Arambol Beach at Sunset
I’ve been on a beach in Goa for a week now and up until now have been unable to escape.
But before I write about that I must write about my journey to this Goan beach.
Shantam from the ashram offered to store my mediation robes in case I return to the Pune ashram and Swaraj, an Indian man I also met at the ashram stopped at my hotel as I was packing up. He surprised me with flowers (so sweet!) and whisked me away in a rickshaw to the railway station.
The train was late so we had plenty of time to chat and say goodbye.
I met some really wonderful people on the train. A woman who lives in Mumbai who spoke impeccable English. Her aunt leaned into the window before we left and asked if I wanted any food before the train left the station.
So kind.
Actually all of the people in my train compartment were really lovely people.
I met a cute 14-year-old girl who wanted to badly to communicate with me (and I her) but there was that minor detail of the language barrier. She showed me all her jewelry and lip gloss. I showed her my one lipstick. She wanted a picture of me but all I had was my ashram card and I would need that if I decided to return to Pune. So I had someone take a picture of the two of us. I got her address to mail it to her but darn! I lost my notebook that she had written it in. 🙁
Sleeping on a 3-Tier (6 person) No A/C train is something I will probably not sign up for again. The bunks were crowded and hard. No sheets, blankets or pillows provided and I didn’t have any place to store any in my backpack for the train journey. Also chai wallahs came walking around at 4am saying, “Chai, Chai!”
Over and over. Until 7am.
I love Chai but I love sleep more. RRRRRRRRRRR.
Next time I’ll reserve a 2-tier (4 person) A/C seat. I’ve heard that is a much more comfortable way to travel by train.
A woman named Judy (who I met yesterday in Goa) told me that everything you need you get in India.
In the midst of the incredible chaos that surrounds India is an (according to her and I think she’s right) orchestra of perfect order.
Judy said last night, “You don’t always get what you want in India but you always get what you need.”
I experienced this when I was on the train to Goa. A couple overheard me talking to the woman from Mumbai about which stop I should get off at to go to Arambol Beach. She told my stop was about an hour from the next train stop.
This couple overheard her and said, “She’s wrong. We live in Arambol. Come with us and we can share taxi fare.”
I did and thank God I did. If I had gotten off at the other stop I would have had to take 3 different buses to get to Arambol instead of one taxi with this couple.
I got to Arambol Beach in Goa and wow.
What a relief to be on the Arabian Sea with waves crashing against the beautiful beach and warm water to swim in.
It was heaven.
For a few days.
But then I decided I wanted to leave Goa and all the train tickets out of Goa were booked. The travel agents didn’t know when there would be a seat going to anywhere else in India.
What?! I’m stuck in Goa?!
Four days ago the last words I wrote in my journal were:
Since I can’t leave Goa for a few days I want to rest for the next three days.
Even though I was in one of the most restful places on Earth (Goa is pretty darn restful), I was having such a hard time simply doing nothing. I would set out to do nothing but I would end having a dinner date with someone I met on the beach or near my hut or I would go shopping or I would spend time on the Internet catching up with friends and family.
I couldn’t just do nothing.
Do nothing.
That doesn’t really make sense does it?
It’s more like I couldn’t nothing.
So the day after I found out it would be awhile before I could leave Goa, and the day after I wrote those words in my journal, I got major food poisoning.
Much worse than the time in Bali.
By 1:00pm I was alternately shivering and sweating in my bed. It felt like someone had put a fleece blanket around me and insulated me from sounds, sensations (other than sweating and shivering) and emotions. I couldn’t think or feel. I could only shake and shiver and sweat.
It was so strange. And in a strange way it was soooo restful.
I couldn’t get up unless I absolutely had to.
I didn’t want to eat.
I didn’t want to drink.
I didn’t want to do anything but rest.
And rest I did.
For three days.
Just like I had written in my journal: I want to rest for the next three days.
And each day I got progressively better.
Today is the 4th day and I’m up and about.
Still not eating too much.
But feeling much, much better. And really very rested.
And I got a train ticket out of Goa today. It leaves on Tuesday for Hampi.
And I feel like doing things again since I’m so well rested.
Tonight I will go to the Night Market (entertainment, good food, shopping) with an assortment of nice people I met who are staying near my beach shack.
Tomorrow is something called Holy Day where you get splashed with different colored paint that symbolize different things. It’s a festival celebrating life. You are supposed to wear clothes you don’t care about when you go into town or on the beach because people will throw colored paint at you.
It sounds messy but fun. 🙂
And then Monday I am determined to swim with the dolphins. I still haven’t gotten around to that yet.
Then Tuesday I leave for a new destination.
And a new adventure.
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