vacation from a vacation.

Why do old, leathery Europeans insist on wearing hardly anything on the beach? From their unnatural skin tone, I suppose they're actually post-melanoma so they probably fearless, but please spare us. The lack of eye candy is definitely my least favorite part of Goa.

So this leg of the trip is like a vacation from a vacation, even though it's only been a week since leaving SF. Delhi was one of those frenetic experiences, where you're in a stressed physiologic stay, ready to stab someone if need be. Don't get me wrong, it was a great experience, eye-opening and typically of traveling to a densely populated city with extreme social disparities. The city is truly alive, and it is humbling to get to be a part of it, even for just a short period of time. But after awhile, that level of alertness one must have becomes pathological unless you can adapt and be one with your environment. Instead of waiting around to see if we could adapt, we headed to Goa instead.

Brief history lesson. While Britain occupied most of India, the narrow strip of land on the central west cost of the subcontinent was under Portuguese control. Furthermore, it took many decades after independence for the Indian government to take control of Goa. Regional identity here has remained strong and cohesive, and the Portuguese influences remain, in the food, in the architecture, in the language, and in the religion. Goa has traditionally be a place where foreigners and locals escape to for a lazy holiday on the beach. And one mustn't forget the hippies (there's probably a place like this in every developing country with great beaches, where hippies take over and, in a way, ruin the charm of the place). So this whole Portuguese thing makes a stay in Goa pretty unique in comparison to the rest of India. The excess of bronze Europeans also makes the experience, at times, feel a little generic (it would be a redundant activity to try counting the number of beach shacks here that serve the exact same combination of Western and Goan food).

We've only been in Goa (more specifically, Calangute) for a day, and all we've done is eat, drink, and sit on the beach. By the time we leave here this weekend, we might not have done much more than that. Still haven't had coconut water yet. Or too many Kingfishers while laying on the hot sand. But rest assured, those shall be checked off the list in due time.