Goa

After Fort Cochin, we all went up to Goa for three days. I am sad to say that overall, I was a little disappointed. Maybe it is because I have seen such amazing beaches in Thailand or maybe because we went when it was absolutely dead and not in high season (I really wanted to go dancing on the beach all night until the sun came up... didn't happen) but I was not impressed. Everything was under construction for the upcoming high season. The beaches were quite and fairly void of people but the views themselves weren't that good in my opinion.

We spent one night in Palolem and one night in Vagator. Palolem was a long crescent beach with fisher boats scattered along its beach. Fish and nets were lain out across the sand and it gave a wonderful atmosphere of being in an old fisherman town. But just looking inland reminded you that you indeed were not. Rather, seeing signs for 'Continental Food' and beer and taxi walas waiting for their next fare, you realized that this place is so commercialized it is ridiculous. Vagator was only better because we had a meal in a restaurant that over-looked a beach reminiscent of the Northern California coast with its rocky coast and clouds in the distance. I really liked the beach and it was here were I was planning to go dancing. Alas, with no tourists here there was no dancing. Nonetheless, it was nice to have a few cocktails and watch the sun go down.

I am now in Mumbai. It is a great place. It is weird, however, to go from Goa, with its laid back beachy feel where we would watch sunsets over the Arabian Sea, to a city that feels like New York or San Francisco. It is so modern. And things are just so expensive! I am looking forward to exploring it. But I must say, I am also looking forward to getting back to Delhi, ordering a thali plate (a plate with three or four dishes on it), and NOT traveling for a bit.