Bombay, Spiritual Healing Circles, More Scams and Beach Towns This and That

We tried to rent a motorbike in Goa but were denied because we made the mistake of asking for instructions on how to ride it.

Sometimes our hotel rooms have ant highways running through them

One night some eggs must have hatched because our light in our bedroom was covered with hundreds of buzzing flying ants. They were all dead on our floor by the time we got back from dinner.

Even in India the stupid Saved By Zero ad gets stuck in my head.

I had no idea it was Superbowl Sunday until my 87 year old Great Aunt told me when I randomly called on that day.

Thank goodness for Spanish, as it is the easiest way for Carrie and I to communicate and make decisions about prices or “stay or go” with people standing right in front of us…as they all speak English.

A funny sign in Bombay

A little boy “pinned” a paper Indian flag on my shirt to celebrate Republic Day. When I looked at it later I realized the pin was actually a nail.

When booking train tickets we once had to go to the Tourist Desk where in the time that the four people in front of us asked questions and booked their tickets, more than 150 Indians were able to do the same thing.

The beds we sleep on are usually so thin it’s like we’re sleeping on the floor.

We took a local train in Bombay during rush hour with our big bags and it was one of the most unpleasant experiences ever. We were used as chairs, baggage rests and were pushed, shoved, stepped on and trampled. Even a NYC rush hour could not compare to the madness.

The November 26 attacks in Bombay are called 26/11, which always invokes 9/11 memories for me.

As seasoned travelers we usually try to avoid it, but sometimes it’s just easier to play the dumb tourist card. “But we just got here…this isn’t how the book said it was…”

When we travel on trains we never know where to get off so we just have to ask the locals and they are always sure to tell us when it’s our stop.

A parting view from Matheran

With every mosquito bite…and there are lots of them…I wonder, “is THIS the malaria bite?”

Man, traveling makes you tired!

Much of India is covered in dust or sand of some sort.

A good rule of thumb is to go where the hippies are.

We’ve shipped two packages home so far and every time we do something else new takes its place in our bags.

One meal a day and a couple of teeny snacks is a very common occurrence for us.

It’s amazing, the Indians always hike through dirt and filth and still wear bright clothes that never seem to get dirty.

While walking down the street of Arambol we heard a loud pop and saw fireworks from above. We quickly ran, as this was actually a power line cracking open and falling. Scary!