I'm goin' to Goa now...
Trip Start
Sep 22, 2004
1
4
11
Trip End
Dec 13, 2004
Goa,
India
Thursday, September 30, 2004
The first half of the journey I sat with a nice Indian family who didn't speak English, which was fine as I could listen to my discman to pass the time. We exchanged smiles and offered each other some food. The kids wanted to hear what I was listening to (Max Most Wanted CD), and I gave the mother a KFC refresher towel when she got her hands all black on her peanuts, which were wrapped in a cone of newspaper. For the latter half I was joined by two Sikh guys, Damon and Sonny. They were aged 33 & 31, but were both going on eight. They were childhood friends, both doing BComs in Mumbai. They both fooled around with each other like little kids, teasing and punching each other in a lighthearted way. Quite funny to see guys interacting like this. Was interesting talking to them though, and quite easy as their English was excellent. After the usual line of questioning about whether I had a girlfriend they asked "Do you like girls?" and when I laughed and said "What kind of question is that?", Sonny later commented that "Damon is just my friend", so they had obviously realised I was gay and wanted to make their position clear. It was sweet, and it was nice to know that even though we didn't talk about it, they didn't care. Towards the end of the journey Damon taught me a greeting to use with Sikh people (i.e. Punjabi language) as he said it's more appropriate than using the Hindi 'namaste'. I got it down pat, and then forgot within 15 minutes. Probably just as well, because the was they were joking around on the train, heaven only knows what it was they'd taught me to say!
After seven hours in second class (crammed in four people per three seats, with absolutely no lumbar support) I thought the best thing to do was catch a cab back to my Mumbai hotel and pay them some rupees for two hours so I could lie down in some comfort while I waited. However the taxi drivers assumed I had just arrived in India and wanted to charge me Rs.250 for a trip that should be Rs.40 on the meter. I laughed at them and told them not to take me for a fool, however they still wanted Rs.80 (about A$2.40) but on principle I thought bugger it and went back into the terminal. It wasn't the money, just the constant hassle of people trying to rip me off all the time: it does get very tiring after a while.
Sitting on the floor, waiting out my time with hundreds of others, eventually an Indian man came along and started talking to me. He came across as a bit dodgy so I was a bit wary of him... and eventually the topic of whether I was married or not came up... then he was asking about girlfriends, and then asked me how many times I'd had sex! Ugh. I told him I didn't want to discuss that and I think he got the message because he excused himself and wandered off. What a sleaze.
So I was very happy when 1.30am rolled around and I was able to board the train. Even better as I was only on a waitlist (16th on list).
This train was better as it was 3-tier AC (air conditioned). Climbed into my top berth and slept as long as I could. Even though this was supposed to be a 12-hour journey, which was already running late, rather than make up time it ran an hour later, arriving in Margao at 2.30pm, exactly 24 hours after leaving Aurangabad.
Caught a rickshaw to Colva Beach and looked at a hotel the driver took me to, then a second, the Star Beach Resort. As we pulled up outside, I thought the driver must have made a mistake. It looked much too slick to be a Rs.400 hotel, which is what I'd told him. But no, for Rs.400 i now have a beautiful, clean, fan-cooled room, with 24-hour hot water shower, flushing toilet, and 60-odd channels of pay TV. My *balcony* overlooks the swiming pool, and beyond that to the undeveloped area of palm trees as far as the eye can see.
Let's just say I don't have plans to go anywhere else just yet. Have started reading the book Annie gave me. Went for a swim. The beach is beautiful as well but the area nearest the hotel is crawling with touts, and besides I'm not really a beach person anyway. However there are restaurants on the beach so I'll probably have an evening meal down there tonight.
