Hi, I'm enjoying some sun, sea breeze and sandy beaches in Goa! It feels so good to be able to take a deep breath and smell the saltiness in the air after spending weeks in the pollution of big cities.
I arrived a few days ago after a bumpy 20 hour long bus ride. It was a sleeper bus, so I got a little bed to lie down on. It took us hours to just get out of the busy Mumbai traffic. It was dark by then so I lay down to get some sleep. I'm surprised I managed to get any sleep at all because the driver drove like crazy. Because everybody drives like crazy here in India they have these speed bumps before an intersection or crossing, so the traffic is forced to slow down. On the highway they have these grooves now and then, for the same reason to slow down traffic were needed. The bus driver seemed oblivious to this and kept the same crazy speed going over them. It made a loud da-da-da-da-da noise every time and I got shaken from my uneasy sleep.
Despite the crazy drive, we arrived safely and I got off the bus and shouldered my way past all the eager taxi drivers. I went to a local restaurant and sat down for some late breakfast.
With some renewed energy I went in search for a bus to my destination, Arambol. After asking about ten people and being pointed in every different direction I finally found the bus. It was mostly filled with locals and I went to sit down by the open window. The bus didn't leave until nearly an hour later and meanwhile the bus had become increasingly crowded and the sweat was dripping off me. It was a welcome breeze from the open window when we finally departed. I managed to get off the bus at the right station, forcing my way through the crowd who was pushing to get on the bus.
I found myself a reasonable and cosy room close to the beach and the main street, but still nice and quiet except for the neighbours barking dog.
It was wonderful to be on the coast and being able to walk barefoot again, feeling the warm sand between my toes.
I've been hanging out with my friend Leon, who is also staying in Goa, along with a whole bunch of people from my small hometown. They are all hippie people and fit right into the hippie vibe of Goa.
I've been chilling in the sun, been to a small reggae concert, ended up on a mantra singing session, walked down the endless beaches, drank fruit lassis, had a swim in the sea, been on bumpy scooter rides and danced to a gig with Shpongle.
Goa is all I hoped for and a little bit more. It's nice to be surrounded by this friendly hippie vibe, it makes me feel at home, although in comparison to most people here, I'm probably the least hippie person around.
Peace, love and Goa<3