If you're going to Goa, India. Be sure to wear some dreadlocks in your hair...

Have you ever dreamed of a place where the beaches are always warm, the food is cheap, the beer is cold and the people are friendly? What if I told you that you can get a room on (literally. on.) the beach for less than $4/day and rent a scooter for even less? The sunsets are mesmerizing, the ocean water feels like a bathtub and the fresh pineapple and coconuts are unforgettable. Its a little place called Goa & you HAVE to go.

So let's start where we left off- Kochin was great. Very calm, very relaxing, very chill. I worked with a travel agent in town (the only way to book tickets on trains without pulling your hair out) and got tickets for the 10pm sleeper train to from Kochin to Goa and then 3 days later, the 9am-9pm train from Goa to Mumbai. I'd find a place to sleep in Mumbai that night and then fly out to London the next day. I had major hestations about spending TWELVE gorgeous hours on a train from Goa to Mumbai, but the travel agent assured me that this was a beautiful train ride with stunning views and that I'd enjoy it. The ticket was 600 ruppees (less than $8), so I went for it.

So. Its 8pm in Kochi the night that I have to catch the 10pm train. I'm standing on the main drag, hoping to find a rickshaw. A very sweet old man who had sold me water and snacks from his shop a few times that week came out to say goodbye, since he saw my backpack and figured I was leaving. He looked deep into my eyes, held my hands, said some sort of prayer for safe travels and then offered to call a rickshaw for me (cabs with a/c are way out of my budget for the hour long drive back to the train station). How I wished I could stick this old man in my pocket and take him everywhere with me. I felt very safe & secure in his presence. So we wait for a rickshaw... and wait... and then his grandson pulls up and gets out of his new/flashy car with his incredibly handsome friend. They were headed to a friend's house nearby. I forget their names. But he has a quick conversation with them, and next thing I know, I'm getting into the car with two young Indian dudes and the old man promises that they'll be gentlemen and take me straight to the train station. Mm hmm. I had one of those "dear god, please don't let this be a horrible decision" moments and then hopped in. We talked about music and movies and Goa and cars. Their English wasn't great, but it was a fun ride. I had a huge smirk on my face in that backseat for most of the drive. These are EXACTLY the kind of moments I was hoping to have on this trip. The boys refused to accept any money for the ride, so I bought them each a cold beer at the train station and then sent them on their way, back to Kochi.

My train arrived on time and the 2nd class sleeper car was pretty fancypants. At the train station, I started talking to two girls from Denmark, who were also on my train but had tickets for the 3rd class car. Similiar to telling plane crash stories before boarding a flight, these two girls told me horror stories about girls who had been traveling on sleeper trains by themselves and had been robbed or assaulted in the middle of the night. Awesome. So much for popping a Unisom and getting some rest. So when the conductor came through to turn off the lights and turn the seats into beds, I not only locked my backpack to the seat, I MacGyvered a little dental-floss trap around the main zipper and tied it to my ankle. Paranoid? Maybe. In the mood to wake up the next morning, sans half of my belongings? Absolutely not. Turns out, nothing bad happened & the train ride was actually rather pleasant. But hey- safe > sorry.

I arrived at the Goa train station around 9am the next day. Took an hour cab ride to Evershine Guest House, in Anjuna Beach. Hey Maura- what was your arrival like, to the super cool hippie hostel in the laid back beach town of Goa? Oh well... I didn't have my glasses or contacts on, completely tripped over the steps leading down to the outdoor "living room" and walked the wrong direction, right past the owner of the hostel. In front of a group of about 10 strangers, who were Goa/Evershine experts at that point. Not my finest moment. But I quickly dusted myself off, put my stuff down on my assigned bed in the 8 person bedroom (yes, 8. more than 6. EIGHT people, 1 giant room), and headed back down to the common area and invited myself to the beach. Five minutes later, I was on the back of a scooter with a Canadian & a Brit, heading down a desolate dirt road towards a beach they had visited a few days prior. I knew right away that I was going to fall in love with Goa.

I'm in Vilnius, Lithuania now and I have *so* much to share about the rest of my time in Goa & the start of my trip to Lithuania, so check back in a few days for more updates! Sorry that I haven't been able to get the hang of this "experience it, post it; experience it, post it" blogging rhythm, but sitting in front of a computer has proven to be far less exciting than being OUT there and seeing things/meeting people/experiencing these places.

Thanks for reading!

-Maura the Explorer