Goa

After a whirlwind couple of days adjusting to life in Bangalore,  I headed off to Goa last week. My start date at work had been delayed by a week, so Goa seemed like the perfect mini break before beginning my internship.

Located on the western coast, the former Portuguese colony of Goa is a quick 1.5 hour flight away. When I stepped off the plane, the first thing I noticed was the heat (35 degrees and very, very humid!).

All the hotels on the Palolem beach are huts, including my hotel (http://www.ciarans10.com/). The huts are rebuilt each season and torn down before the monsoon rains come.

In early May, the season was winding down. Although there were quite a few Indians on the beach, most of the tourists seemed to be British, with a few Americans and Europeans. At times, it was easy to forget that I was in India (except then the sight of cows lazing on the beach!).

Along the beach, young Indian women consistently try to entice tourists with their jewellery, sarongs, and henna services. Most of the women are from other provinces, and leave their families to work in Goa for 6-8 months. More than a couple of them said to me that I have nice skin (i.e. white and completely pale) and looked much younger than 28 (flattery perhaps, or were they being sincere?). They must have their sales pitches down cold (i.e. chat with you, tell you about their lives), because I bought quite a few things!

After three great days, I left Goa to go back to Bangalore to start my internship.