These are just three of the things that Goa has been in the news for recently. I went to Goa on Diwali weekend to escape the non-stop booming of fireworks and firecrackers that continue day and night for the entire weekend. It is a time for you to be with your family, and if you are not, well, it is just really loud.
The night before I was about to leave for my weekend in Goa, my flatmate came into my room and causally asked me if I had gotten a chance to read the news article that he sent to me at work..nope. He strongly suggested that I did because Goa was in the news, and not for a good reason. That night it was Thursday. It turns out that since the Sunday before there were 10 people killed in Goa, one of the smallest states in India known for its drug scene, hippies, beaches, and all night long beach techno music parties.
I was not planning on going away for any of the above reasons except for the beach and some relaxation from the busy city, but I also didn't want to live in fear that if I fell asleep that I would be strangled. I immediately called Alison and suggested that we be open to canceling the trip if we didn't feel completely comfortable and if I couldn't find out more information. I didn't know if it was locals, tourists or just the media making this a big deal.
After hours of scouring the net, I learned that it was three related murders of locals, two suicides and another murdering of a family that was involved in some kind of bad situation. No tourists. Didn't make it any easier to read about, but we decided to go, avoid the parties and just be very aware and cautious. We also were going off season and not staying in the party-central area.
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I am glad that we made the decision that we did. We walked the beaches and relaxed and it was so nice to swim and get some exercise. We ate fresh fish and met some great people at our hotel. It was so quite in comparison to Delhi and just being there made my muscles relax.
I bought a ton of those Aladdin pants and they are my new favorite thing...and the best part was that I rented a scooter for the long weekend and drove around everywhere we needed to go with Alison on back. I was a little nervous at first since I have never driven a moped or motorcycle before, I had someone on back, I was on the wrong side of the road and I was dodging cattle left and right, but I picked it up quickly and I am definitely investing in one when I return back to the states. To have one in Delhi would just be a death wish.
Posing with our Scooter
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