Greetings!
INDIA 2003 - People, Places, and Tasty Currys
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Stepping off the plane at Vasco Da Gama Airport in Goa after an overnight flight from London, my first thought was CHAOS! People everywhere, cars, vans and bikes whizzing back and forth and lots of shouting and noise. However I soon came to realise there actually seems to be some sort of order to all this chaos and it's simply the Indian way of doing things. Somehow, someway everything seems to run smoothly enough in all the chaos - it all seems to work, but it's not obvious how.
POPULATION & PEOPLE
With over one billion sons and daughters, mother India has the second largest population in the world --- This would probably seem like ovecrowding but being a country similar to that in size of Western Europe there's a fair amount space going about, even so the people tend to all mysteriously crowd together in the same locations!
FOOD & DRINK
Indian food cooked in India by Indian chefs - the real deal! And yummy it is too! It's so cheap to eat here that it's worth attending the better restaurants rather than trying to cut corners. For around �6 sterling you can get a delicious and filling meal including drinks! And India is very service orientated - the waiters and chefs will go out of their way to see you are happy with everything and that everything is prepared just the way you like it! And hey, how can you beat eating great food by the beach side, sitting beneath coconut trees underneath a clear star filled sky for the perfect setting!! But watch out for those falling coconuts.......!! And I'm not kidding!
By the way the local brew is a vodka/whisky tasting concoction made with cashew nuts known as "Feni". And this potent juice will really knock you from India to Albuquerque if you're brave enough (or mad enough) to give it a try!!
INDIAN ROADS
"To drive in India all you need is good brakes, a good horn and good luck". This is what the locals will tell you, and looking at the road action this is spot on! Officially Indian motorists drive on the left but in reality they drive wherever there's a gap in the traffic. And on top of this they have to share the roads with cows (a sacred animal in India), pigs, donkeys and elephants and even pedestrians! It all has to be seen to be believed. A ride on the most challenging rollercoaster in a Six Flags theme park in the United States will not even prepare you for a taxi ride on Indian roads! Try the auto-rickshaws for the real experience....
"WHAT"S THE BIGGEST SPORT IN INDIA?........ HAGGLING"
True words spoken from the Dudhsagar Waterfalls tour guide. Never pay the asking price - always haggle from at least half of this price until you and the seller reach a fair compromise midway! Oh and people will be trying to sell you things all the time - on the streets, on the trains, in the bus stations........ but hey, it's okay to say No....... twenty sarongs and fifty elephant God sculptures later will be a heavy load to have to carry home.....
CHURCHES, TEMPLES & RUINS OF PORTUGUESE FORTS
With India's rich and interesting history comes some spectacular architecture. Goa was invaded by the Portuguese in 1498 marking the start of 450 years of European colonialism and from this we are given a coast lined with fort ruins boasting top of the world views, and more interestingly we have the remnants of a city - the old Goan capital "Old Goa" which in it's heydey is said to have rivalled Lisbon and Rome. What remains know is some delightful examples of Portuguese architecture in the form of villas, churches, gardens and stone arches which today can still give you a little taste of a city that must have revelled quite comfortably in it's own magnificent glory many decades ago.
For the other big main historical highlight though, we must board a train for a 10 hour ride eastwards to the Indian state of Karnataka where we will time travel back to the year 1336 and the old capital of one of the largest Hindu Empires in Indian history - the city of Hampi. Spread over an area of 26 square kilometres, Hampi is an amazing deserted city containing hundreds of temples spread amongst giant boulders, mountains, hills and the River Tungabhadra. You can walk around baths, palaces, bazaars and even an elephant's stable. And then finish up with a 300 step climb to the top of the perfectly placed Matanga Hill for excellent views over the Hampi landscape whilst you watch the sun go down as monkeys clamber around you playing happily.
OH YES, AND THOSE TRAINS...
Well to ride on an Indian train is an experience in itself. You've probably heard various stories and.... yes they are all true. The trains are packed to the brim and constantly various sellers meander up and down through the carriages selling their various wares from buckets and trays. However the comfort of your journey really depends on which class of coach you book. Naturally the higher the class of coach you book the less cramped you'll be and this does make the longer journeys significantly more comfortable. And then it becomes more of a "fun" experience. Unfortunately though I didn't manage to witness any chickens and goats running up and down the train myself so I cannot verify this particular rumour! Any offers anybody...
BEACHES
With 100km of coastline, Goa boasts a large variety of beaches - you can choose from secluded out of the way beaches, happening beaches with all the action (also known as crowded beaches!), hippie beaches or beaches straight from paradise to name but some. The central beaches of Calangute and Baga are the main package tourist Brit dominated areas - crowded but with higher quality hotels. Then heading northwards takes you to Anjuna, Chapora and Vagator Beaches which are home to the hippies and backpackers as well as Israeli tourists. Then down south you'll discover the more idyllic unspoilt beaches like Palolem Beach with a more mixed crowd of young happening people living in beach huts hidden amongst palm trees......paradise!
LAST WORDS...
Many of the people you come across in Goa - of the visitors that is - have been here many times before and many of them are staying for several months each time. This is therefore testimony that this is a place that people feel very comfortable to make repeated visits to and spend large amounts of time here. And why not - it's cheap as chips, hot all year round (avoid monsoon season though), great beaches, great history and friendly, smiley people.... how many other places are quite like that? I hope I can discover many more!
AND SO THE PHOTOS.....
But of course, view them here at the following website:
Click on the link OR copy it into your web browser to view.
Best Wishes!
J.E.L.