Goa

Been in Goa for a week now. We are staying in Anjuna, “meeting point for backpackers, European ravers and long-term hippies.” This used to be an epicenter for non-stop raves and drugs. The government has been cracking down which has pushed most of it underground, but that doesn't’t stop people from lighting up joints and chillims full of hash just about everywhere.

After 2 days in Goa we befriended 3 Irish, a British gal, and 2 hilarious Italian hunks who really don't speak English. All we know is that they're life guards and one is lactose intolerant. Anyway, nice people. We wake up late, sit around doing nothing all day; sometimes at the beach, sometimes at the local restaurant, or sometimes while shaving peoples heads back at the hotel.

Goa is so wonderful I cant even describe it. We've been swimming in the Arabian sea, have been to a full moon dance party with tons of people from all over the world, have been to a famous basilica in old goa to view the remains (almost his whole body- I guess his arm is in Rome?) of St. francis xavier. seems its a big deal- there were thousands of people there. (really bizarre).



For further reading:
http://pweb.sophia.ac.jp/~d-mccoy/xavier/newman3.html

hmmm....the weather is gorgeous, the sea is clean, the village is small and lovely and the locals are so calm! what is is about living at the beach that makes people so cool? so hip and so tolerant and so nice?

anyway, some people like to say this isn't the real India, but I think that's like saying santa cruz isn't the real America. its all different. and thank god, because we needed to chill out.

the last town we were in (Pune) was hilarious. its famous for an ashram (sort of meditation and yoga/ spiritual center) that follows the teachings of this guru Osho. osho apparently was really famous and lived in Oregon for awhile where he had many rolls royces and followers and got deported for tax fraud. hes dead now but his five star resort /ashram is up and kicking. its really wild. everyone wears red and on some days white robes and you have to take an HIV test to be allowed in. Osho was dubbed the ‘sex guru’ by the Indian media after a speech and a book about attaining super consciousness through sex. the place is so gorgeous. its pretty expensive to take classes, by Indian standards anyway. Some people think hes the most important incarnation since the Buddha. I wonder if the Buddha would have driven luxury cars?

so, to sum up, I think we'll stay in goa for another week. We've a month left in India at least so we can take our time. Natalie’s ex-boss, paru, emailed and said she and her daughter and grandchildren are coming to the south for Christmas, so I think we might get to spend Christmas with friends, which will be nice. We'll see. Pretty quickly we've gotten excited about Indian festivals and frankly, its easy to forget about our own back home. Christmas just isn't the same without songs and mass consumerism you know? and family, of course!

seems like thanksgivings went well and lots of turkeys were eaten. so all is well. We are healthy and so happy and in good company and I hope the same for you!