Goan nowhere?

I’ve been in Northern Goa for several days now, and am in a quandary of sorts.

Visiting various places for a few days at a time, plus extended travel schedules, has worn this body and mind out a bit.

So visiting the beaches of Goa sounds like the perfect place to relax, right? It’s a town along the coast with old Portuguese architecture, a laid back feel, and miles of beaches. The perfect place to take a break.


Not so much.

While walking along the beach has been soothing, and having nowhere specific to go has been restful, it’s certainly not what I expected. 

Goa has the reputation in India as being a place to party, and now I understand why. As a single older traveler, I am invisible to those who are here to get high, drunk, or engage in other such activities. Which is fine, since I do not. But in my two months of being a solo traveler, I have never felt as alone as I have here in the crowds of vacationers.

And the trance/club/”uncha-uncha” music that is still playing after 11 at night is not exactly restful.

So I find myself still a bit worn out, and losing momentum. I want to head further south, but can’t get excited for any particular place. Yet staying here is not as appealing as I thought it might be.

So for those who haven’t been here, I’ll share some of the more beautiful aspects of the town through pictures. There have been some beautiful places, and I don’t mean to whinge about a lovely vacation spot. But perhaps my followers in India or those that have been here may understand.

I’ll welcome suggestions of somewhere to go to rejuvenate energy for the trip.

Preferably without trance music.

Arambol beach
Returning the boat
It takes a village: pulling in the catch of the day

Author: mettatsunami

In 2009 I was working full time in medicine, and living a life that was alienated from what I truly valued. While volunteering with a local hospice, I began to wonder: "What would I do differently if I had six months to live?". This began the impetus to change direction. While it has been a case of two steps forward, one step back in many ways, there has still been slow movement in the direction of a more authentic life. Since the pivotal decision to change direction, I have been a Buddhist nun, returned to lay life, changed Buddhist schools, returned to medicine part time, and then full time, quit again, traveled extensively, trained in yoga, spent time in several Buddhist monasteries, and am in the process of how to live according with Buddhist and yogic practice and values, and how to streamline this life into something worthwhile. In the Theravadan Buddhist practice, one of the daily reflections is "Has my practice born fruit with freedom or insight, so that at the end of my life, I need not feel ashamed when questioned by my spiritual companions?". That is my practice. My goal in this blog is to share the journey along the way.

6 thoughts on “Goan nowhere?”

  2. Seems you need a retreat, perhaps to a monastery, if such is possible. Hope you find a place to rest your body and restore your soul. Sending love and hugs!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Your observations are interesting. One of the loneliest times I remember traveling-solo was also in a beach town. It seemed like I was the only middle-aged, single person for miles. Kids and parents were having fun in the surf, groups of young people were drinking heavily, couples were walking hand-in-hand and I was sitting in the shade muttering, “Geez ,this is not the place for a lone traveler my age.” Even the best menu item, the Croatian seafood feast, was listed “for two only”. But it did give me an idea of what it might feel like to be a widow or widower so perhaps I developed a little more empathy because of it. I also learned I enjoyed being with the locals more than other travelers. In the end I developed a relationship with the family that rented me my room and things got much better. Best wishes. tom

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment