Interest

Paying my dues now and hoping that the dividends will kick in soon. Actually that's not fair, I'm getting a lot out of the experience though much of it has been difficult. Trying to keep my spirits up about everything though. For example the train that was supposed to get in to Goa (beaches) at 6pm (leaving at 7am), instead was delayed to leave at 11 and didn't get in until 2:30am. Without a hotel room I was forced to figure out the Indian pay phone system, with aid from a rickshaw driver who then took me to the place (with his starting price being 250Rs and after intense negotiation his ending price, still 250Rs. It was the middle of the night so I didn't have much option)

Everyone knows what a lovely day at the beach in the sun is like. Unfortunately I can hardly remember since the monsoons are late this season and it has been raining like mad. Damply I walked about 10 km during a full-out monsoon the entire time, first down the beach, cowering under a leaky shack with some locals, through the fog I saw a crashed tanker 50m from shore, and then climbed around on an old Portuguese fort that apparently offers excellent views. Naturally when I sat down for lunch, the rain stopped. Took a ramshackle old bus back to the hotel for a nap and considered just staying in all night, but my stomach said otherwise so I set off in search of dinner, but wouldn't get far before my journey would take an unexpected twist.