Incredible India
In India, for the first time, I want to immediately warn Goa as a resort that not everyone will like, especially if a person has previously rested in Turkey, the first thing that struck me was the roads, the complete absence of sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and, in general, any traffic rules, people have to walk in including tourists with small children on narrow roads, where there are a lot of vehicles, scooters, cows roam, how many people die - I didn’t count, add to this the complete lack of lighting in the dark.
The second thing I really didn’t like in India is the climate, the humidity and the heat are unbearable, it doesn’t subside even at night, I went wet all the time, and this is where the negative ends. The sea is excellent, as I like it with good waves, endless sandy beaches, half empty, the water is generally fresh milk. we lived in the hotel Prazeris Resort 2 *, quite like a normal hotel for India, I recommend it.
On the first day, we decided to go to the night market in Arpora, which takes place on Saturdays from 8 pm to 3 am. taxi drivers offered to take for 800 rupees to wait there and back, it's about 16 dollars. decided to rent a scooter, from 9 pm to 9 am it cost us 4 dollars + 1.5 dollars. gasoline, I had experience driving a scooter, but I want to warn you that India is not at home. The guides dissuade renting scooters, they tell scary stories and the like, I’ll readily believe that it’s difficult to drive in India, the first day I watched how the locals drive, so for those who decide to take a scooter - the first thing is that they have an exit to the oncoming lane in the order of things, so you you need to slow down and, if necessary, pull over to the side of the road, the second, carefully watch the cars overtaking you, cut in the order of things, the third, as you see a regular bus or truck - very carefully on their road who is more - that is right, after the sound signal is given by the bus - you can boldly go to change diapers, the whistle of our locomotive is resting. But there is a plus, unlike our scoop in India, I noticed that drivers treat each other, if not with respect, then with very great tolerance, and something else that struck me, you can leave the scooter anywhere, at least for a day and no one will covet it. about the market in Arpora, come up, choose what you like, bargain, throw off every 5, then move away and understand in the next. stall that you overpaid 2 times. Do not rush to buy from the first one that comes across, if the price is already nowhere lower - it turns out that there is still where. On a scooter we drove around the nearby beaches - Calangute, Anjuna, Baga and Vagator small and large, I advise you to do the same, they are all the same type and not all bad, only I didn’t like Baga - there are a lot of people and merchants come up all the time, I even spotted -20 sec. interval as the next one came up. I advise you not to go along the main road, but through small villages, very picturesque and beautiful temples in almost every village (see photo).
Now, regarding excursions, in Goa, the prices for excursions are just space travel agencies in the hotel offer the most popular excursion in Hampi -260 dollars, on the street I found for 145 dollars. from Dana, her agency is located near the Mall, such a boutique, but this is a 2-month salary for India! I recommend to go - the fantan is very beautiful, it’s difficult to get there yourself, you need to go by jeep, on the way back we stopped at old Goa, looked at the church, and then I asked the driver to drop me off in Panaji at the bus station, bought tickets for sleeperbus to Hampi, sleeper bass is something between a reserved seat car and a bus, only one Paolo travel company carries to Hampi, I advise you to buy tickets in a couple of days or you will get seats in the last row like us, tickets cost us $ 28. back and forth per person Sleeperbus leaves at 19.00 and arrives in Hampi at 6 in the morning, if you are thinking of going to Hampi or not - don't even think about going. Upon arrival, a crowd of rickshaws surrounds you and they offer to take you, for 10 rupees we drove to the village and rented a guest house, like a hotel, quite normal, one room and a bathroom, everything worked. The guest cost us a day as much as 6 dollars. from two. and here they rented a scooter-4 dollars. for 2 days. It is very difficult there without transport, the temples are scattered at a great distance, everything is very beautiful, but the heat and red-hot stones along which one walks kills all enthusiasm. In Hampi, you will need a lot of water, it can be collected from pumps. in the morning, as the clock at 8 in the morning, a local elephant is brought to the river bank for a swim, the spectacle is still that, the elephant in the water is like a child in the sandbox, you can have a bite to eat in local cafes, the prices are quite reasonable, breakfast for two is about 2 dollars, dinner is somewhere for 2-3 dollars. per person there is no alcohol and meat, because the village of Hampi is located near the sacred temple. in the evening we hired a rickshaw for $4. he drove us to the neighboring town of Hospet where we got on the bus and drove back to Goa.
I also want to warn them for a white man on the street - it’s like we have an elephant, in a word exotic, they come up and ask to be photographed together. As a result, I really liked India, especially in Hampi, I also liked the people - simple and sympathetic and also the spirit of freedom, Simplicity or something, well, just like a hippie, it is not possible to describe. Who has not been - I advise you to go.
