Stop and Goa

How witty are my titles? Okay, not that witty. But you can tell how hard I try. Anyway, last night after I left the internet cafe there was a flash monsoon (the wet season is coming in a couple of weeks) and all of the electricity throughout Benaulim went out. Which would have been fine, if I had any idea where my guesthouse was...I had just arrived there earlier in the day, dropped off my bags, and set out, knowing that I would be able to navigate my way back as long as I could see a few landmarks. But when I say that it was pitch black out with no electricity, I mean just that. I was literally walking around in the rain, waiting for a flash of lightning so I could for a brief moment analyze my surroundings, then hurry in whatever direction looked right. By some small miracle, during one flash of lightning I recognized a sideways hanging palm-tree that I knew was nearby my guesthouse, and I made a dash for it. I arrived home soaking wet but relieved that I did not have to spend my first night in Benaulim sleeping on the beach in the rain.

Louis, the owner of the guesthouse, was understandably a bit shocked when I walked in at around 10 PM during the monsoon. He probably figured that I had drowned or something. By this point I was starving so I cooked some Paneer Tikka Masala and steamed rice by candlelight, which Louis had kindly given to me. I ate my food and took a shower in the dark and then took quite a few Valium to sleep since the electrical failure had rendered my air-conditioning obsolete. After a series of increasingly bizarre dreams (including the recurring one in which I am eating some amazing glutenous delicacy, freak out, try to spit it out, only to realize that I am dreaming and wake up), I woke up pretty early and set out to find some breakfast.
I stopped in at a little coffee shop named Strusthi's Canteen. I explained my allergy to the owner, Raju, and his wife, Mamata, who then served me some exceptionally well-brewed coffee and an Egg Dosa, which is made from gram flour and hence gluten-free. I chatted with Raju and learned that they have a 10 year old daughter for whom the restaurant is named. Such kind people...I will certainly be having my breakfast there again tomorrow.

I started to head back to the guesthouse to get my things for the beach, but ran into Raj, the owner of a store called Much More Collection who had helped to steer me in the right direction during the monsoon last night. He invited me inside and I quickly realized that he had the coolest clothing I've ever laid eyes on. I bought something like 12 things...leather sandals, a lungi which is a sort of Indian-style beach towel, several kurtias which are Indian-style shirts, a few chill-out/meditation CDs, a Goan bracelet, a swimsuit, even a T-shirt that says, "God created grass. Man created Booze. Who do you trust?" I got all of this for like $50 USD. Incredible. We hung out for about an hour listening to Shiva Moon as he told me a bit about himself...he's 29 and from Karantka, south of Goa, and we've made plans to hang out later this week. I didn't have all of the money on me at the time so he let me take my stuff and come back to pay him later on. Goans are extremely trusting - why can't the whole world be this way?

Further down the street, all of the roads were being paved, so I asked a guy named Francis what was going on. Apparently every year, they pave the roads just before the monsoon hits so as to minimize flooding. Once the monsoon hits at the beginning of next month, Goa basically shuts down until October, when tourist season starts back up again.

Because of this, I've gotten some incredible prices on everything. My guesthouse, for example, is an air-conditioned one bedroom suite with a living room, full kitchen, bathroom, and private balcony, walking distance from the beach...and I am paying roughly $17 USD per night. Are you kidding me? Maybe I will work in corporate law for 3 years and then just move here forever.

I have been seeing these four kids everywhere and they just follow me around laughing. I should probably mention that I'm one of like 15 foreigners in Benaulim at the moment since it's the end of the tourist season. But having lived in Beijing I'm used to being gawked at so I don't mind the attention. I have yet to meet an unfriendly Goan, and I seriously doubt that I will. Everyone in the streets smiles and waves to me, and some will even stop and chat if they are confident enough in their English.

And here's the proof that the cows run things on the beaches here. I tried to get one to pose with me but he wasn't too keen on it. I guess I can't have everything.