from Goa & beer to Mumbai & Gandhi

Gene made new friends with these ladies from Karnataka...and bought me a gift.

Finally we turned on the right road and found the beach!

ouch! The sand is hot! Let's dive into the Blue Coconut Beach Shack.

What's this place? Techno dance beat and guys with hookahs. Let's order a Kingfisher beer...

What???!!!  Look, here's the nice folks from London we met at the airport! Whew...small world...

These guys are yellin'and dancin''

If this is what the beach looks like when it's not tourist season...well...imagine tourist season!

More new friends

Last sunset from our window...and back to one last night in Mumbai.

A temple among the slums.

The famous place where the poor do laundry (the Dhobi-Wallahs) as a service to the city.

A tour of Gandhi's home. I was moved to tears, really. Below, I can't believe I'm standing where he did his wonderful work.

On the Goa Tour

Took a boat tour to watch jumping dolphins

An 18-year old business man. We bought a Ganesh statue from him.

Got out of Mumbai & Flew to Goa

Got out of Mumbai and flew to Goa

View from the balcony - ocean straight ahead

Room had its charms....old plumbing (ever have to flip the "geyser" switch in the bathroom?) and electrical, but everything worked. Insert your room key first. Yep, every switch is required - you just need to remember which one does what.

It ain't India if there's no trash or wandering cows about...

The Internet Cafe I used is under the top left U.S. Pizza sign.

We were very popular at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mumbai. In the foreground is our waiter Siffadar; he taught me some Hindi. He is a management student at the University. In the background is the chef talking with me. He's a graduate of culinary school and has traveled the world on cruise liners. Gene is getting the tour of all the guitars. We bought the T-shirt ;-)

Please see post titled "apologies to Mumbai"

I really want to apologize for that last post about my initial impression of Mumbai. Now I'm in love with India! I had so many wrong expectations that I'm ashamed. Thought I'd smell garbage and urine...quite the contrary! The only smells, if any, have been deliciously wonderful (flowers, incense, personal grooming products, good cooking...yum). Right now I'm at the airport in Goa - it was fortunate to be able to get out of the big city and make it to a tropical landscape at the beach. Yeah, we saw water buffalo and white cranes and palm trees and beaches and modern construction, hotels, and nice homes amid the trash and poverty - but there's so much more. We like to meet the locals. Gene was in his heaven talking international politics with a shop keeper. For me, my favorite is the amazing fabrics of the saris the women wear (rich or poor).

Apologies to Mumbai - found the good stuff

That drive leaving the International airport really did stun me. Never saw such a trashy, depressing mess, that's true, but we did find the good stuff. While a lot of shops do look like this in Mumbai (much worse at airport!), we just needed to get the heck out of that area. The Ibis hotel hooked us up with a driver (with air conditioning thank gosh!!) for 8 hours and that day's sight-seeing changed everything and our mood was MUCH improved! Modern malls (to buy camera memory chips) and a day at the magnificent Prince of Wales museum (pic to come later - the upload of pics is slooooow in this internet cafe.)

Prince of Wales Museum - wonderful

The driver got on the freeway...seriously crazy driving with constant honking (to let each other know where they are!) and the road lines are "just a suggestion." We did pass the slum area and it was rough, but we continued past that to the modern area of town. After stopping at Thomas Cook for currency exchange and some travel agency reservations, we saw the sites. This is the "Gateway to India." Plenty of nice friendly folks want to sell you pictures. Beyond this landmark is the Arabian Ocean. Cool.

This is the Taj Mahal hotel. It became quite famous about 2 years ago due to a bomb attack - and indeed the security everywhere has been intense. Double bag-checking and X-ray scanning. Even at our Ibis hotel! The taxis are checked with under-carriage mirrors for bombs. Stuff like that. Egypt was that way, too. Anyway, the Taj is right next to the Gateway to India. We plan to return and have lunch there on our last day in India. Very ritzy.

OMG...Mumbai...

OMG... They say India will change you...
Leaving the airport was the most dirt, rubble and poverty I've ever seen. No art or color, just buildings that look like they've been bombed.
A lady knocked on our taxi window begging for food money. Then another one.
And it will be worse elsewhere.
But it will be better elsewhere...we're looking for that today.

Back in Bangkok

Up on the stage at the Hard Rock Café Bangkok – bought the T-shirt of course.

Thanon Ratchadamadan – the historical locale of many protests.

Tuk tuk rides are fun! A great way to get around; usually only 40 Bht (about $1). But watch out...they'll try to take you to see the gold dealer, the tailor and take you on "a special tour." 

As Gaew suggested, we visited the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall. It is very high-tech and interactive. The Thais have a lot to be proud of in the Arts. Dance, puppetry, handicrafts, performance arts, painting, cloth and so much more.

Gene got the monks on our tour to interact with the puppet exhibit.

Out the window..the Metal Castle (Loha Prasart).

They took our picture with an old accordion-style camera.

Our faces then showed up in the cartoon–video!

A friend joined us for dinner outside the window.

Ayutthaya - Getting out of Bangkok

OK, enough of downtown - time to go to old Thailand, Ayutthaya, where King Rama I started his kingdom. Gaew took us over an hour away to see the Floating Market and ride an elephant. Here we are at a low table enjoying Pad Thai and drinking coconut milk right out of the coconut.

Making friends with baby goats.

Saw a production about the story of a Thai warrior hero who fought the Burmese.

Making friends with the cutest babies J

Making friends with elephants.