The Arambol Experience

i met meg and tim several hours after they arrived. in panjim (the previous town we set out from) i had removed money. taking my time to replace my card and receipt in their proper places, the atm machine sucked the cash back in. thus, i waited around until the bank opened and they audited the machine to retrieve my money. lesson learned. then, i took the local buses about 40 miles west to arombol. i have never seen a bus so crowded in my life. just when it did not seem like 1 more person could cram in, 15 more piled on. 2 1/2 hours later we arrived, i bathing in my pool of sweat. from the bus stop, i began walking toward the beach at our alotted meeting place, pack on my back. motorcycles and scooter far outnumber those of us on foot. when presented with the opportunity to take a load off, i caught the remainder of the walk on the back of a scooter of another visitor. (it was only about 1/2 mile, but it was still worth it).

we have been staying a quaint little basic hotel for $10 a night between the 3 of us. the owners are super friendly, and the man grew up in this house. "i am roman catholic. you are too." searching for a sign why he might assume that, he added excitedly, "you are american, so you are roman catholic." it was easiest to sort of agree, but i quietly added that not everyone in the u.s. is catholic.

thanksgiving eve treated us quite well. while it was not necessarily traditional, our meal was a thai feast at a beach front restaurant washed down with a little kingfisher beer. the sky was clear and the stars were shining bright. and the eve was spent discussing what we are thankful for now, in the past year, and what we are looking most forward to in the coming year. the conversations that ensued was an enjoyable and reflective way to spend the evening, focusing on our (new) perspectives and current travels.


We remain on this small beach resort in northern goa. all of us are admittedly "non-beach lovers", but upon arrival, we quickly changed our story and decided to spend a few extra days here. lounging on the beach is quite nice, but not necessarily relaxing. constantly approached by people selling sarongs and beaded necklaces and bracelets, adn silver anklets, the nice "no thank yous" just don't seem to cut it anymore. i just think to myself, "do not make eye contact" and "always wear your sunglasses...even at night". it is not that i don't want to be sociable. i quite like it, but i lose creativity for saying "NO NO NO, i don't suddenly feel like i want that beaded necklace i have now seen a million times. and i don't want my ears cleaned with whatever you are trying to sneak into my ears." but i never get tired of them asking "how or why are you so white? i can tell you just arrived to the beach." and suddenly they look blinded by my glow-in-the-dark skin.

a walk on the beach is quite enjoyable. the sand is soft and fine. and arambol is in close proximity with 3-4 other small beaches easily reached by a relaxing stroll, some with jagged rocks protruding from the sea. the beach is dotted with dozens of wooden boats and fishing net, taken out each morning for fresh catch, and dotted with even more beachside restaurants (which are fantastic night and day!)

the remainder of the 4-5 days here revolved around reading, relaxing, strolling to nearby beaches and bobbing in the rise and fall of the folding waves. not bad. and today, we mosied to the jungle around the bend, swam in the not so salty lake and followed other visitors along the short path of thick vegetation to "the banyan tree" where a dreadlocked fellow lives beneath and westerners head...for meditation or a spiritual experience perhaps?! between the backdrop of lush vegetation just beyond the palm-tree surrounded lake that is a stone's throw from the ocean, it feels like a little slice of heaven.