Aaah, India. Incredible India.
We arrived in Mumbai 2 weeks ago and after the almost 2 hour taxi ride from the airport to our hotel it was late and dark. The kids were not happy with the hotel and even more unhappy after we left our rooms to look for dinner. The dark, busy, dirty streets of Colaba, Mumbai were not very appealing to them. So we decided to head south first thing in the morning, looking for the beach and a more relaxed environment.
We landed in Goa and headed to Palolem Beach (south Goa) where we hoped to find a nice bungalow on the beach. However we ended up in a local family run guest house just back from the beach which, although not the most attractive accommodations, was the most comfortable as it was 3 rooms connected (lots of space), air-conditioned (great for sleeping in the heat), and very cheap.
We settled in to life on the beach in Goa, enjoying the beautiful ocean, playing in the waves, and watching some amazing sun sets. Life in Palolem, as we learned, was very seasonal. All the bungalows and restaurants along the beach were temporary structures, erected at the beginning of each season and dismantled at the end. This makes them very basic, simple structures with not too many comforts, although very cheap and overall very charming.
We are happy to have finally made it to Goa. It was something Henrik and I wanted to do over 20 years ago and altho I am sure it would have been quite different then it is amazing to be here now. It is a very special place.
Alas, life in paradise has it's downside...and when Natasha and Henrik get sick with fever, chills and diarrhea we decide to change our plans. Instead of going further south we decide to head back to Mumbai to the comforts of a 5 star hotel!! From here we decide to change our itinerary and fly to Bangkok, again looking for paradise and returning to Koh Phi Phi, our honeymoon island from 22 years ago.
I am disappointed about not going to Amritapuri (Amma's ashram) but I realize that some of the family members are simply not ready for the ashram and rather than have a bad experience we will keep this adventure for another time. Since we all got to see Amma in Milan I am content about our decision.
I am happy we came to India, to see her, feel her and embrace her, for the short time we could. India holds so much it is impossible to explore it all, it has to be in small doses, bit by bit. The kids feel like they have seen enough and I am just happy to have been here with them.
India remains in my heart a very special place with so much to give and so much to learn from. I take what I can, feeling blessed for it all, knowing that I will return again and again.
With love from India xoxoxox
We arrived in Mumbai 2 weeks ago and after the almost 2 hour taxi ride from the airport to our hotel it was late and dark. The kids were not happy with the hotel and even more unhappy after we left our rooms to look for dinner. The dark, busy, dirty streets of Colaba, Mumbai were not very appealing to them. So we decided to head south first thing in the morning, looking for the beach and a more relaxed environment.
We landed in Goa and headed to Palolem Beach (south Goa) where we hoped to find a nice bungalow on the beach. However we ended up in a local family run guest house just back from the beach which, although not the most attractive accommodations, was the most comfortable as it was 3 rooms connected (lots of space), air-conditioned (great for sleeping in the heat), and very cheap.
We settled in to life on the beach in Goa, enjoying the beautiful ocean, playing in the waves, and watching some amazing sun sets. Life in Palolem, as we learned, was very seasonal. All the bungalows and restaurants along the beach were temporary structures, erected at the beginning of each season and dismantled at the end. This makes them very basic, simple structures with not too many comforts, although very cheap and overall very charming.
We are happy to have finally made it to Goa. It was something Henrik and I wanted to do over 20 years ago and altho I am sure it would have been quite different then it is amazing to be here now. It is a very special place.
Alas, life in paradise has it's downside...and when Natasha and Henrik get sick with fever, chills and diarrhea we decide to change our plans. Instead of going further south we decide to head back to Mumbai to the comforts of a 5 star hotel!! From here we decide to change our itinerary and fly to Bangkok, again looking for paradise and returning to Koh Phi Phi, our honeymoon island from 22 years ago.
I am disappointed about not going to Amritapuri (Amma's ashram) but I realize that some of the family members are simply not ready for the ashram and rather than have a bad experience we will keep this adventure for another time. Since we all got to see Amma in Milan I am content about our decision.
I am happy we came to India, to see her, feel her and embrace her, for the short time we could. India holds so much it is impossible to explore it all, it has to be in small doses, bit by bit. The kids feel like they have seen enough and I am just happy to have been here with them.
India remains in my heart a very special place with so much to give and so much to learn from. I take what I can, feeling blessed for it all, knowing that I will return again and again.
With love from India xoxoxox
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