Sticky hugs from India

A warm and muggy hello from India! Funny how it's been kinda chilli at most of the places we have been, and we just want it to be warmer. Well, we got what we asked for, and I'm already wanting the cold back! I have a permanenet sweat going on. Bran says I'm glowing, mainly to earn points, but I'll take it.

We have made it safe and sound. We flew into Mumbai in the wee morning hours of the 8th, and the adventure began. We shared a taxi from the airport,to the train station (which was right by our hotel) with a young girl who looked like your typical hippie who would be going to India.At first I was skeptical when she approached us asking to share a taxi, but I think she was an angel undercover. When our driver tried to harass more money for gas out of us, she quietly laughed it off. He was persistent, but her kind attitude just deferred his greediness.She had been to India in the beginning of the year, and kind of gave us the low down on the area.
Arriving safely at the station, we only had a short walk to the hotel. But which way? After turning in a few circles, we looked up to see a neon sign glowing like a star guiding our way. We ended up crashing for a few hours then walked around the area. It is what everyone said it would be: shocking, crazy, dirty, overwhelming. Although, not as bad as I was expecting. People did not harass like Ciaro, they were sweet and always willing to help and offer a smile. They are so so poor, but seem to be full of love. My senses were overwhelmed, within just 15 min. such smells as dirt, cooking chicken, piss, popcorn,human filth, burning trash...You can hardly walk while you're trying to take in everything around you. You must, however, always keep an eye on the floor since there are holes, bumps, piss, and trash all over the place. I hate to report, but even people were all over the ground. So many people were sleeping when we arrived at 5am, it was endless rows of lumps laying on the ground.

The only train ride we could get was the next day on in a non ac car.That, or wait three days for the next available train. We grabbed those seats happily. We met a very nice couple at the train station, from Norway, and turns out they were in our sleeper car.So, there were six beds, and we already knew two. God is so good. We spent 14 hours traveling down to the Goa area. (which was only about 700 km away!) Our train was suppose to leave at 6:50am,and left only one hour late, and we pulled into Goa at 830 pm. The fourteen plus hours were spent soaking in our surroundings, trying to sleep, read, or avoid the cockroaches. Yes, there were a few friends with us, which made the idea of sleeping even more difficult. However, I am ashamed to admit, after being used to seeing some, they don't freak me out like they used to. For the entire train ride, we had vendors running back and forth selling their goods with powerful and quick tongues. "Chi chi chi chi" holding a canister of it close to you. "Coffee coffee coffee?" sandwiches, chicken lollies (chicken on a stick) ice cream, fruit, water, all in the same quick, accented, repetitious sounds. They might as well have been saying, "Diarrhea, Diarrhea, you want some?" I was not about to touch anything. Especially since there was only a hole for a bathroom that went straight onto the tracks. I have had my share of it on our trip, but thankfully not yet on a confined, public, transport system, and I would like to keep it that way. In fact, I dehydrated myself so I didn't have to use the toilet once, and drank like a camel once we got off.

We shared a taxi to Colva on the coast a quick 10 min ride. By now it was about 9pm, and the search for hotels was on. The first few we tried were booked, odd considering it was a Sunday. However, it seems that most of the Lonely Planet hotels are. Finally, we found an apt style with two separate rooms and bathrooms, for 1200 total. Only 600 Rupies each. That is about 10US. Welcome to India.

Today we took the public bus south a few km. south. It was only 6 Rupies, so about 10 cents US. Not bad. Another angel looking out for us, and a sweet German couple saw us wandering around with our packs on, looking for a place to stay. She was a fellow traveler, and just knew that tired, sweat dripping in every crack, we need to find a place look. She pointed us to Paula Ritas, and its clean and safe for only 400 Rupies. A four mile walk today, and we found some quiet and deserted beach areas. Most of the beaches right by the towns and hotels are busy and crowded. So, our strategy is to simply walk a bit, and the whole beach is desolate. Seems so simple, but most people are just so lazy or hot, they plop down right on top of each other.

Tomorrow.. heading south more? We shall see.