Going Going Goa (sorry...that was pretty lame)

The time has finally come to say goodbye to Goa and head south to catch our plane to Kuala Lumpur then Melbourne. What was intended to be a one week hideout to recover from the hectic and crazy month in northern India, has turned out to be a great 2 1/2 weeks of sun, surf and some great food.

To be honest, there is not a lot more to add to my previous post on Goa (like Brendan, I just felt the need to take advantage of the free internet we have scored). we have found a nice little groove here that involves getting up at about 9am, going for a long beach walk and swim, followed by a leisurely brunch. We then hang out on our verandah until about 3pm when its time to play a little tennis on the beach (minus the net) and another swim. We toast the sun going down with a drink on the beach and a game of chess. Then its time for a long dinner and a couple of drinks.....wow....life can be so tough!

As this will probably be my last post on India (Brendan will do a bit of a wrap up later in the week) I will take this opportunity to make one or two quick observations. A lot of people told us before coming to India that we will either love it or hate it. I disagree. India has probably delivered some of the most amazing sights, wonderful people and incredible experiences that we have had over the last 11 months (such as sleeping under the stars in the desert, having charade-like conversations over cups of Chai Tea with locals that speak absolutely no english and watching the sun set over the Taj Mahal). However, at the same time, it has hands down been the most frustrating, infuriating and saddening country we have been to. I am glad we came, but it has been hard work.

My conclusion on India would be that it can be really challenging, but just when you are ready to run for the nearest International airport, something incredible will happen to remind you of how lucky you are to get a glimpse into a country and culture that is so different to anything you have experienced. I neither love nor hate India - but I struggle to find the right words to describe how I feel...perhaps a feeling of guarded curiosity mixed with a dash of disbelief and a splash of frustration? I don't know if this really does India justice, but it is just one traveller's opinion. I would recommend you judge the place for yourself - who knows, you may just find an India that you love.

That's it for me for the time being. Signing off from India and the first leg of our round the world trip. Until next time...

//Kate