Giddy in Goa

Laid back in Southwest India

 

The word from all I spoke to was "never go to Southwest India in monsoon season" -- and many times I thought about changing my plans while again and again admonishing myself for not planning better.  In the end  -- I went -- and it was an almost perfect experience!!!



In truth, the reality is that a hostel can make or break your stay regardless of the season. I choose hostels because even though you share rooms, the opportunity to compare notes on what to see is worth the privacy/comfort trade-off in my view. Thank goodness for the Hostel World App which gives you a clear view of what is what in the various hostels in India and around the world. The easy-to-use review mechanism allows folks to give feedback on practical and subjective aspects of the experience. Atmosphere and helpfulness are the ones to watch ....... oh and the number of reviews is crucial (more on THAT later)

So Dream Hostel in Goa (Vagator) was a dream. It's laid back and the owner is really warm and helpful. The group there was super friendly and fun with many interesting conversations had deep into the night and well into many bottles of beer.



In addition to fabulous beaches, this is the place where Vasco de Gama and a bunch of other Portuguese spent 500 years. This area is really interesting to me as I've visited Fort Jesus on the Kenya coast where De Gama also spent some time once he rounded the cape and made famous the route to spices and riches. Old Goa is a history lovers dream with so much of Portugal exported to this far-away exotic land. The church above and behind yours truly was the spiritual and physical manifestation of Christianity for the Portuguese Expatriates and the Hindi people. I think it's clear that Christianity was not as successful here having a difficult me competing with Hindi, Islam, Buddhism, Janism and the like.

A dream I have harbored for many years has been to ride a Royal Enfield around India. The Enfield is a special machine in that it is as Iconic as it is almost completely unreliable. It's redeeming feature is that the English-made contraption is easy to fix and carries the badge of a motorcycle company that has produced machines in each of 3 centuries. The first motorcycles were produced in  the1890's though didn't come to India until the 1930s. When production in England failed (it was owned by Norton lastly) production came to India where it is still produced in almost exactly the same as it was many years ago. Often referred to as the Harley Davidson of India, it is a big heavy low powered machine that is comfortable ride and produces a very satisfying chugggg as you motor along.

Since riding my friend Steven Kerney's Keystone mini-bike when I was 11, I have loved the sense of exhilaration and freedom that for me, defines the 2-wheeled experience. This was no different. I drove the coast road with the warm breeze again my skin; the ocean beside smelling fresh and clean. I abandoned the helmet in favor of the feeling of being free and a bit wild in this wildly exotic land. At times the monsoon rains came so hard I had to slow to a crawl to see ahead.Soaked and smiling I continued my magical journey with the Enfield. What a day we had!!!!

I rented from these characters here on the left, where the administrative process was simply handing me the keys and stating the price.... which was about $10 for the day. Given the issues with reliability of the machine and the sketchy look of the renters I wasn't surprised when at the farthest point from the "rental shop" the throttle cable broke and I was stranded on the side of the road. I managed to get back by operating the carburetor by hand, while alternating between chuckling and swearing the 50 kms back to the shop. I gave him half the amount we agreed to and got back on my scooter. Another adventure in life!!

Thanks for reading....Layno!!