Gokarna - Goa

After spending 3 days in Gokarna, we really had to get moving. It was hard, because Gokarna is so peaceful! All we did was have breakfast, go for a swim in the sea, have lunch, go for a swim, have dinner, play cards... that's pretty much it. For 3 whole days, this was my schedule and I enjoyed every second of it! Gokarna is only 3 hours away from Goa and a part of me doesn't understand why people go to Goa instead of Gokarna, but a part of me is very happy because we wouldn't want Gokarna to become as busy as Goa.
So on Friday it was time to go. We had to be in Goa by Christmas-eve because Devika had to meet up with her family. We left Gokarna, took a crappy local train to Madgaon and then another train to Thivim. From there we had to take a taxi to Assagao - Badem. We took an expensive pre-paid taxi and even tough he told us he knew the way, he didn't know it at all! Liar! We had to ask several times and so the drive took a bit longer. The idiot wanted extra pay for this, but we refused. He knew where we wanted to go, he said he knew the way... everything else is his fault, his responsibility! And he wasn't even friendly!!
Just in time, around 3PM, we arrived at the flat and my god... this must be what heaven feels like. The flat is light and bright, it has clean and soft sheets, a real washing machine, a big hot shower, we can make our own coffee and tea, our own muesli in the morning... waw! It felt like home straight away! The rooms were for the couples (Nick and Lana, Adriano and Nora) and Devika and me slept on a mattress in the living room. But I couldn't care less, all I wanted was one of those hot perfect showers! Yeah!
After Devika and her family left, we went to the beach in Baga to have a Christmas meal. We were really tired and after drinking just one cocktail and one beer, we were ready to head back. It was a quiet Christmas-eve, but it was all we needed; a good meal, a few drinks and good company!
The next day I met up with my German friend Matthias. We met in a cafe in Anjuna and while we were sitting there and chatting with each other, an old Dutch hippie-ish man sat down at our table. He was drunk and ordered another whiskey. We didn't know him and after he dominated our conversation and started talking dirty to me and Lana, we asked him to leave our table. He did, sat at another table for a while and finally left without paying. So they chased him down the street and made him come back to pay his bill. He didn't have any money and all of a sudden this older Indian man gets up from his table behind us and approaches the Dutch man. He starts shouting at him that he has to pay, this is India and he should respect this country and that as an Indian he can not tolerate how he was disrespecting women (meaning me and Lana) and finally he slapped him twice and poured his coke over him. WOW! An Indian man sticking up for us! The hippie had it coming and none of us felt bad about what happened. Tourists think they can come to India and get away with everything, well, this day an Indian man took it upon himself to let everyone know that you can NOT get away with everything, and if you act like an animal you will be treated as one! Amen!!
Unfortunately he stands alone in his fight. Only a few hours after this we found ourselves in another situation that kind of proved that you CAN get away with almost anything. We have a car in the flat and Devika has been cruising around Goa with it. At an intersection the Police stopped us and asked for her drivers license and the papers of the car. The car is private, but the parents rent it... first mistake; you can not rent a private car and so they were gonna keep the car until the owner came to get it. Then they wanted the papers that we couldn't find... second mistake. Then they asked for a drivers license which Devika didn't bring, but she handed them the one from Nora...third mistake. Wow, if this was Europe we could forget about the rest of our day! But Thank God this is India... Incredible India... and after slipping 500 roepies (not even 10 Euro) to the Police, they gave back the license and let us drive on. As if nothing happened! Everything under control!!
Well, Goa doesn't feel like India but it sure as hell is. The Indian man slapping a tourist, bribing police... it is all so typical India! And these things all happened within a few hours. That's what makes India fascinating, and tiring at the same time. Anyway, I'm still in Goa and we are still cruising with the car. ;-)
Second day here I met up with Annemie and Patrick from Belgium and had a few drinks. That was really nice, to have some company that I knew from back home. You don't have to explain to them who you are and what you're doing and that's a nice change.
I also spent a day with Devika and her family. Her aunt was throwing a party and since Nick and Lana left for Thailand, they invited me to join them. I would have been fine doing something on my own, but they insisted. It was really really nice; beautiful house, big garden, amazing food... this is India the way we tourists don't really get to see it. It's the India from the Middle to Upper class Indians. As real as the beggars, but it couldn't be more opposite! Well, I personally enjoyed it and it was really interesting to be here.
The day before yesterday I was feeling so tired that I stayed in bed and slept till 5 in the afternoon. I got up to shower, get dressed and go eat, but at midnight I went back to sleep. I think the tiredness was getting to me. Not from traveling, but the impressions, the senses-overload. Spending the day in the flat was so relaxing; for the first time since I arrived almost two months ago there were absolutely no stimuli; no noises, no smells, no hassling, no traffic, no nothing, just peace and quietness! I guess I needed that!
Since yesterday it's just Devika and me and so we took a holiday day; swimming in the sea and shopping! Ha! And the next few days will be more of that! We haven't gone out to party yet and I don't know if we will. We are both sleeping a lot and party is not really what is on our mind. But maybe we'll have to put in an effort tomorrow for New Years Eve. We'll see first if we can stay awake that long! ;-)