There is no place for squirrels here-2: Novouralsk beaumonde went to India

India is an interesting place, but not meant to spend days lying on the beach and drinking your favorite cocktail. If in Turkey and Egypt the atmosphere itself is conducive to passive rest, then in India every particle of uncharted land beckons. That’s probably why we got lost in the wild jungle on our first day in Goa. The fact is that we are located very well - on Arpora, we can reach up to three places - Baga Beach, Calangut and Anjuna. These beaches could be reached on foot. However, the path to Anjuna, lying through a huge hill overgrown with trees, was difficult to find, and if we found the way there quickly, then back, shortening the path through the hill, fell directly into the wilds of local thorns and lianas. Fell into a slight panic, stumbling on stones for an hour and jumping over thorns, constantly scratching on branches, soiling T-shirts and tearing shorts.

Sometimes I had to wash three times a day. The clothes wore out quickly, I even had to buy a T-shirt because the rest of them got very dirty. The humidity kept my hair curly.

Resting in Goa, you can even do without excursions (which are expensive by our standards), and rent a bike for ridiculous money. So we did, though we fell off the bike on the first day, tore our poor knees, which from bathing in the salt sea turned into unhealed huge bloody spots.

One day we were driving down the road and a coconut almost fell on our head from a palm tree. Flew right in front of our moped. The accident was miraculously avoided. By the way, we never saw any accidents. It seems to be a problem, but there are no accidents. In Russia, the rules seem to be written, and traffic police monitor, but people are broken. Dilemma.

But let’s say you’re here to soak up on the beach and drink cocktails. Here you go to the beach. Lie down, relax. After a couple of minutes, your peace is disturbed by an Indian or an Indian woman with an offer to get tattoos, paint nails, massage, shave a hair on your leg, or buy bracelets / necklaces / fruits at “good price”. And they walk on the beach all the time, not giving bait in the sun. This one.

Let’s say you decided to go shopping. Bazaars and shops in Goa are at every turn, and when you pass by, they greet you and in every possible way lure you to “see the bazaar”. In addition, crowds of people (yes, India is the second most populous country after China), cars, mopeds, bicycles, cows... Plus a mix of smells, from dung to spices. Such an atmosphere will bring any sissy, if not to a heart attack, then to psychosis. Every shopping trip is an exciting adventure.

You can relax only in the evening, visiting some shek on the beach. It is worth noting that people like to rest tourists with Indian dishes here - they put on such portions that at first, having ordered a full dinner for ourselves out of habit, we went home, barely moving our legs and leaving half of our dinner on plates. The portions here, if not double, then triple! And it doesn't pay. Our permanent neck was Oceanic in Baga Beach. Here you can dine under the open starry sky by candlelight, listening to the voices of the waves of the Indian Ocean, stretching your feet in the sand and falling apart on a chair. The Hindu waiter Eddie remembered us immediately, it was pleasant to talk to him in broken English, he constantly greeted us by the hand and had a snow-white smile. As soon as we got to Oceanic, we were greeted by a handsome Eddie and his friends: Hello my friends! How are you today? "Good!" we said. Yes, Oceanic is the place I will remember as a quiet, cozy cafe. There was always a dog sitting next to the table, which would drive away unnecessary merchants passing by our table, well, and other dogs.
There are stray dogs in India. I call them smile dogs, because when they stick out their tongue and squint in the sun, they seem to smile. It is surprising that they are not wild and not evil, but tame, harmless and well-fed. Most likely, because they live in the necks and eat the remains of food from the cafe. Locals treat these animals well, from time to time caress, play. There were few cats, but from time to time rats and lizards ran, and it was not surprising when they sniffed and to the hotel, scaring tourists. One day, on the balcony in the room of Russian tourists in just a day, bees created a hive and flew around the floor, and delighted Hindus joyfully said: “Honey!!!” Outside the hotel windows, wild little monkeys gallop against the background of burning dumps. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can feed them. I was unable to photograph this miracle. The monkey ran away quickly at the sight of us.

There are often beggars. They just come to you (they are women and children) with an outstretched hand. And, as usual, I do not have a coin at hand, only behind my backpack, climbing for a purse in which it took a lot of time, and we were constantly in a hurry somewhere. I never gave it to any beggar. Shameful and shameful, because almost half of the amount I took with me, I had to bring back, because there was no time for anything – neither for excursions, nor for shopping. For many, I never brought the promised souvenirs. Don't be offended, May Friends, you better try shopping there yourself.

Electricity was constantly cut off throughout the area. Since it gets dark in February at about 7 p.m., such a twist with electricity was finished. It is funny that the wires in Goa are so low that you can touch them with your hand, and you will laugh at the lighting of the streets. Traditional daylight lamps are tied to the poles! It is amazing to see the Indians! Why spend money on lights when you can make everything easier?

We stopped thinking about dairy products when we saw cows with great pleasure grazing in the garbage and mocking announcements from the pillars. India's medical staff, that's why they're sacred here.

So, you still want to go to India?

Adventures

It started right after we arrived in India. We are me and my fellow friend. Decided not to miss a minute, wake up at 7 a.m. and go to bed when everything around quiets down, replacing the city hum with cricket songs. It shines in Goa in February at 6 am, and darkens at 18.30. Everything from dawn to dusk is an adventure. Well, about how we got stuck in the jungle, I wrote, about how we fell off the moped, too... Now is the time to talk about North Goa.

Riding a bike, we discovered new beaches: Morjim, Arambol, Vagator ... Each beach is beautiful and unique in its own way, but Vagator became our favorite. The waves are out there, you'll just swing! They played with us, then threw up, then swallowed us, and then spit out. For a Russian lover of thrills, this is an extraordinary kayfetz! A find for surfers, which they used. The water in the ocean is warm, clean and very salty, so salty that it cuts our eyes, not to mention our wounds. And what seemed surprising - in the sea at that time there were no jellyfish, and all our rest we were not overcome by mosquitoes. We never saw them. Only a mosquito bit me while we were out in the jungle.

For several days in a row, we went to the local Juice-center in Chapora village. A small canopy with several benches and tables in the middle of the market and a row with a hanging banyan, among cows and people, does not attract attention at all, we even drove past it at first. There were few people in the jus center, and we sat there like herrings in a barrel among beepers from around the world. Freshly squeezed juices here are amazing, and in addition to them you can buy a piece of pizza or a bun. I immediately became addicted to mango juice. But a warning - do not overdo it with juices, with the habit there may be unpleasant "toilet" consequences.

Fort Chapora, in my opinion, is one of the most romantic places in northern Goa. This fortress was built over 500 years ago. The Portuguese erected it in 1617 on the site of the ruins of an old fort built by the Sultan of Bijapur Adil Shah on the southern cape of the Chapora River. It is also known as Shahpur. Twice, the Chapora Fort was captured by the Marathas and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1741, when they reclaimed it. The fort was abandoned in 1890 and has been in ruins ever since. From Fort Chapora, located on a hill, offers a chic view of the large Vagator and the Indian Ocean. Oh, I write this and I am nostalgic - how clearly the pictures are preserved in my mind! How does this moist sea air feel?

On the fourth day in India, I turned into a fried sausage. Burnt red skin, which did not save the cream from tanning, after the salty sea turned into a crispy crust, so that we could burst, seasoning with Indian spices. It hurt terribly out of habit.

The water park in Goa is terrible. An ordinary frog with slides, where three different transports are offered - a circle, some water "sleds" and some stupid plywood, which, while I was rolling, remained on the attraction, and I almost lost my underwear. We decided not to go back to this horror. The Hindus splashed there with pleasure, and I, with fresh wounds from a fall from a bike and a charred back and shoulders, decided not to risk my swimsuit and not to please (or frighten?) local workers in the event of an unsuccessful slide with my white Ural “charms”.

I really wanted to go on a tour, but I was unlucky. Having taken up the adventure and traveled around, leaving the last three days for excursions and shopping, I did not calculate one thing – that excursions could be canceled. Travel agencies offered approximately such trips: the state of Karnataka (capital of the ancient Vijayangarian Empire with 350 temples and buildings, swimming on a bamboo boat, waterfalls, elephants, tigers, lions, monkeys and other wild animals, takes 2 days), the Taj Mahal (takes three days and is very expensive), Om Beach and ancient Gokarna, Panaji and Old Goa (sightseeing tour of the state), excursions to Hindu temples, beaches, crocodile jungles, various fishing... I really wanted to go to the temples, but the guide said that the group did not gather, so I broke down with the tour and regretted that I did not think about it sooner. However, 9 days is not enough...

One day, walking on a Saturday night, we heard music and rushed there. This is Saturday Night Market, where you can type in useful things, and hang out at the concert. But we didn't know then that at ten o'clock all night events close. I didn’t get to go to that Saturday night party either. It was a shame, because people came out of the market on Arpore so happy. When I got home, I read about the Knight Market on the Internet. Tourists speak very well of him, so next time I'll do this first thing: 1. I'll go to the temples. 2. I'm going to this night market. 3. I will meet Shashanka, who lives in Chittura (Andhra Pradesh).

I was asked, “Woman, did you ride an elephant?” I would like to say proudly: “Yes! I ride an elephant, but no, I don't ride an elephant. He often passed by us accompanied by Hindus, but for some reason, whether out of fear or because the elephant looked dirty, I hesitated to climb it. But I did.

I bought some local sweets once. Even appetizing-looking cakes were some specific to the taste, we bought a lot of sweets, but left in the box in the fridge, even home was not lucky. Our Russian delicacies will taste better. Even pancakes in the cafe do not do so. And pizza tastes different. But the rest of the dishes are...mmm, delicious! In India, it is better not to experiment with food. How not to experiment? I want to try everything!

A separate adventure was a trip to the Cubana club. “Free alcoholic beverages all night!” read the advert. It is worth noting that I am not a fan of nightclubs and dances, I do not know how to dance at all and I am not eager to do it. However, the searchlights, shining directly into the night starry sky from the hill of Arpora, played a role, and we still decided to visit this entertainment venue. As soon as we got to the place, we were seated in a jeep that took us up the hill, at the entrance to the club we were felt by a security guard, then we paid 1,200 rupees (500 for a girl and 700 for a boy) and we were allowed inside. It turned out that the club is located in the open air, there is a swimming pool, bar, dance floor, on which due to the abundance of diverse people is very crowded, pleasant lighting and tables with candles. Alcoholic drinks turned out to be really unlimited and free, and after drinking a shock dose of rum and vodka cocktails, I rushed to dance. It is worth noting that the music here is very pleasing, I probably have never heard of a higher quality Progressive, tech-house and minimal. I have never seen a more powerful energy of dancing people from around the world. And even if I was squeezing someone's legs and pushing, no one would elbow me back and say, "Hey, be quiet, dance normally," but just smile and apologize. Yeah, I guess I only pushed someone once, and that's because the guy was too drunk and walking around. There were many Russians in the Cubana Club. I guess the alcohol was just for them. The only thing, but this is probably more than a plus - the disco went from 5 to 10 p.m. During the night you could sober up normally, and it gets dark here very early, so at 10 p.m. it seemed that it was already a deep night. I'm not going to tell you how we were walking back through the dark, and I was rudely kicking off taxi drivers offering a ride, and then I came up on some rock and fell into a ditch, disfiguring the dress. Moral: Don't drink.

It is very interesting to ride a bus in India. On the last day, we decided, apparently, to reconnect with the Indians and go to the market in the city of Mapusa. From Baga, we drove to Mapusa and got on the bus first, watching it gradually fill up. Only two of us were white on the bus, the rest were locals. The fare is only 10 rupees, while a taxi to Mapusa we would get ... about 500, at least. However, the buses here are a complete mess. They rattle, and the doors open by the rope, and there is a guy who pulls the rope, and the doors open (this is not in all buses). Another feature is the whistles. These are the people who sit on the bus and whistle at every stop so that passengers can get off. And they whistle so loud and so loud, that's all! Over time, the bus filled to the limit, it began with Calangut (in my opinion, the most crowded settlement). Fortunately, we drove to the end, and we did not have to get up, pushing everyone. Before us stood two cute Indian women with huge bags and beautiful outfits, even if dirty. India is pleased with the fact that people here have their own style in clothes, their own special outfits. You won’t find it in Europe, let alone the United States, where everyone wears unisex jeans and T-shirts. I did not buy Indian clothes, because if I had brought them to the Urals, I would not have worn them in the summer. And that clothes would be like a souvenir. There was no time to buy anything. I wish I had bought a nice long skirt.

And here we are in Mapusa. Early in the morning, just cleared the fog, which we saw for the first time in Goa, began to warm the sun. There's a lot of people outside at 8:00 a.m., and everybody in the area, everybody wants to buy something in the market. Like white crows among the Hindus, we attracted the attention of all merchants. Many chatted with us in Russian, trying to lure and milk us more rupees, while the poor kept pulling their hand and asking for a few coins.

Speaking of coins. They seem rare here. We were often refused to exchange paper currency for coins, explaining that they do not exist. Don’t even give your friends coins when they arrive! Often in stores, instead of coins, change was handed over with gum and candy.
So, the market. The worst thing in any market is to walk past seafood. Fresh fish so stink, so stink!!! The dried one is even worse! And all this lies in some unsanitary conditions, refrigerators are out of the question. There it is, the contrast of smells in the market! Since everyone here sells side by side, the aromas of flowers, fish and shrimp, spices and fruits, somewhere rotten and a public toilet, mixed into something strange and sometimes even terrible. If it were possible to convey the smells of India, I would certainly do so, but think of it as something unimaginably smelly.

Walking through the market is anguish. The Tagansky Row in Yekaterinburg is just a paradise, and our Novouralsky Kolkhoz Market is an unearthly charm. The market in Mapus will take away all the morning energy, so we sat down on the bench to rest and realized that there was a jus center nearby. From the rolled thirst we immediately ordered juice, but only then realized that in vain. A little closer to evening. Then they scolded themselves for climbing into an untested juus center, especially in the market. What were we thinking?!

Going back to Baga from the market was more fun - Indian music played on the bus, inspiring and inspiring me, an Indian breeze blew from the window to my face ... It’s like saying goodbye...the last day, anyway.

On the same day, I wanted to parachute. Eddie helped us by introducing him to a friend of his who organizes a water adventure. For 700 rupees, he took me by boat and parachute. Plus 300 rupees for a friend who took my picture. If we transfer it to our money, we spent a little more than 500 rubles on this adventure. In the Russian south, two or three thousand would have been ripped off.

Was it scary? Not really. I did not fly as high as I would like, but, feeling the sea wind and some sense of flight beyond my control, I fell into euphoria and caught an unprecedented high. The rope that insured me, of course, could break off, and I could fall into the open sea, but I did not want to think about it, and it did not scare me. In one sentence, parasailing impressed me, but not in the way I would have liked... I expected more emotional capture.

But the most moving thing on the last day was the sunset. As on the first day in India, we went to meet him on a hill in Anjuna (only on the first day we got lost, and on the last day the path to Anjuna was explored), paragliders flew in the background of sunset. Goodbye India... In the morning, we flew home, stayed up all night, remembering and packing. Each of our adventures I remember clearly, much did not write, so many letters I could master.

But that's not all! Continuation to be...

Evgenia Stepanova