lovely arambol! (or lovely harmal)
!http://juliekesti.com/images/50.jpg!
many of the cities in the south have two names–really one is the old and original name, and i think the 2nd name is one the british gave them. many of them are in the process of changing back to the real name. so we are in arambol and also harmal. i am confused yet as to which is the old and which is the new and then also which is the old/new in most cases! but for most purposes, we are in arambol, a beach at the far north of Goa. it’s different from pallolem in that it is more spread out and has some rocky cliffs and grassy cliffs, whereas pallolem was pure palmtrees everywhere. i really like it here, though–the way it spreads out you can see so many types of terrain….we were staying before across a coconut grove from much of the action. the palms in the grove were well spread apart and you felt like you were in a sandy state park campground, except sometimes there were little piggies chasing each other across, having a fun time!
if you hike to the other end of the main beach (opposite the coco grove) there is a path around a really cool cliff-y stretch of rocks, which jagged rocks in the ocean, facing the sunset, and you get to a place with the ocean beach on your left and a small freshwater lake on your right! you can hike back around the lake and there is a lovely cool (unsalty!) stream and there is clay you can rub on yourself and then bake in the sun and supposedly it has ayurvedic properties! it’s very nice. it’s funny, though, because some of the europeans here go topless (or sometimes top and bottomless, i noticed, a 60-yr-old man this way….) and so there are young indian boys sneaking in the woods for a peek….
anyhow, for the most part arambol is a lovely giant summer camp for grown-ups and some families! i took a silversmith workshop and made a really cool pendant for myself, really fun, with a torch and everything….you can do yoga or help animals, or sit on the beach or in the lake, and eat delicious food if you go to the right places. lots of generic not good tourist food that is overpriced, but an amazing crepe place for breakfast with only 3 tables and lovely coffee, and a wonderful israeli place on the cliff to the lake that had amazing hummus with giant fava beans and pita bread that was divine and so far from any pita bread i’ve ever seen before!!—-puffy and warm, with a sunset, mmmmm….
the place were are now staying is in town, and they have a puppy named tuk-tuk (which is what an autorickshaw is called here) and she is so cute and sean is in love with her..
today sean is sick but hopefully he’ll recover and be more perky for chritmas day–we may motorcyle down to old goa, where all the oldest churches, etc. are….
Merry Christmas!! enjoy yourselves!
we fly to Delhi on Tuesday, and then HOME on Wed. evening, arriving home Thursday evening I think….crazy! i’m realy sad to leave, (esp. whenever people start discussing american politics–did you guys fix all those problems yet??) but i’m sure it will be nice to be home. plus, it’s like 96 degrees here! MUCH too warm! ;)
lots of love,
julie
