Goa...

I spent a four day weekend in India's west coastal state of Goa. Specifically, I stayed in the central part at Utorda beach. Reminiscent of time I spent in Tulum, Mexico (before it was completely overrun), Goa has beautiful beaches, palm trees, peace and delicious seafood. A Portuguese colony for hundreds of years, it has relics from that era including some massive churches from the 15-1600s and a large Catholic population. The northern part of the state was much busier with tourists. I spent one evening at Baga beach, a more popular hangout. Even in early October, prior to the onset of season, the beach was hopping with party goers and loud music. I much prefered the peace of the South. My friend Wolfgang and I met a cool couple from Bangalore. Depakh and Sanghamitra spent a few days with us, talking about everything from Indian history to regional differences, American and Indian politics, dating and relationships and everything in between. It was definately a highlight of the trip to spend so much time with them. It was a nice respite from the chaos of Mumbai, and something I plan on doing frequently, as it's only an hour out and relatively cheap to visit.