Stargazer4moon's blog: "Goa, Goin', Gone but not Forgotten"

This is about a healer waxing lyrically whilst bending my ears on a beach in Goa. It was just one look and like we had known each other forever. Many people have the gift of the Third Eye in India; usually Muslims and they have a habit of honing in on me. I suppose I am an open book but anyway the man in question having made eye contact came over to my sun bed and enquired whether I wanted my ears cleaning. The man who knows all woke from his slumber and said, "No way!" The ear bender carried on his patter regardless and gave me diagrams of the inner sanctum of the ear and Eustachian tube. Hmmm, not too pretty as postcards go but he was not deterred and gave me all his credentials plus reams of glowing recommendations from past victims. He seemed such a lovely man in as much as he had a wonderful aura and so I looked at Him Who Knows All and enquired whether it would be OK for me to have them done. He grunted and said that they were my ears and he went back to a reclining pose. The holy man made me sit at the end of my sun bed and grabbed my ear, turning my head so it filled with sunlight. It was exceptionally hot but I was not able to put a hat on in order not to obscure the sun. He did look holy due to being dressed in white and wearing a form of skullcap as well as sandals - the former on his tiny head and the latter at the bottom of his flowing gown and on his feet. I had no idea what would happen but when he pulled a 12-inch needle from his bag of tools, I began to have doubts about this procedure. By this time it was too late and the needle went into my ear, gently though, as far as it would go before reaching an obstruction. The holy man told me to relax which I did and the needle carried on its way down my tube. It did not hurt at all and after some fiddling, he withdrew the needle after which he put some drops into my ear. Then he got a pair of long tweezers and they went in too much to my horror. He pulled them back out with a huge lump of, well you do not want to know, but suddenly I could hear the wind whistling and the sea whispering a crescendo. He diddled about with a stick and cotton wool and each time he did some cleaning he took the cotton wool off the stick and threw it onto the beach. It was rather a turn off to see piles of cotton wool buds on the sand. The next ear, or last one, was what made him work for his money. Due to having brain surgery last year and an ensuing CSF leak, that ear was pretty well gunged and he was at it for hours. I was past caring about my ears because my head was being fried and all the time the quantity of cotton wool built up on the beach until he was satisfied that he had finished my ear bending. It was worth the discomfort, not on the ears but in the shape of a cricked neck and pulled earlobe because he had been holding that ear for such a long time. It was as if a fog had lifted, if that is possible, because I could hear again perfectly and was totally balanced again in mind and body. You do not realise how a bunged up ear affects the equilibrium but everything was perfect again after he enlightened my ear. His next move was to lighten my purse because although things are cheap in India a tradesman will always ask a fair price. Everyone who had been watching the whole operation gasped at the price but the time he spent on my ears and the difference it made was worth every rupee. He probably earned a lot of money in comparison to most people as many people have their ears bent in India although he perhaps does not charge the locals at the going tourist rate. A man on the sun bed next door told me that I was brave and had boosted the economy. He then started chatting and had a sister in England who was very wealthy due to her residency being in the suburbs of London. One thing led to another and he accused me of not being able to cook although I cannot imagine why he thought that. I denied this and pointed out that I was a good cook, to which he went "Pah, you are only learning." After last year's turmoil, I thought he had some front and told him that I was still learning about life, which was harder to do than cook. He gave up at this point and then the fruit seller butted in so I bought some passion fruit merely because I had never had any before. What a strange fruit, it was soft shelled, filled with grey jellified pips and had an indescribably but disappointing flavour. Then he said that people did not bother him because he was Indian or one and wore sunglasses for another, which prohibits people making eye contact with you in order that they can give you an ear bending. So, let that be a lesson, always wear very dark glasses and do not listen to whispers in the wind or it could well be that you too will get the ear bending of a lifetime. Ah, it has been a year full of firsts and you are not 50 very often in life so I guess you have to start somewhere and as life is for living and listening to your gut feelings, not rumblings though as they can tell a thousand tales especially in Delhi. My excuse was that I am a sucker about the unusual and I had never had passion fruit before although I admit to always lightening my purse so the contents are not there to have or hold for long.

Now it seems that a friend’s request from an Indian Sikh has been lodged but he does not realise that he is already a friend on Slap and Tickle, well more an acquaintance whose paths crossed wires in Goa in November 2007. Well, following his request, I phoned him from a pokey ISD booth and unfortunately it was a Sunday so the call woke him up. This put him at a disadvantage and he was lost for words. I am not normally at a loss but what do you say to a total stranger, who incidentally gave me his mobile number and asked me to ring, when he does not speak to you. Then he wanted me to visit him but if you knew how big India was then logistically it was a no no right from the beginning. Goa is on the West Coast on the Arabian Sea and the Punjab is a long way up in the middle of the sub continent. Bless him, he did give me airports and instructions but as I was busy sorting the book out there was not much spare time. Goodness, if you ever go to India, make sure it is not when Diwali is being celebrated, that is if you cherish your tranquility. Firecrackers going off all through the day and into the wee small hours of the morning. Thank heavens for MP3 players. At least I managed to get sleep whilst staying in Kolhapur because they seemed to be having what is called a BIG DIWALI the night we stayed there. These firecrackers are worse than those that the Chinese manufacture and because the Indians as a race love noise so it is second nature for them. I was told that a hotel can have 20 English tourists in and it is like a morgue but it takes just two Indians in the same hotel to make it sound like the building is full. This was told by a Goan lady so it is no word of a lie. It was a long day because to travel anywhere in India after the rainy season means hitting the weather beaten track which once was a road but have seen the light it became converted into a cart track. In Kolhapur we got rid of the wedding party at 11.30pm and that was not being a party pooper. We sat on the bed and it vibrated from the rhythm of the beat from the conference room. It was bad enough to put up with the smell of camphor all the time we were in the room but to suffer a vibrating bed would have been most disconcerting. They had the last word or dance though because they moved out into the carpark and turned their radios on then reconvened their Bollywood Rock out there. This went on until late and I had the window open because of the camphor smell. There was a lovely breeze which was more than can be said for Goa where the rainy season seemed to have stretched on into winter. That night it rained a little but this did not put the dampers on the wedding party or the Diwali Firecracker bangers. I did get some sleep but everyone else looked well hung over at breakfast. This was not due to the alcohol because it was an alcohol free hotel and we had forgotten to put some in the overnight bag. That is another thing Maharashtra is also a pretty dry state as well as being predominantly vegetarian and the hotel was a Hindu one so there was no hot water in the evening. It seems they have hot water in the morning and if we wanted some hot then the boys would bring it up to the room in a bucket. No way, so we did a strip wash and waited for a shower in the morning. This was not fun due to spending the day travelling. Another thing about Kolhapur is never eat curry when you have a sore throat. It burned every part of my mouth on the way down and everyone said it was not hot. However the following day brought a heated confirmation that Kolhapur chillies are the hottest in India so a sprinkle goes a long way. I love curry but tasty hot and not uncomfortably burning hot. The printer was an obliging young man and promised to alter the header footer discrepancies and bring the copy around the following day. He did this and Tyrone, the illustrator, went off with him to find some slippers. They came back and were disappointed that they did not fit me. Indians have tiny feet and those with European antecedants are inclined to be large. We had some food which was not inspiring and went shopping. It was strange being the centre of attention because there are not many Europeans in Mahrastra and we stuck out like sore thumbs. Well I did because I love wearing bright clothes when in India. It is something you cannot do in England because of the strange looks you get when everyone else is wearing navy blue, black or anything other than bright colours. We bundled into this shoe shop and after much struggle a pair was found which fitted. They are the most comfortable shoes I have had and they were well used. These are called Kolhapur slippers and are designed for heavy duty use because of the terrain there. I was concerned they would be ruined walking around Calangute because there is no footpath there in Goa. The slippers were handstitched and made of leather. The soles looked like they were made of wood but were just hard leather. I did get two pairs and the second ones are like your granddad wears on the beach. Well, they were men’s shoes but they did except they filled with sand at the toe end and it was like walking along in lead weights. Having gone back to the hotel to pick up the bags we said farewell to the gentleman who served as both guard and car park attendant. He spent his day with a whistle in his mouth helping drivers park their cars and the spoke no English. He was a nice man and sign language goes a long way when you have a book and pen to draw things. It was nice talking to him because he appreciated it as he probably does not get to talk to many English tourists or Indian ones come to that. There were many Indian tourists there too because they had returned home or were on holiday for Diwali. We said our farewells and drove to find a restaurant with food in. This was Tandoor and the food there was exquisite, hot but tasty and I enjoyed every morsel holding everyone up because I ate it all. We called in at a nursery on the way back to Goa and it was out of this world. It seemed strange taking photos at a nursery but we don’t get such exotic plants in England. The soil in Maharashtra is either red or black both of which are fertile and following the rain, very mucky. At the border crossing, the climate changed and from being nice and cool, it became hot and sticky which was noticeable in the crooks of the arms. India is a strange state; the soil changes dramatically in each state and the people look different from state to state. There are different shaped faces and different intensities of skin colour from coffee brown, dusky brown to jet-black. Well, you would never get bored by the constant change. When we arrived back at our hotel we were given strange looks because we had not been there for 24 hours, we had bags and no one knew what had happened to us. It was early when we left the day before so the security guard was the only one to notice our departure. Anyway, we explained about visiting the printer and that the book would be here in a couple of days. They saw a proof when we were there in April so knew about it. We were told that the celebrations in Goa the previous evening had been washed out due to the torrential rain. It was not so bad in Kolhapur, just strong drizzle. However, they had their bonfires doused by the torrent and even the guys gave up the ghost and decided not to burn. After that, it became quieter with only Little Diwali celebrated. However, it was still heaving with Indian tourists as well as the ever-increasing quantities of foreign tourists as the season was getting into full swing. We found it difficult getting along the roads due to the lack of pavements, no shortage of pedestrians and an even larger quantity of taxis. It seems that everyone who was once anyone now drove a taxi for a living and that was a pain but that is another story. As for the book, well it arrived, or should I say they arrived and then we had the worry of how to get them home. As the holiday was young I did not want to think about it so after the business was out of the way the pleasure began and decadence descended. Hummmm, well February is not far off now so at least I can dream of things passed and things to come. I wish to close the chapter on this part of my life and move on to better times. If the cosmos is kind this coming year then it should be a real cracker to beat any Diwali celebration. To coin a phrase, it would be wonderful to have an enlightened year and progress from the writers block that has clouded the judgement over the last six months.

I sent the following to a new friend on, I cannot remember which website it was, probably rag, tagged and got you by the Bobtail. Very strange folk but this one seemed fine. He knew I had been to India and wanted to know about it because he was soon to be travelling there. Also at the beginning is a list of To Do things to remind me what needed doing so I was quite busy at the time going around in circles. Write to Sam. Send Sami's message. Find out where Tahj Mahal is Send email to Jan, Claudette, Luz, Tom, and Anasandra. Upload joystick photos. ==== Hello Sami, I apologise about this but I cannot find the invitation you sent me to join you! Only joking, ha ha ha. I have typed this about three times, twice I have lost it so this time I am being careful. First and most important. NEVER drink tap water. It is not good for drinking. Buy bottled or make sure the place you are eating at has served you a jug with proper drinking water in. What to see. Well that does depend on where you are staying. To travel long distances in India is easier and quicker by plane. Travelling on the train takes too long. If you do travel by train make sure you book a seat on the first class or air-conditioned part of the train. The train is the best way to see India but as it is a business trip then you probably won't get the time. The first class also have good bunks to rest on. It is an experience though even if you just travel three stops and back!! Places to see in the north would be Jaipur, that is beautiful, so I have been told by reliable sources. It is very English in design but beautiful with the red buildings. If you are further north then you must see the Taj Mahal. If you ever get the chance then visit Hampi because it is awe inspiring. It is an ancient city built by a remarkable civilisation and took 250 years to build. It was mostly destroyed by fire and plundering. The stone bases are still standing but the second levels that were built with wood and brick were all destroyed. What is left is so well carved and designed that it is a must to see. That would be a long journey from the North of India though to Karnataka which is just next door to Goa. Food. The smaller towns do not have much dining choice, usually only Indian. Bigger places generally have multi-cuisine restaurants. Most places are clean but there are of course exceptions. That is the same anywhere in the world. Alcohol. Some States are dry. The Indian wine is very acceptable but if you drink the red then make sure it is chilled because room temperature is 90 deg there and Indians think of red wine as being Port Wine which is sweet and is drunk warm. Normal red wine soon goes off in the heat once it is opened so it is best to have an ice bucket and even better to buy one that has been in the fridge prior to opening. It is best not to eat hot and spicy food in the high temperatures as it induces sweating but that is a personal thing. There are a lot of Nepalese people in India and people travel long distances to work. They stay in the area they are working. Each state in India has its differences. There is a difference in language as well as appearance so you can tell by looking where people come from originally. The most common language is Hindi and English is second but not everyone speaks Hindi or English but this should not be a problem for you. I am not sure about travelling from State to State in respect of requiring passports. If you are travelling on business I would think you would have your passport with you anyway. We definitely did need one when we went to Hampi in Karnataka but not when we went to Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The journey to the latter was carried out with our Goan friends so maybe it did not matter then. However, it would be best to ask before you travel out of State. We were told that it was expected to always haggle when purchasing things. It is not so much the case though where shops have pre-priced items. Most items are very cheap in India anyway but there is the Indian price and the tourist price too but again not in the larger shops. Ayer Vedic medicine is very cheap if you take it. That is worthwhile stocking up on but if you plan to take suitcase loads back then you would need to get a prescription from a Doctor because Customs stop and search you and if there is no prescription they assume you are taking them for resale. This is what we were told anyway. There are some excellent jewellers but you probably have good quality jewellery near you. I know they have a good diamond trade with the Kashmiri suppliers in Goa. Be careful if you go swimming as there is a strong under-current. Never wear clothes in the sea (the Indians do and many are dragged in by the current and lose their lives. It is very nearly rainy season in India now so you will find it very humid and sticky, maybe not as bad in the north but the humidity is a killer. I would suggest you pack plenty of shirts and clothes changes. There are many tailors. Should you require suits then it is a good place to buy them. However, make sure they are decent ones because there are tailors and tailors so some of the finished item might not be up to standard. Material is very cheap in India. However some saris are very expensive due to the material and the gold threading. If you have an Ayer Vedic treatment you will find it very expensive but the medicine can be purchased anywhere. If you require dental treatment it is cheap there and good quality. That goes for spectacles too. You must have a shave at the barbers. The massage they give you after is very uplifting. They massage the head, neck, back, arms and hands. If you do this make sure the barber changes towels between customers to prevent cross infection. The drains will probably be a little unpleasant now due to the heat. You will find the cities have roads with pavements. However, the smaller towns do not always have this. Traffic is awful. There are thousands of motor bikes because it is a cheap and quick way to get from A to B. The roads are quite narrow out of town too. If you drive always use your horn when you want to over-take as it warns the vehicle in front to move over. It is advisable to warn pedestrians of your presence because they walk out from the side of the road due to the lack of pavements. The state of the roads can be from highway to cart track depending on the area and the time of year. Following the monsoons the smaller roads are awful. They have open drains in places by that I mean they are not covered with tarmac, only slabs of concrete. I am giving you the worst case scenarios here because it is not like this in every place. The telegraph wires are an amazing site but they are trying to get them underground now. It can be very dirty if they are building or working on the roads and if it rains then everywhere is mucky. I hope the north of India is not as bad as I have quoted. I can only tell you what I have seen so do not be put off because India is a beautiful sub-continent You will find a lot of begging. It is advisable not to give money because it will not always be used for the highest good. It is best to give food or water instead. Another thing that is hard to come to terms with is the fact that a few people do not have limbs. This happens for several reasons. Some will have lost them at birth. Others will have been chook chook drivers. I was told that it is one of the most dangerous jobs. Taxis are very cheap but again you must haggle - well in tourist areas it is expected and part of the way things are, there is a lot of psychology at play. The wages in India are very low, even the higher jobs like bank managers or office workers. However, taxi drivers will make a lot of money in comparison which is why there are now so many. Ex office workers will turn to this to make a living. This is an observation not a judgement. The Indians are not the tidiest of people and some places are rather chocker with rubbish although it can be said that a lot of the tourists are as bad if not worse. The laundry is cheap but again, the colour of the finished item will depend on the area. In Goa all white clothes are noticeable red in hue due to the iron in the water but I don't know about northern India. Basmati rice is tastier than pilaf rice. If you are in Goa you must try Goan rice. It is red in colour. It is usually eaten lunch time because it is quite fattening. It is not a good idea to eat really spicy/hot curries in the heat because it causes sweating. Beware, if you are in Kolhapur they have the hottest chillies in India and I do mean hot. The diet is varied, some places specialise in fish, and others will serve lamb dishes. Religion dictates what can and cannot be consumed. There are many vegetarian restaurants. If a hotel is run by Hindus there will be no hot water to shower with except in the morning. If you want hot water then you will have to ask for it to be brought up. The Hindus wash first thing in the morning but I cannot remember why that is except it is to do with their religion. They go to the wash rooms in the morning. I don't know whether the washrooms have hot water in the evening though. India is not troubled by religious differences. It is multi-cultural and that includes religions. They, like any race, have their likes and dislikes but that is not really important to you. You may have heard of the Cast system. That still applies now to a certain extent. The boys/men do the work and it is more usual for the women to stay at home but the latter is more a cultural thing than a cast one. The cast system is complex and well, it is just there. The building system is good but the way it is done is an eye-opener. There is no such thing as health and safety in India. The scaffolding is wooden and the poles are not particularly straight. They do not have safety harnesses or hats but they also do not seem to have many accidents. Hotels are designed in a manner where there is a ventilation shaft next to the bathroom. This obviously runs from the ground floor up to the roof. Therefore in the morning it can be quite a noisy experience (speaking as a woman, it seems the national pastime of Indians is to spit). The women who chew betel will do so too. The laundry is done in the rivers still in places. It is dried out in the open too. There is much use of cattle to transport goods like sugar cane and tobacco. The cow is very sacred there too still. They can be found wandering around but not in the cities. Well, I have never seen one there. Indians drive on the left hand side of the road like in England. The roundabouts have a strange give-way system. Traffic does not give way at all and the Indians are incredibly noisy drivers. People walk on the side of the road due to the lack of pavement and they seem to walk so that the traffic is coming from behind. Beware when you cross the road. If it is really busy you may have to cross half way and then cross the rest of the way when a lull. That is just common sense. It is a culture shock there and you may find it hard to reconcile many things. I don't know what it is like in the Middle East; maybe many of things are similar. Indians are a noisy race. There is an expression there. A hotel can be full of English tourists and sound empty. It only takes about two Indians to make it sound like the hotel is full. The plumbing is, in many places, the hole in the ground type of thing. This is the case if you travel on the trains. As mentioned, it is remarkably dusty in most places so if you like getting into bed with clean feet then take a pair of shoes/slippers that you can use for walking around the room once you are showered. In Goa you will find that your hands and feet get stained with the iron. The soil is red in colour so in the humidity the air is filled with minute particles of iron which get into your skin because of the sweat (usually hands and fee) which is more noticeable there due to the white of the nails. Being fair skinned it shows up more on European skins. Vaccinations. You do not require them in Goa but in some places you do so it is best to check with the travel agents or internet for that depending on where you are going. Visas. You will need a Visa for entry into India but no doubt your company will arrange that. If not then you need to go to the Indian Embassy and buy one... You will get an immigration paper to fill in on the plane. Sami, I will close now and apologise if this is in no particular logic order. I had to write things as I thought of them. I hope it gives you an insight and will help in some way. Take care and speak to you again. Kind regards W. +++++++ I expect he is in north India now and too busy to look at his mail box in order to study these instructions. I just hope he has not drunk the tap water or I might never hear from him again. Maybe he was one of those Hello, How are you, Nice to know you - oh and Good Bye, types. Huh, plenty of them on the planet who like to waste my time and drain my brain. Perhaps I malign him putting him in that slot and I apologise if I have. Time will tell. Well, that was at least six weeks ago and still not a squeak from him so maybe he did drink the water. I hope not.

The flea, night and road side market stalls. Hampi in the care of the stall holders. Hampi station. Healing, massage, beach and prickly heat. The broken toilet and the shocked stewardess. For the love of Goa. The book story and caste away with the arrogant. Electricity, the things you need after 50. Drowning already dressed for the next world. The difference between gawk and hawk. The Talle heave ho or was it the rat droppings. An electric Thank You. Sam, Mandee and how to not travel, a bikers paradise lost and found a parking space down the drain/ditch+++ The banana festival. The tale of the holes in the ground and a stiking population.

Holiday nearly over and a few books lighter at last. Fedex were most helpful and it is amazing to watch. The man behind the counter re-packed the box because David's spatial judgement is poor and at least all four packages fitted into the 25 kilo box which ended up weighing 31 kilos. That was a feat to actually get Fedex to ship 31 kg in a 25 kg box but then maybe they realise that it would not be possible for a duvet supplier to send 25 kgs of feathers in their 25kg box!!! The postal system here is good providing you do not mind sending uninsured parcels as they have just recently stopped insuring parcels etc. Does that tell you something or is it too time consuming for the Post Office to fill in the forms in triplicate three times over and then do the normal paper work involved in triplicate too. Well it would be if you went to the main post office at lunch time. Boy, do the Goans have a happy nack of showing their displeasure at two tourists quizzing a teller about something she knows nothing about. Especially so when it is lunch time as mentioned. They stood about 100 people behind us all tutting in a most odd manner which signifies their disapproval, anger, frustratiion etc. at us holding up their break time. Who can blame them but then maybe they should get the teller girls up to scratch so the post can go on in the usual clockwork manner. Anyway, everything is sorted thanks to the helpful man at Fedex who is multi-talented. As well as having good spatial judgement he was a dab hand at the internet and computer. What a gem and I wonder if he is a good cook too. No, maybe that is asking too much. There is much to say and much to remain secret but then that adds to the spice which, incidentally, is sold dirt cheap on the open market here. By that I mean it is on open tubs at the side of the dusty main road where everyone under the sun strolls by dropping heaven know what onto it. As for the other sellers well they can be thought about and noted later but it has to be said that they are a cause for broken limbs. They stop you as you walk by and if you do not physically stop but just glance at them then invariably you end up with a ricked ankle or busted knee due to stepping into a pothole or onto a boulder. Ah, never moan about the state of the roads because these are like cart tracks, especially after they dug up the roads to install underground telephone cables. Trouble is they never fill anything in properly but just wait for the sand and dust then rain to fill the holes for them. Plenty of the latter two but the former is due in June so the whole lot will only become concrete for next season, October 08 to April 09. Maybe we will see the finished job and if the spice seller still has his wares in May then perhaps the whole hole will be well and truely spiced up too. Enough of the frivolities because lunch calls and a nice glass of vino tinto but that is another story.

After or even during an Indian meal tonight we discovered that Hindus eat meat. I always thought they were vegetarian but it seems there are both within the religion, meat and veggie eater. I am not sure if that is correct as a young boy in Goa, a Hindu from Bangladesh informed me of much in respect of this religion. Another gentleman there pointed out that the young boy was slightly deranged and to ask him why they burned the dead bodies. Well I never did ask and the older gentleman never did tell me and as I have no urgent desire to know I did not enquire. The young boy in question, Sinbad, was a talker and last time I saw him he insulted me. Yes, he asked me whether I had children and I told him that I did not because it was not meant to be. He looked at me and said that everyone would say I was not a good woman if I could not have children. Well that hurt and I did try to argue that I was a good woman. He just kept re-iterating that having no children was not good. I went off him at that point, maybe I was feeling over sensitive but I said that at some point I would help other children without parents, especially in India where they are deserted due to being too expensive for the parents to feed and keep. This made him feel uncomfotable and he changed his tune talking about how good that was. So I pointed out that if I had children then I would not be able to help other children due to the financial implications. We spoke of other things and for some reason I mentioned that it was OK because I had a very good Guardian Angel. He looked at me and his cousin looked too and nodded his head in agreement after looking at me. So whether the latter had the gift of the third eye or not I do not know. Anyway the conversation finished and we did not seem to talk much more after that during the holiday. Strange, last time we were there he talked the back legs of a donkey into the wee small hours. Maybe he just likes to hear himself speak and has allusions of grandieur. Well there is more to say about him but it was the veggie subject that reminded me of him, strange how your memory works, or does not.