Quick Update from Goa

I'm sorry I've been incommunicado for more than two weeks.  I've been traveling.  From Mumbai through Kerala, with a brief stop in Bangalore, before finally settling in Goa yesterday.  This will be my home for the next month, give or take a few days, and I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to finally unpack my suitcase.

India...

It's unfortunate that I only think of coming here when I want to do a massage course, when it is such an amazing country and never fails to take my breath away.  Just on the hot and dusty bus from Varkala to Trivandrum, I felt that I was going to burst from happiness at the sheer thrill of being in the midst of all the colorful sights, sounds and smells.  On the cab ride from the airport in Goa to my little guesthouse, I caught myself in the mirror, smiling at nothing in particular, apart from the fact that I am just really, really deliriously happy to be here.

Before I carry on jabbering about how much I love India and then fail to post this, here's a quick report on how I've been faring:

- On the shopping front:  I have been good and have resisted temptation.  Thus far, I've only acquired, apart from the six dresses in Bangkok, a kaftan, two scarves and some cinnamon.  For two weeks in India, that required incredible restraint.  But I've already taken note of the clothing that won't be making it back to the Philippines with me to make space for the shopping I intend to do closer to the end of my trip.

FYI, my guesthouse is surrounded by a lot of cute little boutiques that I have dared not enter, and right beside the massage school is a clothing store called "Future Hippies" that I am avoiding.  Tonight, I am staying away from the Saturday market, but have already made plans to go next week.

- On the drinking front:  Believe it or not, I've been sober for most of this trip.  I had a few drinks when I went out in Mumbai but, on the road, we only went crazy that one night in Alleppey when the three of us finished a bottle of red, a bottle of real whiskey (- not the kind that's sold in government liquor stores in India), and 2/3rds of a bottle of pastis.  And, although I was out drinking every night in Varkala, it was only on our last night, when I started doing double vodkas, that I felt the Evil Twin threatening to make an appearance, so I made a hasty exit and stumbled back to our hotel room.

- On the non-smoking front:  I was traveling with two other former (- naks!) heavy smokers and we did surprisingly well on this trip.  While Stephen initially kept mentioning how a cigarette would have been perfect for a certain moment, ironically, among the three of us, he didn't smoke a single stick.  Alan may have had one or two cigarettes, while I smoked the most, stealing a drag off a cigarette in Alleppey, and then finally giving in and buying two packs of Marlboro Lights at Varkala.  Notice that these were also the times that I was drinking the heaviest and that smokers were present.  In Mumbai, I was drinking with non-smokers so I didn't get the urge to smoke at all.

- On the eating front:  I am fast becoming a scared cow.  Either they will sing my praises as a deity soon or slaughter me as a fattened calf.

I love it that the food in Mumbai and the places that we traveled to in South India weren't entirely vegetarian, which is what turned me off  from Indian food the first time I was here, traveling through mostly veg Rajasthan.  I probably wouldn't have minded so much if they had a wide selection of vegetables but it was mostly potatoes and peas.  And palak paneer.  Here, I haven't given a thought to vegetables because there's mutton and fresh seafood.  In Bangalore, I had a very juicy beef burger, stuffed with cheese and mushrooms, and topped with bacon.  And, this afternoon, I had an excellent fried chicken at a beachside restaurant called Silver Sand.

I also seem to be tolerating spice much better now, so I can't get enough of the curries.  (The Keralan-style fish curry is to die for!)  In Mumbai, I had an awesome samosa on the street that set my mouth on fire but it was so good that I ate it all.  And washed it down with a soda.  Yes, I've been having a lot of soda - and rice - to counter the heat.  Doh!

A 10 rs. samosa from the streets of Mumbai.  It was covered in chili powder and fresh chilis, then wrapped in newspaper.

Here in Goa, let me count the temptations that I have to deal with everyday on the ten-minute walk from my guesthouse to the massage school:

1. There's a cute little hippie cafe just a few doors down.
2. Further along, there' s fruit stand that does juices and shakes.
3. At the mid-point, there's a French patisserie, where I've already had a tarte aux fraises but am still resisting the quiche lorraine.
4. In between all that are tons of Indian places that do Keralan and Goan food.
5. And right before the massage school is a wood fire pizzeria.

As if that wasn't bad enough, my own guesthouse has an excellent restaurant, where I could seriously have three plates of their mutton bolognese easily.  Urgh.

Damn you, food.  Why can't I quit you???

I do have a plan whilst in massage school.  Everyday, we have a ten-minute chai break and are served fruits and chai.  I should just have the fruits and skip the chai (because of the milk), then have a rabid carnivore's lunch when we finish at about 2-3 PM, and not eat anything again - until the next day's chai break.  It's almost 9 PM on the first day of massage class.  So far, so good.  (Even if mango lassis are beckoning everywhere!)

- On the exercise front:  There was a lot of talk, prior to the trip, about doing some sort of exercise.  Maybe 100 jumping jacks a day.  Or 10 burpees.  We did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.  Well, we did walk around a lot.  But we definitely ate more than we walked  At one point, Alan pleaded that we do planks but we got distracted and ended up having a very looooooong breakfast.  (Two omelets and three coffees later…)  I tried swimming but it seems that I can't swim without goggles and was already out of breath after one lap!  Yesterday, I was hatching a plan of action for Goa when the instructor announced today that, starting tomorrow, there will be an hour-and-a-half of yoga every morning at the massage school for only 100 rs/session.  Yay!  I am still toying with the idea of doing some sort of workout video after class but being hot and oily after a day of giving and receiving massages can be a deterrant.