No account of Goa would be complete without mentioning the toilets. And what you get here is usually a hole in the ground. If you’re lucky, like in this restaurant, you’ll get recesses for your feet either side, and if you’re very lucky, you’ll get a proper flushing toilet basin. Mercifully the aroma of the […]
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 8: Panjim (Part 2) Read Post »
I woke early in a cold, refreshing sweat. As if the toxins were leaving my body. The stomach cramps had dulled for now, but I knew it wouldn’t last. Yesterday was a bad day, but today, somehow I felt strong, determined. Perhaps I’d hit rock bottom and the only way was up from here. Looking
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 7: Panjim (Part 1) Read Post »
I was now well into my first week in Goa. Anjuna was lifeless and empty, so I beat the path through the trees and over the bridge into Baga and onto Calangute every day in search of a stimulus, a distraction from the fading dream of building a new life here. I thought I had
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 6 : What am I doing here? Read Post »
Dawn of my first morning in Anjuna. I’d slept soundly and for the first time felt refreshed, relaxed and together. I looked down at the guitar case at my bedside and remembered my purpose for being here. The plan, as crazy as it seems looking back, was to earn some money busking, and crazier still,
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 5: Mapusa Read Post »
As I headed off down Baga-Calangute road, the heavens opened once again. I ran for shelter into what revealed itself to be an internet cafe, a popular site in Goa. It was a hive of activity, teams of friends were deeply engaged in a session of online-gaming, totally oblivious to their surroundings. I merely wanted
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 4: Calangute Read Post »
I’d arrived at the International Terminal of Mumbai Airport, waiting patiently at the baggage return for my guitar and suitcase. The suitcase appeared, but no guitar. Fantastic start. And so it began. First step; get the guitar back, and take it from there. The rep was super-polite as I rummaged through my documents in search
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 1 : Mumbai Read Post »
I’d read that Goa was the holiday destination of choice for the Indian people. A green. fertile land with idyllic sandy beeches. A party-goers paradise. Maybe so. But this was off-season, a month too early, so I had no idea of what to expect. The plane cabin was just about empty, not a good sign,
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 2 : Arrival in Goa Read Post »
As the old man disappeared into the distance never to be seen again, I passed a signpost pointing over a narrow babbling stream back to Anjuna, obviously the road I should have taken. This was the endpoint of the chaos and the beginning of my journey in earnest. As the dazzling sunlight ripped through dense
Goa : A Lesson in Life. Chapter 3 : The Road to Baga Read Post »
