Goa and Mumbai

Carli's last two weekends here were filled with travel. We left early on a Friday morning for Goa. This was toted as the "Cancun of India" and we both wanted a relaxing but fun weekend on the beach. We were pleasantly surprised by our hotel and the size of the room. It was a two-bedroom suite (one room was locked) with a living room and kitchen (no cookware, plates, or utensils). There was a path from the hotel directly to the beach and you only had to hold your breath for about 25 feet to avoid the garbage/rotten smell (bonus!).

We were warned before leaving that there are a lot of Russians who vacation in Goa. Having never spent time around large crowds of them, I didn't know what exactly to expect. Living in the U.S., there are certain stereotypes associated with Russians and I have to say, they lived up to many of them. Most of the Russians we encountered on the beach were indifferent to us so we didn't bother them either. We stopped for a drink at a cafe one night that was owned by two Russian expats who were the definition of cold. Describing it as "awful service" implies that they provided any service at all. They were very friendly to the three Russian families that were in the restaurant but didn't give Carli and I the time of day, even when trying to pay the bill. Both Carli and I agreed that we cannot base our opinions for a whole country off of this experience with a small population of vacationers but it was not the best first impression.

The sun was hot and the water felt great but the current was strong so you couldn't go out too far. The beach is lined by tiki shacks, each with a slightly different theme. Each shack had the EXACT same menu of drinks and food. The only differentiating characteristics were the lounge chairs and umbrellas, otherwise you would think it was all one big restaurant. In a two mile stretch of beach, there were probably 60 of these shacks. We tested out several of these throughout the weekend.

Goa was colonized by the Portuguese and the influence is still prevalent. Christianity is the major religion, North African spices are used more regularly, and beef is on the menu. I had several great meals over the three days including chicken vindaloo, calamari, Goan sausage, chicken cafreal, and a super spicy fish curry.

The following weekend, we flew to Mumbai. We got in late Friday night and went straight to the hotel. The airport is north of the city and we stayed in Southern Mumbai, in the older part of town. Our night drive allowed us to take in the impressive skyline as we crossed a beautiful suspension bridge. Did I get a picture? Of course not! (Thank you Don Campbell and Google Images for providing this picture). The return trip during the day was not nearly as nice because the dirt and grime was more visible.

We made our way to the Gateway of India in the morning and got tickets for a ferry ride to an island to see the Elephanta Caves. The ferry moved at approximately half snail's pace and no breeze was to be had which made the hour-long ride feel even longer. We get to the island and walk the length of the jetty to the town. We then were instructed to climb the stairs to get to the caves. The never-ending staircase was lined with local vendors selling small figurines, key chains, and rocks which we breezed past on the way up to save for the return journey. I was grateful for the tarps that blocked most of the direct sunlight but by the time we reached the top I was a puddle. The caves themselves were not overly impressive until you took in the effort in construction. The original artisans did not simply carve the cave walls of an existing space, they created the caves from nothing and crated separate caverns and alters, each with unique sculptures of the gods. The caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva, god of destruction, but he takes many forms and each is depicted. Many of the carvings have been destroyed over time but it was still an impressive sight.

After returning to the mainland, we walked around South Mumbai and saw some impressive buildings including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus which was constructed to look like St. Pancras station in London. It's one of the busiest train stations in India because it handles both trains from all over India and local commuter trains. Mumbai is a very expensive city, too expensive for most people who work there. It's also a peninsula with only three major roads to serve as thoroughfares. These two factors force most of the population to live in suburbs and commute in for work. The trains are packed to the max and some riders have to sit on top or hang off the sides.

We had a really nice weekend in the city and it was a good way to end Carli's time in India.