Thursday, January 28, 2010

jan 27, 2010-and for those who wondered "why INDIA!?"






Gokarna.
I got permission to stay on campus the entire night to do the work that needed to get done in order for me to not fall completely behind by leaving for the weekend. I had walked to the market and bought my first- kind of- redbull- I figured tonight would be decently painful and I deserved it- and chana- really delicious spicy garbanzo beans- the closest thing I have found to hummus haha. I walked over to new campus, ready to surrender my night and desired sleep for wireframes and personas… which I was actually alright with. I was in the school alone, had my stuff strewn across desks, had music playing, things were looking promising.
            Until Mahima called telling me-with a good amount of excitement- that class tomorrow had been cancelled. There was a lot of jumping around before she pulled up at the school and took me home-well almost home-I met some girls from my class and we went to the market for fresh juice.
            When I got home, I went to Rimas- she was super upset on the phone and I sat on their internet for a bit, wondering what was going on. I made her a card and hung out with her housemates before Emma and Benny came knocking saying we had internet! We sure did- and we all skyped and were finally able to show some of our families a live 360 view of the house- plus I got to talk to my brother and dad at the same time- which was a nice treat!
            Stayed up late and got up early. I went to the market, they went to school. I stayed in the house eating bread and peanut butter, skyping a bit and working on wireframes and such. The girls got back, packed and headed with Mahima and Nimisha to the bus stop. We had a one hour trip to the city and then a 12 hour trip to Gokarna. Super concerned that we would have no bathroom and that the bus would stop only once- we were extremely hesitant to eat at the restaurant we sat down at. The bus stop was a whole new kind of crazy. I wondered how I ever thought I could manage that myself… maybe after a few times with people who know their way, but it was dark, it smelled incredibly-like nothing I have ever experienced we were presented a hole in the ground after paying to use the rest room, and the bus we boarded… very cozy. Also freezing cold. The entire time we shivered, the windows didn’t close and sleeping was impossible.
            Fast forwarding the brutal 12 hour trip- and the nice restroom stop where a huge line of women wandered out into the woods under the beautiful moon and stars in order not to use the public restroom. We arrived in Gokarna 8 am the next morning, and got in two autos. We could see ocean from here and were extremely excited. While emma tried to talk to me, we passed a tree with seven monkeys just hanging out- she was bummed to have missed it, I smiled for the rest of the day.
            We arrived at what appeared to be… the dessert? And Mahimas auto pulled up with some boces of necessities. We carried them down a rocky path, meanwhile being passed by women and men carrying massive concrete bricks and piles of egg crates on their heads. When we finally stepped foot onto the sandy beach, we were greeted by a bull. Looking out on the beach we saw at least a dozen bulls and just hanging around the beach. Small huts/hotels scattered the beaches and hippies everywhere. Dreadlocks, harem pants, tattoos, hemp, and the works. It was an interesting crowd. Emma and I searched for accommodations and finally found two huts on the beach, 5 dollars a night per hut.
of course I loved it here- there was a garden


It was all beach
and all sand
and cows
and dogs
everyone was happy
and relaxed

The less busy of the bus stations.


First thing we see upon reaching the beach! Bulls. Just hanging out. All day.


all the hotels were like this- minus one which was super ritzy. we were looking to pay 300rps/night- they wanted 1500rps!





FINALLY the mosquito net I always wanted since I was little and thought it meant you were a princess. It was kind of like that... except that we were prepping for
This is one of the huts- identical to ours-just looking right at us- they had a nice treat when they walked out of their cabins the next day.


neighbors


it looks nice from the outside


This is when I can truly appreciate the fact that I wake up early and no matter how hard I try- I cant go back to sleep. A different light changes the place completely. Yoga, running, swimming, stretching, and watching the sun rise took place all morning. Fishing too-more pictures to come.

The resturaunt at our hotel- and at all the hotels on the beach. They all had india, italian, mexican, and chinese foods- all bases covered.


Jelly fish, baby-everything- baby sting ray was especially interesting.


my favorite- one hand mouth, one hand dead fish



to paradise beach








back to kudle to watch the sun set
and throw up all night.

We hung out all day on the beach, splitting up for coffee, reading, juice, swimming, sleeping whatever we wanted. I got to run on the beach while the sun set which was nice although my legs really hurt for a long while after.

I took a nap in the hut for a bit, which was hot- but very necessary, and on our second to last day we went to PARADISE beach via-a tiny boat. We passed Om beach and pulled up to a mix of huge black stones protruding from the ocean and a beautifully sandy beach.

Here, we played all day.
We ordered fresh juice and banana nutella pancakes all day long
until--------
benny got sick :(
we took a boat come and she went to bed, as did Mahima who was feeling feverish. The rest of us went to dinner where we met a very interesting man who lives 6 months in canada, 6 months in bangalore doing-nothing but learning to calm and slow his mind.

he made a lot of  money in the matress business-apparently- and lived in the dominican republic on the beach for 10 years first.
musta made ALOTA money

Anyways, home and to bed- unfortunately that didnt last long before Emma and I were both in the sand outside the hut-sick- all night and the entire next day and the accommodations were not very luxuries-other than the cool sand of course.

12 hour bus ride home
grabbed my computer from the house
and went directly to class-html
really
long
day



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