Goa

How to describe Goa?Well, it isn't like any place in India I've seen so far. Goa is the place most overwhelmed westerners tend to run when they grow tired of "real" India. Some people end up spending almost their entire time in India here. It's easy to see why... Life in Goa moves just a little bit slower. If one wants to hang out with other westerners on a beautiful beach lined with coconut and palm trees, Arambol beach, where I am staying, is the place to be. There are good restaurants and bars (and thus, a healthy party scene if one is so inclined), minimal hassles, and plenty of reputable yoga schools to choose from (I start a course on friday.) I'm renting a bamboo hut directly on the beach. I've spent 2 days here, and I honestly couldn't tell you where the time has gone. Walking on the beach, people watching (hippies are fascinating... at least for now), writing, reading, meditating, sleeping... Not a bad life really, but it could become old. The hard reality which pervades the rest of India is lacking here, and I could see myself begin to miss the challenges and rewards associated with travelling off of the tourist map. I didn't come to this country to lay on a beach the whole time. A week or so should suffice.