getting around Goa

there are a couple of options for moving around the Goa area.  the taxis [which i hate everywhere in the world], the indian version of the rickshaw [less expensive and more uncomfortable], a scooter [pretty dangerous] or walking [very dangerous].  in the larger cities like Mumbai uber is an option [no cash needed!]

i'm pretty good on a scooter so i get one from the resort to explore around the area and i go to park at the city center where the streets are lined with hundreds of motorbikes that ALL LOOK THE SAME TO ME.  fortunately, i have experience in this area.  first i take a picture of the bike with identifying numbers.  then i take a picture of the shop in front of which i have parked.  in this way i have always been able to successfully navigate back to my bike while i watch other travels wandering aimlessly down a street in despair.

Goa, as i mentioned is a hot spot for westerners seeking a cheap place to live or vacation, so along with that comes the chefs to cater to them.  there are really lovely western style restaurants around and so when ready to get off the street and take a break from indian food [which i love] there are many options.  

by western standards, drivers in India would be considered reckless and vehicular deaths are in their vedic tradition considered the karmic cost of the pollution created by cars.  weekly, if not daily, there are posts on the local fb page of a wrecked motorbike and a note looking to identify the driver who has been now carted off to a hospital.

last of a Colorado summer

with a new passport and miles burning a hole in my pocket i've decided to leave for Asia in a few weeks.  it's the right time  for me to take an extended trip.  for the last 18 months i've been raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  Toga, a female yellow lab, was released from the program for a minor medical issue and i've placed her with an organization where she will continue her training as a therapy dog and work with children and adults with special needs.  before i head back to Asia i plan to enjoy the last bit of summer in the mountains of Colorado hitting up some of my favorite spots.  first up, Half Moon Creek. it's a creek that's fed from Mount Elbert and Mount Massive outside of Leadville, Colorado.  it's quiet and restive and there's a good chance to see beavers playing on the river or deer coming down for a drink at dusk.  i set up camp and relax sans technology.  there is some wireless access but only at certain times of the day when the satelites are directly above.

not to worry though, the town of Leadville is just ten minutes away and small enough that there isn't even a McDonalds.  instead there is an assortment of cafes and restaurants that serve excellent food.  One of my favorites is the Tennessee Pass restaurant where I'm never disappointed and your dog is welcome on the side porch.  there are hot showers at the local laundry but they looked and smelled really bad so someone told me they offer showers at the local high school.  there's tons to explore and plenty of mountains to climb.  i get in a few hikes and after a few days i'll head down the road towards Buena Vista.

mexico rocks

another beautiful day on the island.  i roll out of bed, into some yoga clothes and head over to the bar.  the regularly scheduled time for the yoga class comes and goes without anyone commenting on it.  we can see the yoga retreat is using the dock platform and there's no Kirsten and no one seems to know what is going on.  a few deep breaths later, or however many breaths you take in 30 minutes, a guy named Scott shows up and says he'll be leading the class.  it's immediately evident that he has a very different style.  his mechanics are good but there is no flow into or out of postures and it makes for an awkward class.  

we'd signed up for an afternoon snorkel to Mexico Rocks and that too was running late.  so late that i was reluctant to go, soon it would be dusk and the water would be too flat to see much, but i went.  the highlight on that short trip was seeing spotted eagle rays and a lionfish.  it reaffirms for me that i'm just not the guided tour type of person.  i hope tomorrow to find someone who would like to kayak out to the reef and snorkel freestyle.

back at our room i chat up another neighbor who i ask for some dining recommendations.  she sends us down the beach to Aji which ends up being our favorite dining spot on the island.  the tables are on sand and scattered over the property providing an intimate dining experience. twinkling lights are wound through the trees and tables are placed in natural looking nooks created by the trees. the food, the wine selection and the staff are the best we found on the island. also, we aren't consumed by flies that covered the bar and table at Akbol. sometimes it's just the little things.....  

there are also casitas on the property which are small one bedroom houses but have kitchen, bath, a/c and rates similar to Akbol.  this is where i would recommend staying for the best value on Ambergis Caye.

we walk back along the beach and pop over to the Palapa Bar which is a bar at the end of a dock just a few properties down from where we are staying.  it's impossible to miss the Palapa Bar as it has a large, garish sign on the roof.  the bar itself seemed skanky but it was here i saw my first shark of the trip.  it was circling the end of the dock in quick circles and it was big.  at least six feet.  i watched for five minutes until it moved away from the dock.