Languor in Goa

Goa is India's richest and smallest state with a literacy rate of ~85%. In 1510, the Portuguese defeated a local sultan and established Portuguese India.This Portuguese colonial rule would last 450 years. Although modern India gained independence from Britain in 1947, the Portuguese hung on until 1961 when the Indian Army invaded and threw their asses out.

At 15 degrees latitude, Goa is covered in equatorial forests and a monsoon season starts in June.

Coconut palms are an ubiquitous symbol of Goa. Goan fish and prawn curries always include coconut milk.

Goan culture is an interesting amalgamation of Eastern and Western styles with latter having the more dominant role. Some of the lanes and colors would not be out of place in parts of Portugal. When the Portuguese left, their breads, rolls and pastries stayed, which in all fairness are ho-hum.

Coastal Goa 's seven rivers and the Kumbarjua canal form an estuarine complex.

After the Portuguese conquest of 1510 the indigenous population underwent a large scale conversion to Christianity (Roman Catholicism). Due to the economic decline of Portuguese India in the 18th century, there was also a large scale emigration of Goan Catholics. ~65% Christian in 1851, Goa is now~25% Christian, the increase helped by more recent Hindu immigration.

I notice that they burn incense and drape marigolds at shrines just like the Hindus do.

Goa Trance has its roots in the hippie culture of the late 60's and early 70's. After the hippies were kicked out of Kathmandu they migrated to Goa, seeking inexpensive tropical living and cheap, more or less legal, drugs. Most of the hippies are gone now, but the legacy of their all night full moon beach parties lives on in the form of raves and EDM festivals. Beach nightclubs are everywhere.

I liked this tree with two examples Western culture brought to Goa: Christianity and EDM.

Although most of the tourists in Goa are from other parts of India and a week in Goa is a rite of passage, an Indian Spring Break if you will, for many young Indian men, it also attracts an international crowd. At least where we are, the majority of foreign tourists are from Russia and many signs are in Russian first and English second. Who knew?

Goa is also notable for its low priced beer, wine and liquor due to its very low excise tax on alcohol. A bottle of passable local rum is under $3.00 (and fenni, the made from cashews local rotgut is even cheaper). Attracted to many of the same things as the hippies were, foreign tourists, particularly Brits and Ruskies of limited means who want to party, are all over Goa

Some are a rough lot and stay for months at a time.

Word on the street is that the Goan government is making changes to attract a more upscale demographic. 

Tin Tin Tibet Restaurant is right across the street from our apartment. Although quiet now, it seems to be a gathering place to entertain shifty groups of heavily tattooed Russian underworld heavies.

Know why that dog is asleep this fine early morn while I have a glass of chai masala? Because it is up all night barking, howling, whimpering, yowling, moaning and inconsolably wailing. Every night.

Anjuna Beach, Goa.

Our apartment was not ready until two days after our arrival, so we stayed at this beach shack right on the Arambol Beach. A motley cast of characters they are at Arambolicious indeed.

We decided to spend a month of languor and lethargy near Anjuna Beach to take a break from tourism generally and trains, planes and buses particularly.
Anjuna is listless and torpid because in the middle of the day it is ~100 F. Which is all well and good when we retreat to our fourth floor apartment that is under the natural air conditioning provided by a giant Mango tree.
These reinforced concrete buildings are clammy and never heat up when it is winter and you are in the Himalaya; but it is late winter here in the tropics and if you add in Arabian Sea breezes with ceiling fans, well Voila!, you have lethargy.

Anjuna seems to cater to the foreign trance crowd and the bikinis that come with that.

Whereas Baga Beach, another couple of kilometers away, seems to favor the Indian crowd. They swim fully clothed. Nary a thong to be seen. We think the swimming is better here but as the expression *laid back* hardly applies here, we don't go as much.

Somedays in Goa the electricity blinks on and off a dozen or more times a day. Here we were listening to the coverage of Trump's visit to Ahmadabad and the Taj Mahal, when the power went off and left us in darkness with no ceiling fan. Nothing to do but sit in a chair and wait. The wait would prove to be until the next morning.

One must be stoic to successfully live in India.That is: do not expect the expected, nor unexpect the unexpected.

 Gentle reader, It ain't for everybody

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