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Dec. 14, 2009 I left Los Angeles, in the United States, on December 10, 2004, and haven't been back since. This is just the continuation of my lifelong wanderlust. I spent 4-1/2 years in South America, with emphasis on Brazil and Argentina, and now I've been in India six months. The first five months I spent in New Delhi, and I've already written about my experiences there. After that, I spent three weeks in Mumbai (Bombay), from November 9 ro December 1, 2009. Through my own stupid mistake in making a mental conversion of rupees into dollars, I ended up in a room that cost considerably more than I wanted to pay, and my efforts to find another were unavailing. So I left after only a short stay. I was in a district called Santa Cruz, whose name is a memento of the days of Portuguese influence in India. This is a very fashionable neighborhood, though my immediate environs were somewhat downscale. There's even a Catholic school called Sacred Heart, on Swami Vivekanand Road, a mile or so down the way from me. In India, though you can't get pork or beef, you can get mutton, chicken and fish, as well as pizza and a variety of Indian dishes. In Santa Cruz, there are some fine stores and bakeries, and some decent restaurants. One should avoid buying food from vendors and stalls, as they don't maintain very sanitary conditions. Mumbai has no metro, but there is a railway of the suburban-commuter type, which tends, however, to be expensive. In Delhi, I could go downtown in 30 minutes for 20 cents, but in Mumbai, it took up to an hour an a half, costing $1.80 each way. On December 9, I arrived in Goa, India's smallest state. I have a room in Panjim (Panaji), the capital, a city of less than 100,000 nestled on hills on the banks of the Mandovi River. Panjim is the second wealthiest city in India, after Chandigarh, up north. Goa was a Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961, when it was seized by Jawaharlal Nehru, and it still shows the influence of the colonial empire in its architecture and toponymy, with crooked little streets called ruas and Iberian-looking buildings. Panjim is a magnet for European tourists, unfortunately. This makes Panjim a prime target for Christmas vacationers. Over the holidays, which otherwise would not be so meaningful in Hindu, Muslim and Sikh India, they come flocking in. So the room rates will escalate exponentially starting December 24. Though the room is very commodious and comfortable, I have decided just to go on to Bangalore at that time. Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka, in south central India. I have already booked a flight. I couldn't find a train office. Goa experiences monsoons in the summer, but they have ended entirely now. Their monsoons aren't half as bad as the monsoons in Mumbai, where it can rain non-stop for a week. The temperature is around 85 or 90 each day. South India should be fine for the next few months, but it is now getting cold in north India. It looks as if it is impossible to stay both warm and dry all year round in India without moving back and forth. When I return to Delhi, in May, it will be dry but blazing hot, with temperatures to 115, like Phoenix. The difference is that Phoenix is clean and orderly, with air conditioners that really work. I haven't done much sightseeing in Goa, but there's still time for a couple of mini-excursions, once I have my travel plans all worked out. I have some photographs of India at my website: www.mecnita.com/India.htm I also have a page devoted to beautiful Indian actresses, among the most gorgeous ladies in the world. www.mecnita.com/IndianBeauties.htm ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Visit my website here. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Comment on this article here! 
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