Pallolem, Goa

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Trip Start Oct 20, 2008 Previous
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  Pallolem Beach, India
Friday, November 28, 2008

We quickly secured another beach hut amongst the tightly packed palm trees and walked out along the sand 'street' between the raised huts to a small opening where we could see the sea.  Without any preparation of what we were about to see we stepped onto the golden sands of Pallolem Beach.  The size and majesty of this 'perfect' beach took us both aback.  Set in a slow dream-like curve and stretching around about a mile the beach was fringed by a matt of tall palm trees reaching towards the sea across the entire arc.  Without any hotels in evidence the countless beach shacks nestled out of view in the coconut forest and handmade fishing boats perched on sleepers by the sea's edge ready to be rolled into the inviting sea.

We sourced a place to do some yoga and were told that there was a class at 6:30am just behind the beach.  The next morning we peeled ourselves out of bed and walked across the sand under reddening skies and back in to the dense cover of the palm trees finding the bamboo structure and our teacher, Swami Dayanand

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.  He was an imposing figure of about 6ft 2in and his height and wide, smooth back seemed completely at odds with his late 60's age, long, wavey, grey hair seamlessly connected to a salt and pepper beard and swaddling clothes.  The 90 minute session was a gentle combination of different styles and it felt very peaceful listening to sounds of the early morning and the rush, rush rush of the waves with several lie down relaxations between positions. 

Now wide awake at 8am we had some breakfast on the beach and watched cows coughing!?  Eager to get to the beach we found a couple of loungers and lounged, baked and turned in the morning heat.  A morning catching crashing waves on the body board and an amateurish game of bat and ball with Fiona completed the tough morning.  (sorry - you don't need to hear that).

The couple of days we spent there - never actually leaving the beach to venture out - was just what we needed.  Pallolem's laid back atmosphere impressed us and although quite a tourist resort it never felt crowded or manic.  People join in impromtu games of volleyball, cricket or football in the late afternoon and as the day slips into twilight you walk past the beach huts with their porch hammocks with the occasional Tom Sawyer strumming at the moon.  The (too) many restaurants that fringe the beach between the palms set up barbeques and prepare the catches of the day and chilled house music drifts with the waves.

Ready for another 12 hour train journey and onward 3 hour bus i am beginning to realise that travelling in India is simply hopping from paradise to paradise interspersed with mental and physical endurance tests.  The train takes us further south to the affluent rainforest state of Kerala........

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