Goa (Panjim and Anjuna)

Beloved --
It's hot! Even the grandfatherly proprietor of the Park Lane Guest House in Panjim admits that the hot weather has arrived at least two weeks early this year.
To beat the heat, I hop the early morning--8:30am--bus to Old Goa. Cost 7 ruppees. I could see living in Old Goa. Clean, tree-lined lanes and more cathedrals per sq. km. than Chiang Mai has Wats. At one point in history, Old Goa rivaled Lisbon for its grandeur.
But by noon it's too damn hot again. I linger over lunch in an elevated, shady but airless open restaurant. I watch the late awakening tour groups pour out of their AC busses. And wish them the best of luck for the heat.

I catch the 1:00pm bus back to Panjim and stagger, sweating to my guest house. I drink a liter of water, turn the AC to full on and let the cool air wash away my sweat. I sleep 'til five.

By six it is a bit cooler. . .at least the sun's angle doesn't sear any more. But it is still unpleasantly hot. I go for an explore in this smallest and tidiest of Indian State capitals. There are fewer sidewalk hustlers here. Panjim seems to stand on its own w/o tourists.

By 7:30pm I'm explored out and head for the Hotel Venite--one of the very few places to get a drink in this conservative part of India. I order a Kingfisher "Strong" and a shot of feni (cashew moonshine) and squeeze myself into one of the half-dozen tiny balconies overlooking the street scene. A sweaty hour passes--even the backs of my hands are covered with drops and I seem to be exuding every bit of DEET that I've used in the past couple of months--and then back to the AC. I hit the bed by 9:00pm and suck up the cool.

At 1:30am I'm awake, too hot, and puzzling about the past three months. What's changed? What have I learned? beyond the "You can't run away from yourself!" and that each day is a "Get up! Stand up! Dust yourself off and start all over again!" (These are what I call the eternal reggae verities.)
(Picture above is at the Viceroy's Gate in Old Goa. It was built by Vasco de Gama's grandson.)
I miss you and love you all,
Jim