Welcome to India

It was better to say "Welcome to India." Instead he tells me "It's 10 rupees." I look incredulously at such request. It is the first time someone asks me for money to put the luggage in the compartiment of the bus. My passive “latinity” does the math and ultimately pays the rupees. With that task accomplished, I go into the bus and start the journey that would lead me to Hampi.

Inside - and after a failed attempt to find the numbers – I ask "Where is my place?"

"This is it!" Says the reviewer pointing to one that is occupied by an Indian.

"What?" A question that was more "Ok... There is one person there..."

"This, this!" And by this time he was angry at my insistence. Very reluctantly asks the man to leave and I occupy my bed. I lie down extended to stress that this is just for me. Once the journey starts, the reviewer asks me if someone else can sit on the bed. My first instinct is to say no, but I see no reason to deny. To avoid misuse I continue to occupy the whole place.

I realize the ridiculousness of my position. In fact, in this place, fits two people. The most that I achieve is to let someone else in an uncomfortable position. I tell him, by gestures, to sit at ease. He responds with a smile of gratitude and surprise. Perhaps because of the time spent in Goa, this type of situation no longer bothers me.

I sleep the rest of the journey until an audible "Hampi Bazaar" awakes me. Look at my watch in disbelief. We arrive one hour earlier. It could be seen as good news, but it was five in the morning. And at this time the guesthouse was still closed.

I put a foot off the bus and I am attacked by rickshaw drivers. "Rickshaw! Rickshaw! Rickshaw! Do you want Rickshaw? What do you want? " At this hour is still easy to ignore them.

After five minutes, I am again approached

- "What do you want?"

- "Nothing"

- "What do you want?"

- "Nooothing"

After a few repetitions:

- "What do you want?"

- "Sunrise"

- "I got it" I look astonished

- "Yes .. yes ... I've got it "

- "You've got sunrise?! How do you have sunrise? "

- "I take you to see sunrise ..."

And with my curiosity satisfied, I tell him that I don't want it. Just want the sun to rise in order to go looking for my bed. I decide to wait near the food stalls.

Enough time to be aproached by another driver. He gives me a card with the guesthouse I booked. I smile to myself and think that after all I don't have to wait anymore. I develop the conversation and finally agreed to go with him. We were close so he tells me that I pay what I want. Five seconds later and I'm already at the door.

He insists that there are other cheaper and better guesthouses. Also speaks to another woman who insists on seeing her home. I thank them but explain that I already booked Padma Guesthouse. The driver insists to show me others and I see what is happenning. I wait to the guesthouse to open. I have given my word.

After speaking with the driver, the woman of Padma tells me that there aren't rooms with air conditioning. I explain that I had booked with, but I don't mind getting one without. She increases the price that she had said on the phone.

I get tired of this situation and decided to return to the terminal. The driver then asks me the money - which by this time I had been expecting - and I give him the 10 rupees with the assurance that it would be the last he received from me. He offered to take me to the terminal, but I was not interested. I arrive to find it empty of fellow travelers. I am alone among the locals. I decide to sit next to a street food stand that just opened.

I ask for a tea to kill time. Drivers came and went. Always wondering who I was, if I had room, and giving the insistent availability to go with them. I choose to follow the example of the Buddha, and just keep sitting in this place. I explain to them my Buddha Style, which confuses them enough to leave me alone.

With the sun in sight, I decide to start the search. I start walking sure that the peace of Goa was past and I was about to enter a very different reality ...

Ordo Sounsar

The first time is unique. An unrepeatable moment. It leaves a mark on you. It is sometimes planned, others appear unexpectedly. In both cases, your body is filled with anxiety when you realize that the time is coming.

My first time appeared unexpectedly. I spent one day more in Palolem to see the full moon. There was a power cut while en route to the restaurant. In absence of light, I remember why I was there and look at the sky. I think it's ironic that the reason I was doesn't materialize. The night is cloudy and the moon stubbornly wants to be behind them. I give rein to my imagination and think it would be interesting if the absence wasn't because of the clouds but of an eclipse.

I wasn't upset. The light was strong enough and I was in an'Other World. This was the name chosen by Serafin: Other World - Ordo Sounsar. And the care that had employed in every detail made us move to that world. You had the iconic bridge and the location in the woods. The small number of huts. The restaurant at its center - ideal place to enjoy the perfectly prepared dishes. The resting place along the river with a magnificent view. It was the pleasure of being an eco-friendly space. Where each piece of wood is certified. Weaving all these details was the sympathy of JD, Serafin and all employees. More than a physical space they created a perfect emotional one.

I wait for my meal in a magical candlelight scenario. I hear a buzz coming from the bar area. Serafin is walking back and forth. I don't pay attention. I guess it's the stress of the power-out. But when I hear the word "eclipse" all my senses awaken. Intrigued, I decide to take the next opportunity that Serafin is around to ask him. When I receive confirmation I don't want to believe. My first eclipse... like this... so unexpected... My body wants to jump with joy but is content with a huge smile.

"We have binoculars" J.D. tells me and I join them in this moment. The moon, indifferent to our happiness, covers itself with the shadow of the earth. It knows that is the center of attention and embellishes itself more every minute. Changes color. We, mesmerized by the moment, let ourselves go to the fragile wooden bridge. There, in the middle of nowhere, we can contemplate the beauty of this moment. In front of us is the silhouette of palm trees. Behind us, the waves composing the most beautiful symphony. And above us, the stars weave a beautiful shiny coat. They now can break through the shyness imposed by the full moon. It's a dark and well-defined sphere. A forbidden fruit we could pick up and enjoy if we wanted. But we don't, everything is perfect as it is.

"The meal is ready" and I'm ready for the meal. I feel the confort of the moment. In front of me, the moon strips of its cloak. I delight with each bite of food that I experienced. All wrapped up with a good conversation and good company. The moment of the moon passed. Never got to see it full. It was now a detail of the other world where I was living...

A strange elixir

Walk through the streets of the market. Step unnoticed, perhaps because of my skin complexion. This gives me the freedom to see the antiques, musical instruments or necklaces that are being sold. Here and there, spice and music. I take the time and wander around.

"Do you want to come in?" A woman asks me with a  enigmatic look. I do not have much interest but I wonder "why not?" I had time and she had awakened my attention. Her hair, though a plain brown, bore the image of the wild. Her presence exuded a calm and curiousity to see more.

"Please sit down ... I will bring it in a moment "I do a look of astonishment. She reciprocates with a smile and a shake of the head. Moves away to another room. Even before leaving, passes through an image of Christ and blesses. She disappears behind a curtain. I can see a glimpse of what lurks there. A beautiful but messy garden. Left to fate. Instead of dominating nature they let it take its place. And she had created a small but beautiful retreat.

Back to the room. She seems more beautiful than before. I notice further details. I see the cross tattooed on her hand, the gentle walk and the bright colors of her sari. "Take it ..." she said while delivering a small bottle. I do not know what to do with it. She makes a gesture to drink it. First I suspect, but I let myself go with the moment.

I feel a deep calm around me. The concerns disappear. I feel good and at peace. I can wander. Smile with the simple things in life. It is no longer complicated. My skin feels a warm moisted heat. She left the room and this time leaves the curtain open. I watch and the green has become brighter. The trees are made up with flowers. I see the different birds that jump on their branches, while a monkey watches me. Above the canopy a eagle flies. Look at my watch and I know that it's almost time to leave. I stay a little more...

When I finally get up, I read what is written on the bottle. One word: "GOA"

A Sweet Break

"Can I take a photo?" I ask him "Are you Portuguese?" He replies. And with this my journey begins.

The day before was spent getting used to the tropical climate of India. It was a tremendous shock. From the cold winter of Tehran to the tropical heat of Goa, in less than 24 hours. My whole body resented, and that day I could do little more to feed and rest.

"Yes, yes ... yesterday I came here, I saw the symbol and wanted to take a ... "

"Oh, from Sporting |a portuguese football team| …" he answered with a big smile.

After all we belonged to the same family. And with the kindness of his 70 years, provides me a chair to sit. It presents, "Bento." He's, among other things, the president of the Goa's Sporting Center and also speaks Portuguese - something that is almost extinct here. We exchanged a few words, I'll tell him what I'm doing and he is offers to help me around. I feel adopted and that brings a special comfort. A new security for another leg of this trip ...

Panjim and Old Goa

It was love at first sight. I do not know if it's the heat, the lush vegetation or semi-Lusitanian flavor that it still holds. Something attracted me and I surrendered. I love the little touches of portuguese style and how they are adopted and adapted to Indian culture. It is a unique landscape and architecture. In itself, the capital is not very big but is very pleasant to be. Following the counsel of Mr. Bento I come to experience the best Puri Baghi, a tasty Xacuti and a divine bebinqa.

The first was in the cafe Tato. An ever-filled space. I find, to my astonishment, that this specialty is served more like breakfast -  or similar  - than a starter. I'm still not accustomed to spicy, so it is with much talent that I try to separate the small pieces of chillies, while I eat the rest. The other dishes I tasted them in the restaurant Viva Panjim. And if, by itself, the food is worth the trip, this restaurant located in an alley in the neighborhood of Fontainhas is very beautiful. A family bussiness. The restored house leads us to an era when Goa was at its prime.

The city is within short distance of Old Goa. We can get there by bus. And this is an adventure in itself. Forget the number and bus stop. Here, to find your bus, just understand what the numerous cries mean. "Ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go, ol'go" yells a man in less than a second. It sounds close to what I want to go so I ask the man to be sure. I go for the little-but-still plenty-of room left over. Here nothing is wasted, and in the Indian bus always fit one more person.

We managed to reach Old Goa. There is a festival and  a small crowd rushed to the site. I like how people arrange themselves for it. What seemed to be a neighborhood party, becomes a social event and everyone wants to be dressed up. Walk through the confusion of the fair. The calm air of the statue of Gandhi contrasts to the more or less chaotic movement in the streets. I have learned that beyond the apparent chaos, there is an order that ultimately flows to everything. You only need to pick up the pace and things no longer seem disorganized ... - Ok, so disorganized.

I end up spending the afternoon in the crowd. Watching the families on picnics, the religiosity of the people or the schemes of vendors. A glimpse at what's coming ...

Mandrem

I couldn't believe when I arrived. A hut and a beach. Along this journey I discovered that you can fulfill your childhood dreams. And if Iran I became a millionaire, here fulfilled the dream to live in a hut by the sea. Mandrem is one of the many beaches that we can find in North Goa. Who coined the phrase "dolce fare niente" must have gone through here. This area calls for it. For the first time I feel happy to do nothing.

I enjoy the first break. I felt I need this moment. Doing nothing, think of nothing, no sightseing. Walk through this velvety sand beach you get to Arambol beach. This one, with more movement, seems a lost paradise for hippies. With a few bars, many street shops and a road that follows the sea coast.

And sometimes the doing nothing brings good moments. From a "what did you order?" develops an excellent conversation. It becomes one more moment of this trip. I feel privileged. To have the opportunity to travel and luck in finding so many interesting people. I wonder what I did to deserve so much. I know it will never be answer. I don't care. It is important to enjoy the moment, to experience emotions and sensations of each location. Here, the feeling of a perfect place to live happily without doing a thing ...

Palolem

I will not forget this moment. The first I saw a wild monkey. It was in the way to Palolem - a beach in South Goa. In a street that cuts a small tropical mountain, a cream and slim monkey ran down the road just to jump to the branches of trees in front. A small sign that this area was very different from the North.

From where I sit now, I see beautiful butterflies, cheeky squirrels, jumpy monkeys or eagles. I followed one more advice - this time from my friend Isabel Braz - and I'm in a beach hut in Palolem. Ordo Sounsar is the name of this space. A small collection of huts at the end of the beach. The owners transmite a hospitality that we feel at home. J.D., the owner, tells me how this site appeared. By pointing to the site, Serafin, her boyfriend, replied with a "but you can not cross to that side" - the site is at the northern end of this crescent beach, beyond the limits of the river - "build up a bridge "JD answered him with the strength of those who envision a dream. And so, we feel in a tropical getaway as you walk through this small and fragile wooden bridge. Something that looked like an obstacle became a local icon.

Around here the time develops slowly. I spend days between kayaks, hiking, diving or hang around and writing. Outside, on the beach, sellers try to attract customers, people have fun playing cricket, or football. Cows enjoy the cool beach and rest, while tourists come and go depending on the activity they are doing. I finally decided to stay along the river to write. Taste the breeze and the local dialect of employees. With a huge smile on my face.

Goa is a sweet break. A good place to initiate a venture in India. It contains many aspects of this culture, but exudes a calm that allows me to adapt to this world. Everyone tells me to prepare. India is the University of traveler. Goa was my stage. A preparation for what is coming. Here I take special moments, friendly people, and sure I'll still come back on this trip. I didn't tell you yet, but in the midst of so much help, Mr. Bento has offered to hold my backpack while I'm in India. Therefore in Goa, more than a goodbye, I say see you soon ...

A sunset...

It was one of the toughest exercises. Describe the sunset. I was offered by Katya, my former teacher-maybe-future-teacher-and-now-more-than-all-friend. It was really complicated. It's almost impossible not to fall into a common place. At the time, my solution was to recall the most recent and striking sunset that I had seen - on a beach near Amsterdam - and try to describe it without ever mentioning the sunset by itself.

It is impossible to speak in Goa and not to mention its sunset. Think of all the clichés as they apply. I don't describe it. Not for lack of options, but because just found out how personal it is. You don't have one sunset, you have millions. Each one is unique. As the person who observes it. For this is the real sunset. A moment of deep contemplation. For each person, a thought, a different emotion. And as the sun becomes a red-enigma ball, before disappearing into the ocean mist, each of us travels to a different place. Go to a image of our past, to a desire in our future. Hypnotize ourself and destroy the time around us.

Yet, we all share this time of contemplation. I am not alone in the rock, tropical beach or in this country. I share the moment with millions of others. Nobody talks, nobody says anything, but keep the secret common to all humanity of another sunset...

The dive

I can't believe it. Have my feet in hot water, a smile on my face and almost having my first dive. I'm here in Goa, seconds from being immersed in this water. Behind me the coconut trees make me company. They tell me it's real. In the euphoria I give a mortal. Another and another one. Happiness spreads through my body. The smile gets even bigger. I don't control it, I don't try. I seize the moment, as I have done it all along the trip. Grateful for so many.

And that is just life. Nothing is a simple thing. Each second, gesture or moment carries a life. This time, the certainty that the dream has been replaced by reality. But it is just a dive. Like many others That I have already done. Diving, get wet and come to the top. Demonstrating that, sometimes, are  simple things that bring happiness ...

Sometimes it's hard ...

Sometimes it's hard. Looking for a good angle, trying a new approach and... nothing! For each trial, a new failure. Write and rewrite at the rhythm of my fingers. Knowing that when something is writen, your mind says to delete it. Push the button and despair. The problem is that there is so much to say.

Goa is full of stimuli. You do not have time to watch everything that your body notices. Whether it's fresh breeze, the stressfull life of insects, the small chaotic traffic, everything moves and touches you. Goa seems a little India with Portuguese flavor. Here everything is calmer that it must be elsewhere in the country. I already begin to notice small details that confirm you are in India. The cows walk around the road and at the beach. The traffic already has some chaos. And the heads wave to confirm your request. The Portuguese, heard here and there, ensures that you are still in Goa.

But it is impossible to find an angle to transmit all this tropical flora, all the fauna that jumps here and there or all the calm rhythm that you end up feeling. Here there is time for everything. And for a European - even though Portuguese - this is a bit confusing. Sometimes you think they don't understand, other you bet they do understand but don't care. In any case, only with time you receive confirmation. In those minutes you can only wait. Something that you quickly get used.

In the midst of this landscape, the sound of gentle waves, you forget the stress of life. Beyond the palm trees there can be a world, but you don't want to know it. The sea hypnotized you and the music, played by the Indian guitar, accompanies the state in which you plunged ...

Time for a break

Traveling is to have multiple geographies within us. You go from one place to the other, but you don't let go where you've been. For anyone who writes about his traveling experience this can be confusing. You are in several places at once. I came to India after a remarkable experience in Iran. And I was still enjoying my passion for the desert landscape and already I was presented with a lush tropical landscape. Here everything explodes with life. Moist heat is imperative. The lungs fill with oxygen. A real contrast to what I had seen and got use to.

The body - and mind - doesn't know how to react. The amount of stimulus is tremendous and there is almost a sense of powerlessness. I feel lost. I have never experienced such a thing. And as with everything on this trip, I'm learning to deal with this situation.

I follow the advice of my body: it is time for a break. To experience the sweet business of doing nothing. Living without concern except for the moment. No other intention other than to exist. No doubt it was time for my first pause. And I have to admit, the site selection was perfect. The beaches of Goa call for that. They tell me: "It's okay. Don't worry. The journey is just in the beginning and there is still much to enjoy. It can wait. Now it's time to take a break..."