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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