Goa + Guitar = Good times!

Theres no point doing a day by day account of Goa - I have lost all sense of time. We took the train down overnight after visiting Elephanta island - Indian trains are certainly an experience! We arrived in Goa the next day and made our way to northerly Arambol. We stayed in a beach hut, which cost 400 rupees (under 6 pounds) for all of us. There was a massive 'hippy' scene there, with jam nights, reggae music and even the occasional poetry reading at night. In the day we chilled on the beach, sometimes venturing as far as the streets just off the sand where ramshackle stalls selling all kind of hippy-ware were dotted around. In the evenings we watched the sun slowly dissapear over the ocean, one time we climbed a hill next to the beach with a kingfisher each, and sat by the palm trees overlooking the whole beach. We ate freshly caught fish and other (sometimes not so local) food at nights, and made the most of the 60 rupees large bottles of kingfishers (650 ml). On wednesday we went to the famous Anjuna flea market - very touristy but worth doing.

Now I'm in palolem, on my last night. We've been here a couple of nights, and although its a more attractive beach then Arambol, its a lot more touristy - not crowded at all, but it feels more set up towards holidays rather than backpackers. We've had fun though, and have visited a wildlife sanctuary, and took a boat today to butterfly beach. I have also got a guitar here, and more recently a strap and capo (the strap and capo negotiated down from 700 rps to 400) and am attempting to learn two songs a day - an idea I got from Jules who is doing that on her eukalele. Tonight we're taking the sleeper train to kerala where the girls have 6 days before they fly to Bangkok. We plan to go to Fort Cochin (where the train arrives) and the Keralan Backwaters, maybe even renting out a houseboat!!!

I'm off to dinner in a minute so I'll leave by saying Namaste!