw that they had given their friend a pair of sand bob and a nice big fallice and they were killing themselves with laughter, as if they were the only bunch of guys that had ever done that. Anyway they saw me coming with the camera and promptly destroyed their ‘artwork’ but what a great laugh it was.

king of his own castle

Nadia and I sat at sunset near the drum circle watching the acrobatics, hula hooping and spaced out dancers. Funny but 2 weeks ago I was so surprised by all these activities but now it had become normal and I must admit I was enjoying the scene so much more and even joined in the dancing at time. I think Hippy Heaven has done me some good, it has opened me up to being really relaxed with myself and thoroughly enjoying the varieties of human kind along with all our antics.

Captain of the ship

After sunset, we had dinner at Totem and then I took a stroll alone on the beach. By then the beach had become a full blow techno party, with every restaurant competing to make the most noise. Also by then the Indian guys, who were so nice by day had of course booze by then and their Dutch courage to try and pick up a foreigner was kicking in. This was the time when I though it most wise to retreat back home. Plus you can’t really dance techno music with its repetitive, racing base unless you’re totally on some kind of drug and that’s just not for me; but hey I do now know where the joke of the horse riding dance in Gangnam style come from now.  Anyway after such a great day and evening I was so content and sleep won over my desire to stay up till midnight. So in with the earplugs and off to dreamland I went, happy as can be and just wishing that everyone in the world could feel so content.

Happy 2013 to all.

Cute Couple

Lifeguard

Trying to be a strong man 

fishing boat

face down

peace

 Beach Art: Dec 31st 2012

The fun thing about walking the beach with so many people is that the beach art is great. All types of sandcastles, and messages written in the sand. Here's is a small sample so you can get a feel of the creativity and all the attempt at creativity.

Buddha Bar

Sky Gazing

Pyramid or sandcastle?

Gaudi style sand towers

Dharma chakra

 1/2 of a Zhiva Lingham

beach snowman's wishes

Goa 2013

Love you 2

Union Jack

castle, with dry moat

Beautiful Goa in Starfish

Happy New Year Star

Meet Nadia

Nadia has been my neighbour for the past few weeks and is on her 8th month of traveling.  Lately she has been having some down time, a break from carrying the back pack here and there and  also taking time to figure out her next step.
Nadia travelled extensively in Europe and found the Hospitality Club http://www.hospitalityclub.org/
a great resource for people to stay with. Hospitality Club is the original official couch surfing web site and she has only glowing reports about the people she had met  and stayed with through this site. As many of you may know traveling alone can be a tough and lonely at times and if your a woman then even more trying in certain places and cultures. So Nadia found that living with a local person was a great way to not only see he sites but not be in the tourist trap; she got to see how the locals live. Not only is it a  cheap way to travel  but Nadia found that  the hosts themselves are people who have travelled, or are interested to travel  but because of work or family commitments can't at present leave home. Her hosts enjoyed the company of a person from a different culture being in their home and she feels that there was a true cultural exchange which both parties enjoyed; it is not just the case of the traveller getting cheap accommodation.

After a trip around Indian with a friend, Nadia has decided to do some volunteer work. For days, over Christmas she sat with the computer on her hut balcony figuring out which NGO, charity or organization to get involved with. These days there are a lot of organization that offer a volunteer experience but you have to pay to work. So sifting  through a plethora of website can  take time and be very frustrating.  One organizations asked for $250 per week to volunteer. Now that is just ludicrous considering how cheap India can be on basic food and accommodation. Anyway she has settled on working with  International Cultural Alliance,    http://www.ica-india.org
They have various projects and Nadia will be going to Bangalore to work in the Women's Community Development and teaching programs. So well done to Nadia and thanks for being a great friend and neighbour over Christmas 2012.

Full Moon Sweat Lodge 

Native North American Sweat Lodge

Robert Larkin, originally from Santa Fe New Mexico organizes and leads the sweat lodges at Magic Park. In his 60 Robert has studied shamanic traditions of the native North and South America peoples as well as the Aborigine people of Australia. Over the years he has taken the essence of these ancient traditions and blended them for a modern global audience. That may sound a bit hokie but he has the upmost respect for the ancient Shamanic traditions, just has to relay the tradition or present these traditions in a  linage that modern people can understand without feeling overwhelmed or wierded out.

Full Moon in the coconut trees

Anyway his sweat lodge was wonderful.  Just before sunset a huge fire was lit and the stones we would use in the lodge were heated. As the full moon rose in the eastern sky between the silhouette of coconut palms the group gathered after a round of introductions we each placed an object on a small ‘alter,’ which was more like a dirt mound just outside the door of the sweat lodge. We then began by paying our respects to nature, recognizing our closeness to and dependency on nature and being grateful for what we receive from nature. We went on to acknowledge the 4 directions in relation to the 4 seasons, as well as acknowledging ‘”father sky, mother earth and our ancestors.” Then after stripping down tour bathing suits we crawled into the sweat lodge; a dome shaped tent made of palm fronds. Over a period of 3 hours red hot stones were shoveled into a pit in the middle of the tent, the door sealed and then in complete darkness, Robert lead us in various meditations and poured sacred herbs (not of the wacky backie variety) and water onto the coals to make us sweat.

exchange the fir tree for coconut trees

Although it was  at first uncomfortable to be sitting for that long a time, in very close proximity to people I did not know; there was also something very comforting about being in complete darkness transfixed to red hot coals and hearing other people breath. The sweat lodge is likened to the womb of mother earth and the process of the lodge is to first enter with a sense of gratitude and set a positive motivation for the ceremony, then go on to acknowledge past pain and hurt by viewing that as lessons, next is to purify those past negativities and finally to take the original motivation and make it stronger as a path for the future. So four sessions, with a break for fresh air and more hot stones in between. Overall it took 4 ½ hours to complete and afterward I felt very clean, relaxed and happy. No pictures were taken of the event  but I am sure you can imagen it.

Now whether or not some sacred power or spirit animal helped in that process, who knows. I just like to think of it as a lovely experience that reminded me to stay positive, no matter what life has thrown at me in the past; it is in the past and today, right now, is where I am, so be grateful. Hey that can’t be a bad thing. Thanks Robert and everyone who took part in that night.

The Downside of Tourism.

Look beyond the fun and colorful face of this beach tourist town I often see things that makes me wonder if the influx of tourist money is all a good thing. For instance on the way home to the hut one evening I stopped to buy some mangoes from a small stall ran by a local husband and wife. This night however, the wife looked even more sad than usual. She weighed the mangoes but was trying to avoid stepping over something beneath the counter. I noticed that her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying. As I handed her the money her husband’s head popped up from underneath the counter; he had been out cold drunk on the floor of the shop and had just woken up. Without even seeing me, he started to shout at her and she held her head low as if in shame. He got up then staggered onto the chair where the money drawer was set up. As his back was turned, I made a face at him and asked her, through hand signals and expressions if he had been drinking? She nodded a yes, and started to cry. What has this women endured I wondered, was this a nightly event, him getting drunk on the days takings and abusing her. Did the verbal abuse stop there or did he beat her as well? How much of their meager income was he pissing against the wall as she worked hard? And how many kids did she have to worry about feeding that night and the next day since he had spent their money on booze. The biggest question though is, if tourist money was not flowing into Arambol would he have income to spend on alcohol? Did he drink like this before they set up their fruit stall, or was he always a drunk? All questions I do not know the answer to: all I could do was show her that I felt her pain and wished she did not to deal with this horrid situation. As she handed me my change I do not know what came over me but I took a step off the pavement and into her shop, put my arm around her and as I stroked her back, I felt her tears on my shoulder. She is only one of the many women I have seen in India who have to deal with drunk and abusive husbands and every time my heart breaks to see this. So how much money is enough  to help a family survive if a husband and father can’t control his urge to get drunk?

Home Sweet Home.

Cafe Del Mar, Arambol Beach.

Contact;  Mr Teo Lobo  at 9822 127887 for accommodations at his families beach huts. Prices ranges from 400 rupees to 600 rupees per night. Teo has two places one closer to town and the other further down the beach near the surf club. Accommodation is basic but very clean and Teo is very kind and helpful to all his customers.

Huts

Teo and family

the Totem  lads from Dharamkot

totem restaurant

The huts are right next to Totem restaurant which is ran by a group of guys from Dharamkot, in Himachal Pradesh. Totem has a great menu and is great vale for your rupee.  Call 7798313996 for more info on the restaurant and other accommodation in this are of Arambol. Totem show movies in the evening and the Russian clients even hold a kindergarten  in the restaurant garden. It is a fun place with  where the clients all know each other. Ajay who runs the restaurant is also in partnership with his brother who has a trekking company based Dharamkot, Dharamsala. They have also just opened a small guest house called the  Coniferlodge, so I will have to have a look at that place when I am up in the mountains,             http://www.himalayantrekandtours.com/

From the Tibetan book of the dead

I also loved the above writing on their counter, an excerpt from the Tibetan book of the dead.

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.

Lady of Mount Carmel Church

The Church Peace Wishing Peace Star

Christmas bush/tree

one of the many nativites

Tree on the beach

Home made stars

Roadside shrine to Mother  Mary 

Goan Christmas

I have so enjoyed seeing ho the Goan people celebrate Christmas with all its Catholic Portuguese heritage. Most house  have a home made nativity and Christmas tree/ bush by the front door of their house. Great care is taken into decorating just right and getting every detail of the nativity perfect. Paper stars that light up at night are the most popular decoration, they add a fairytale/ magical air to the coconut groves and village back streets. The Catholic Church here is just beautiful, complete with stain glass windows, gold painted alter and paintings of the life of Jesus adorning the walls.  I missed the midnight mass but did attend a part of the Christmas day service. The ladies came to church dressed in their best sequence and chiffon saris or bright coloured satin dresses and were dripping in gold jewelry. The men were dressed in pressed short sleeves shirts and trousers with hair combed perfectly. The children too were all dressed up and were on their best behaviour, with the help of the odd serious look or nudge from mum to stay still. Funny how some things are the same the world over. Anyway the elderly nun tended to the alter and the nativity scene and a sermon  was said in the local language. However while the priest was talking I had to leave for class but I am sure the church was the center of activity that day  as their were table set up outside serving refreshment after the service. Santa too has not been forgotten here, many of the decoration sport hi jolly face and I am told the children receive sweets from him on Christmas day. 

 Merry Christmas

Peace be on earth; for all beings

sending all of you a merry xmas

Sending out Christmas wishes of love, peace and kindness to all my Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Bahai, Buddhist, Jain, agnostic and athiest friends, as well as to folks I do not know.

Merry Christmas 2102

Christmas on the beach is just excellent. In this heat is feels like summer and watching the locals decorate the tropical bushes, not conifer trees is fun to watch. So to all  have a Merry Christmas, and happy anniversary of the birth of Jesus (whether it was the 25th of December or not, whether  it is a pagan holiday or not, or the materialistic craziness it has turned into, I like to remember the teaching of Jesus i.e. kindness and compassion  to our fellow man and woman with a big splash of morals and ethics). I feel so grateful to be here, even though miles away from family and friends there is no feeling of loneliness just a happy heart and lots of wishes for everyone and every being on this planet earth to find happiness, peacefulness and be that bit kinder to themselves and others around them. Love to all

Floating High
The other evening strolling along the beach people watching I and some other around were just about knocked off our feet by a landing paraglider. http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/directory/info/700/a ambol-paragliding/. Some advertising stunt that was.

Anyway  for the less spiritual and more adrenaline junkies is the paragliding, off the clif at the end of the beach. It is beautiful to watch and every afternoon as the wind picks up the parachute keep floating well into sunset.

Only 1500 rupees for the bold, but remember there is no decent hospital within miles; me thinks maybe not.

mind the sunbathers