Past couple of weeks were super intense, to say the least! I always considered myself expert in packing
but this time it was quite overwhelming. Who would have thought we accumulated
so much stuff? Final count: 15 boxes
plus suitcases, bags and rucksacks. In the end I felt like a crazy hoarder from
some crime serial – discovered buried by her possessions.
The only piece of furniture we took with us was our beloved
red beanbag chair – completely impossible to pack. Since we weren’t particularly
keen on carrying it in hand, finally we decided to use thermocol beans to pack and protect more delicate things in the boxes. Idea good in
theory, not so much in reality... Nothing came broken but unpacking was a
nightmare. It got into every smallest
whole and getting it off our stuff was nothing short of impossible. Plus, it
was flying around with the slightest waft of air. Soon the whole floor was covered
with very mobile white balls. It looked like endless string of pearls spilled
all over. That, or some extremely interactive insects. I swear I was half
convinced they came to life - the way they were hiding, running away from the
broom and reappearing in unexpected places.
We left Delhi at the crack of dawn just when the sky was
turning this breathtaking shade of teal. It was nice, really, to take the last
look at the city when it was still dark enough to cover all the dirt and
damage, before the daily crowd hit the roads. I could barely recognize it! We
drove through embassy district while it started to drizzle. Garden lamps
twinkled at us like row of tiny moons hiding behind exotic bushes.
Of course the romantic aspect of dewy first blush was very
much gone, when suddenly we had million bags getting wet before 30 hours
journey.
We decided to take the train instead of the flight in order
to move everything at once. Though our whole luggage was traveling in some
other section of the train, we still had a lot of things with us. We booked
first class tickets and got lucky getting private compartment. It was something
out of old movies or novels… like Orient Express or Marilyn in Some like it
hot!
On the station two kuli – luggage men, constructed suitcase towers on
their heads and threaded their way to the platform with unbelievable speed. It
was quite impressive to observe as we tried to follow them. Later on it was
business as usual: chaiwalas – tea boys – shouting: chai garam garam, chai!;
men wearing chains like necklaces and jingling padlocks (for luggage
protection); polite waiters taking orders for meals during our journey… we
could indulge in all the comforts Indian railways have to offer.
Unpacking proved to be even more time consuming then
packing. I’m slightly embarrassed to say that my clothes are still neatly
distributed around the guestroom. There are so many fascinating things to do
around here that sitting at home just seems like a waste of time. Every day we
jump on a scooty and explore neighborhood. There are plenty historical sites
around, enormous river with charming islands and ship – casinos and, of course,
the beach!
We made few trips to the municipal market and fish market. I
just love this idea; wandering between fruit and veggies stalls with the basket
on my arm! The fish shopping is an adventure on its own. You have to get up
with the sun, drive to the city and then hunt for the sea monster you are planning
to fight with in the kitchen. Since, till now, all the sea food I dealt with
was cleaned and frozen, canned or nicely packed with ice, I had to do my
research before stepping on the arena. I decided to start with medium sized
shrimps, calamari and clams. Shrimps were a piece of cake to clean, calamari,
though quite disgusting, were easy enough, but the clams remain a mystery to
me.
Apart from seafood, the weather in Goa is a big discovery. I
was always told that, when the monsoon hits the land you should run and hide.
Well, first of, for quite a white it was lovely, sunny and warm. It started
raining couple of days back and, at a risk of sounding rather eccentric, I love
it! For nearly 5 years now I haven’t had normal rainy autumn. Sure it poured in
Delhi but it was an hour of shower followed by hot steamy day. It’s so nice for
a change to have this cold, gray day when all you want to do is cozy up with
your blanket, cuppa tea and good book, and just listen to the gentle pitter-patter. Though it also means I should get on with unpacking, since daily trips
are no longer an excuse!
Unpacking and packing both, actually. We are just getting
ready to leave for Delhi where we are picking my cousin from the airport. I’m
about to spend two weeks backpacking around Rajasthan! Quite exciting
perspective since I haven’t done that for about 5 years!
