I almost thought that I would never get here because it's been such a long time coming, but I am finally in southern goa, on a beach called palolem. As I sit here typing, under my dingy mosquito net in my little beach hut, I can hear the sound of the ocean crashing on the shore. I think that is the best sound in the world.
Last time I wrote, I was cranky in udaipur and behaving irrationally (but really that could be any day on this part of the trip). I've been thinking lately that I am the absolute worst version of myself in India: closed off, judgemental, short tempered, paranoid. And haha, I can see where this is going in all of your heads-"isn't that you everyday?" But seriously, there is something out in the universe that does not want me and India to be friends (I would settle to be mere aquaintances at this point). But just two and a half more weeks to soldier through and then kenya. Im hoping the beach will help.
Anyway, udaipur turned out to be a really nice place. Lots of tourists there, the most I've seen in anyone place since I've been in India which must sound strange, but it's true. All the tourists around me started to make me feel a little bit like a loser though, the kid who didn't get invited to the birthday party, because I've been finding it really hard to meet other travelers (with the exception of the 40something guy from Texas who introduced himself on the overnight bus by saying "I'm called Mills.") But I did thankfully make a friend on my first night in udaipur-a nice Irish girl named Sarah.
Sarah and I exchanged horror stories from our travels and blew off steam over a couple of kingfisher beers (my first drink in India) and partook in some classic friend activities. We went to a ridiculous yoga class which I laughed all the way through and got the crappiest pedicures of all time. We also ate cake, went shopping, and did a lot of chatting (if you threw in a makeover and a 90's soundtrack it would have been the movie Clueless). It was so nice to have a friend, even if it was temporary We met another girl, Karen from Denmark, who turned out to be on the same train as me to Mumbai, and she invited us to go and see a cultural dance/music show with her. I am so glad we went because it was the best thing I've seen in India! Just amazing the way the women were dancing and everything else that was happening. It was the first time I actually saw an indian woman genuinely smile and love life. It was amazing. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!
Then it was off to the train station where I met/tagged along with a 23 year old German guy named Goeran for the 18 hour train ride to Mumbai. Me and Goeran ended up spending a few days together out of pure cheapness and convinience. We didn't get along that well and I think he might have hated me, or maybe he was just really German and I didn't know how to talk to him. So serious! Karen was on the train too, but in a much better class with air conditioning whereas I sweat it out in lower class with all the Indians. When we arrived in Mumbai we met up with Karen's indian aquaintance Felix who met us at the train station but then got into a fist fight with a slew of taxi drivers. It was very strange. After an hour in a sweaty taxi we arrived in colaba which is the tourist part of town. Almost immediately I was spotted by a Bollywood casting agent who offered me a role as an extra in a film for the next day. I was really tempted but didn't end up doing it. Mumbai is a really cool city. It has fantastic architecture left over from the Raj and it is the kind of place where you can walk around and almost be anonymous. People don't bother you too much and no one pays you much attention. You can buy almost anything on the street (including dildos-so much for trying to keep my shoulders and knees covered.) Also, there isn't as much garbage because poor people collect and recycle it and others sweep up. There are so many cricket stadiums and in the centre of the downtown there is a big grass oval for people to casually play. Cricket is so huge here. I see men and boys playing it and watching it everywhere: along the Ganges in Varanasi, in the desert in Rajisthan, and here on the beach in Goa. You would almost think that it is a requirement of the Hindu religion!
My second night in Mumbai I went to chowpatty beach which is a beach in the middle of the city where indian families go to hang out. It was really cool, minus the fact that the ocean there is toxic from the pollution and that there is garbage strewn across the beach. People swim regardless. There were places to buy ice cream and cotton candy, ring toss games, and kids building sand castles. From the beach you can walk all the way down the water front back to colaba on marine drive which is what I did. You see loads of young couples sitting and holding hands which was really cute. Also, there are lots of people going for jogs and power walks which is rather endearing because for the most part all the women are still in their saris and the men in their work clothes, but they're all wearing bright white sneakers. I saw people walking their dogs too which obviously made me very happy. On the way back to the hotel I stopped in at a movie theatre to try and see scream 4, but unfortunately they were having technical difficulties and the only other English movie offered was that god awful Jennifer aniston Adam sandler rom com, and even in my desperation for air conditioning and American cinema I just couldn't do it. So I settled for speed which was on cable at my hotel. It actually made me irrationally happy (my family knows about my deep rooted obsession with that movie and with Keanu reeves.)
My last day in Mumbai I went to Dharavi slum, which is the slum in slumdog millionaire. I took a tour run by this incredible NGO that puts almost all of the money right back into the slum and runs an elementary school, kindergarden, and community centre in Dharavi. Seeing the slum and everything going on in it is probably the best thing I've done in India, and I think it'll be hard to beat. Despite similarities to other slums I've been to (both Kibera slum in Nairobi and Dharavi have over 1 million inhabitants in a small geographical area. Dharavi is only 1.7km squared and is twenty times denser in population then Mumbai which has the greatest population density in the world) dharavi is so inspiring. The people really work with what they have and are some of the happiest and friendliest people I've encountered in this country. They run their own recycling system for plastics and uluminum, they manufacture and export pastries, soap, leather, and clay pots among other things. Annually, they do 250 million dollars worth of production (and that's only the people that report their income). Anyway, it was an incredible experience and I'm so glad that I got to visit and witness the wonderful things that are happening there.
I took the local train back into south Mumbai and got to ride on the "ladies only" car which was awesome and totally packed. After dinner and some loitering in an air con cafe (I think Mumbai is the hottest place I've ever been with the exception of Dubai) it was off to the train station for another overnight train.
Goa feels like a diiferent country all together. The landscape is so different: lush, green, and tropical. I swear I could be in costa rica. It also has such a different vibe. The same as southern Thailand or the coast of Kenya or Zanzibar, just relaxed. It's a nice change. The only not so great thing is that I haven't met anyone yet so I'm feeling a little lonely. There are loads of people here but most are on romantic holidays and don't want to be my friend. Oh well, I do have a couple of books I can just escape into if I can't find anyone to talk to.
I'll be here for a while soaking up the sun and working on my tan before moving on to a place called Hampi and then maybe Kerala. Happy Easter!
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