"Later" ....

I have started the long trip home, this morning I did a moped ride, flew to Delhi via Mumbai and had auto-rickshaw trip. Time has flown, it always does when you're having fun, I do not yearn to go home, I do not wish to extend my trip .. I'm grateful for the Indian experience.

Goa was out of this world! I have not felt so relaxed for a long time, it gave me the chance to contemplate what's going with me, decide what I like and what's to go. One thing is that I shall be returning to the UK a vegetarian, amongst many others, being very chilled-out and tanned.

The Goan attitude revolves around the word 'Later'. As it still is a province of India no-one understands the word NO, it does not have meaning in this country. However ... the sales people are friendlier than anywhere else I've been, they will happily give you fresh fruit and let you pay however many days later. Even the trucks/goods-carriers are better than other places. On the rear of all Indian trucks are painted the words 'Horn Please'; in Delhi they also say 'Keep Distance', in Himachal Pradesh they state 'Use dipper at night', in Goa they simply say 'OK'.

Baruch, my room-mate, was lovely! It surprised me how things just worked out for us, we met on the train, shared a room and within a week formed a quiet but deep friendship. He was a master on the moped and I enjoyed his confidence in overtaking no matter what side of the road we were on. One night we had dinner with 3 German people, it amazed me to see how well they all got along given their political history. Baruch is into web-design http://www.artlab.co.il/ See you in Isreal next time mate!

This month has just been a taster of what India has on offer, this country is full of contradictions and information is certainly not handed to you in a neatly wrapped box like in Western countries, I like it that way. It has given me much to think about and I probably won't reach any set conclusions, however I will return and next time delve much deeper into it's mystical culture.

There has been plenty reading time and I have managed to get through Long Way Round by Ewan and Charley (emotional), India by V S Naipaul (heavy-going), The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S Sharma (American quick-fix), In Search of Secret India by Paul Brunton (inspiring), and Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald (page-turner with good ol' Aussie humour). I have been given 2 other books to read ... DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (guess it will have to happen sometime) and a collection of encounters with the famous Guru Osho - I'm hopeful.

For beachbum's photos visit ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/32697644@N00/sets/1603061/