Feeling minimalist today just back from my holiday, so am going to offer you pictures and fewer words as my Goa recap. Happy New Year!
My drink of choice. I don't do drugs which seem to be a prerequisite for anyone wanting to party late in Goa, but vodka-Red Bull gives you quite a kick and keeps you awake till whenever. Plus, usually about two or three of these is all I need, so really, I don't get very drunk.
We were staying at Anjuna beach, former home of the hippies, now completely touristified, sadly. Last year, the only good thing that came out of the terrorist attacks was a relatively empty beach, this year Anjuna was full to overflowing, and that meant a dirty beach with beer bottles and cigarette butts everywhere. Next time, I'm travelling to Goa, I'm going to stay at Ashvem or something. The sunsets, however, were glorious, no matter where we were.
But really, when you have your boyfriend and a piece of chicklit, any holiday is perfect. It was really nice having my first New Year's in forever with someone, and Goa is so romantic even during party season. JC and I got in some bonding and lovering, which, even if you've been dating a year and a half like we have, is always nice to have.
On New Year's Eve, a friend bought our entire table flashing red devil's horns. Partly for fun, and partly because the seller brought along his daughter, the teeniest Santa I have ever seen. We had sea food at a shack called Janet and John, marvelled at the cheap prices, then rang in the New Year next door at a shack called Cafe Lilliput. If what you're doing at midnight is indicative of what you're doing the rest of the year, then I'm happy--surrounded by people I love with the moonlight and the waves in the background.
Ashvem beach is a lot more crowded than it was two years ago and decidely posher (and therefore more expensive) than any other beach. We went to a shack called Club Fresh which had some uninspired but attractive dancers and a fancy French restaurant called La Plage. The best part about Ashvem is the sea, which is shallow for miles and offers great swimming. I even managed to float on my back, which is something I can't normally do in the sea. JC and his friend rented scooters to get us there and man, that was a scary trip, because neither of them had ridden a scooter before. By the end of it, my bottom was completely sore and JC kept yelling at me to sit still and not fidget. Have you ever been on a Kinetic scooter? Those things are hard to get comfortable on!
One of my favourite photos from the whole trip, moonlight on the waves and a friend walking into the distance. I think this summed up the whole trip, the late night walks (and we walked a lot, which is good, because I find myself skinnier at the end of this holiday than I've ever been). Ah, Goa. I love it so. I'm becoming quite an old Goa hand and it was so worth it, even if we had to take the day train back and forth (12 hours) because our reservations were screwed up and even if on the way back we had to get on the sleeper compartment (madness). I think Goa is my soul holiday destination. January 2nd marked three years in Bombay and as I look around me, I'm glad I made it so long.
