Paradise Lost

So I FINALLY made to to Goa. Over 48 hours in transit with all the long layovers. The airport is really small and very rural. They did, however, have this nice statue welcoming you:

Once again I found myself outside among the throng of people holding signs. I scanned the faces until I met eyes with a well-dressed young man holding my sign. That was the start of the 'Sir' brigade. Everything this young man, and every other well dressed, well mannered staff member of the Grand Hyatt, starts and ends each sentence with Sir.  "Sir, I will be assisting you today, Sir." If only Americans could remember what customer service was like and treat people as well as I am treated here.

The 30 min ride to the hotel was uneventful and full of wonderful jungle scenery (not to mention cows - they are free roaming and everywhere).

Here are some shots of the Grand Hyatt Goa. This place is off the hook nice:

My bed:

The grounds:

Ruins of an ancient building on the beach:

Main building:

The Spa:

Jacuzzi in the men's room at the spa:

Some notes on the Spa. After 48 of traveling I wanted to unwind so I came back to the spa after I had unpacked. There was nobody in the whole place so I had this enormous Jacuzzi, steam room (with scented steam) and sauna all to myself. No sooner had I settled into the jets in the Jacuzzi than a spa attendant appeared out of nowhere. He stood in the room and just watched me. While I realize that he was there to attend to my every need and would have biked to Bombay to get me a slice of pizza had I asked him, the fact that I was alone in what was essentially a large bath tub with him watching over me which was the very definition of the word creepy. I soon went into the steam room as I suspected that he wouldn't follow me in there. 

After I parted ways with Raj, my new BFF and bathtub buddy, I showered, dressed and hired a driver to go see some of Goa. The reason I titled this entry 'Paradise Lost' is that Goa is a tropical paradise but lost in many ways. In one way it's lost to the world as it is so remote that few will get to see it. In another, it's lost in that despite its potential for pristine beauty, the local culture and economics treat it poorly and much of the areas that are accessible by car are full of trash. From what I can tell, this is the Mazatlan of Russia and the Slavic countries. For them, this place is easy to get to and cheap. I walked up and down this beach:

and watched Indian nationals engage in water sports such as kit surfing, riding wave runners and para-sailing just as if they were on vacation in Mexico. I ate some shrimp and chips here: 

and watched a wonderful sunset:

The waiter commented on how he thought I was going to be Russian because of my fair skin. When I told him that I was American he was amazed. He said that he had never met an American on that beach before. I should have planted an American flag on the beach to commemorate the moment. 

NOTE TO MY MOTHER:

You're probably thinking that I put my health at risk by eating at a shack on the beach in India. I assure you that the dogs walking around my table were well behaved and for good measure I drank a Coke with my meal. We all know that Coke kills all known forms of bacteria so I'm okay.