My 7 top Goa Monsoon Moments

Every time I have been to Goa, the sky has been blue. The sun has been shining and it has been filled up with tourists from all over. Hectic, busy, fun and a bit exhausting.

This week, when I went, the sky was grey. The clouds were dark and rain was pouring constantly. But you know what, dear reader: I totally loved it.

Back in Norway we say: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" - so I put on my monsoon plastic shoes and headed off to explore monsoon Goa. These were my top favorite moments:

1. Nothing beats the vibrant colors and the freshness that the rain brings out. The coconut trees seems taller, the rice fields seems brighter and the nature comes to life again. And as I was strolling around in the fields, mesmerized by the green beauty, clicking away - I just hear my friends going: " - Oh, we are impressed Eli - see you walking around without fear for all the snakes and crocodiles." - Eeeeeeeeeeeeek....

2. Having Chicken Cafreal - and lots of other goodies at the local Florentines restaurant. I like the Goan cuisine for their smart use of spices. The restaurant is great: visited by locals, genuine and clean, cheap prices and most important: very tasty food:

3. Feeling the amazing and including atmosphere at The Miraculous Cross at the Holy Cross church in Bambolim:

4. Shopping the best cashew nuts (in the world ?)- in Sawantwadi. A long drive, but totally worth it. A beautiful place - and back in "my" state - Maharashtra.

5. Being the almost only (playful) tourist in a normally very crowded tourist area. How peaceful and calm to go for a stroll along the sea - feeling the breeze and rain at the beautiful Dona Paula beach area - famous for the myths of the Portugese lady Dona Paula and for shooting of the Bollywood films Ek Duuje Ke Linge and Singham. Usually packed with people, but not this week. Not even possible to buy the Fresh Lime Soda with Singham Masala  and Bombay Masala..:-) Hm - gotta come back here:-)  

6. Being invited to new friends' homes and feel happy when they show me their gardens with blooming flowers, the little birdie that they saved, their new kittens, the newly born calf or their old Portugese home which has been in the family for centuries and that they preserve with love, respect and pride.

7. Just sitting there, watching the rain pour down - feeling relaxed and happy - and knowing that the sun is waiting. Patiently. Because over the dark clouds, the sky is always blue..

Bye for now, dear Goa - see you again:-) 

B for Banganga

So, yesterday we went all the way up to the Acropolis but today we are not traveling very far, at least I am not. Today I am taking you to one of my favorite places here in Mumbai: the Banganga tank at Malabar Hill.

When I first went there in 2012, it was love at first sight. Walking down some steep stairs and taking in the whole scenery of the narrow streets around the tank, all the temples, the trees, the people, just feeling the peace and quiet... And then sitting down at the stairs, looking at the water, hearing people talk around me, and get this intense feeling....  of both sadness and happiness.

You see, Banganga tank is one of Mumbai's most holy sites. Since it is said that the water here comes from Ganges, it is considered sacred and with healing effect just like the Ganges water. People come here to remember their loved ones who has passed away. You can see groups of people sitting on the edge, dressed in white and often with shaved heads (White is the color for mourning in India) - letting small packets of memories float off on the water or swim themselves in the sacred water of the tank.

(Almost) car-free alleyways surrounding the tank... 

So, the legend says that the spring was created by an arrow shot by Rama (the hero of the epic Ramayana), and the minute the arrow hit the ground, water gushed from the ground, creating a tributary of the Ganges. Therefor the name is Banganga, the Ganga created on a baan (arrow).

To me, this place has a unique atmosphere. Sitting there, getting all dreamy and melancholic while philosophy-ing about life itself is what makes the Banganga tank a dream(y) destination for me. I hope that you enjoyed coming along with me as well? And stay tuned, because tomorrow we have a high up and down below destination when we travel to C....

Until then!

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

Speed - sightseeing in South Mumbai

Ok. So sightseeing in Mumbai with a 7 year old is not the same as sightseeing in Mumbai with parents-in-laws-cousins-friends... well in short: with adults! I knew that. But still fascinating to experience in real life. And I'll tell you one thing. I have never seen so many sights in Mumbai in such a short amount of time. Here we are talking speed-sightseeing BIG time!

Our day started at the Gateway of India, where the boats and ships of course was much more interesting to watch than admiring that huge stone building. And what a lovely morning it was.

Then it was tea/refreshments-time. You know, that time that with adults tends to stretch on to a looong coffee-break filled with chat and countless re-fills. Well, not with a seven year old. Sip sip. - Done. What are we going to do next? Aren't you done yeeet? 

The road then took us to every single party stuff shop and toy stall in Crawford market. And I mean every single one. Big success. But a noisy place, so after bargaining hard and long for 12 fake mustaches and a set of bunny ears (for little sister back home) - we were out of there.

Lunchtime, and time to taste local food! Of the thali, the rice and bread was definitely the most tasty..

... and in between hasty stops to buy small elephants and some more gifts, our little visitor - like all our other visitors - was a bit worn out by all the weird things to see outside the car window. And like all of us... he enjoyed the sea side in south Mumbai. - This was a really beautiful place!

But isn't it funny - after a long day of speed-sightseeing in this strange city of ours - one of the favorite moments appeared (totally unplanned) in the evening. Because what greater happiness for a 7 year old than to hang out with his older cousin: - some bowling, some football and a real game of FIFA x-box! His bubbling laughter is filling the whole house! Oh, the joy of these lovely visitors!

I hope you have had a great week so far, dear reader:-) All the best from Mumbai!
   

Taj Mahal - the Agra tale

I could feel my heart ponder as we walked up towards the enormous red sandstone gate. My legs felt a bit shaky, and I stretched my neck to see it before it was even possible. And then the first glimpse, through an opening in the huge gate rising above us - which made us feel like small ants- : the white marble glittering towards the blue sky and towards the shimmering water in the front....  Taj Mahal.

I think all thinkable superlatives have been used to describe the Taj Mahal, one of the world's 7 wonders, and still visiting for the first time made me speechless (doesn't really happen that often..). I know - every visitor will have their own experience - but for me it was a true pinch-my-arm-moment (yep, yet another one!). So it may not come as a surprise for you, dear reader, that the Taj Mahal was the highlight of our visit to Agra.

And you know - I had kind of expected a very chaotic place with howling crowds and pushy tourists. But, it was actually peaceful, green and spacey. We strolled around in the garden and admired the Taj from all possible angles. Our idyll was only disrupted by a very impatient tourist couple who tried to skip the lines and literally push people off the Diana bench to have their picture taken! Peace & love, my ..xxx!

The tall beautiful red sandstone gate, and the first glimpse of Taj Mahal.

The only-a-bit-crowded moment we had: everybody stopped at this point to take pics! And go with the flow: so did we!

So beautiful:-)  

And a bit closer.....

At Taj (well, actually all over Uttar Pradesh), we were NOT, as in Jaipur, considered to be Indians:-)  - so we payed the Foreign Visitors' Fee - but then- yeeey-: also received a water bottle, shoe covers and a shortcut..! Meaning: Indian tourists had to leave their shoes and walk barefoot all around the Taj go get to the entrance while we covered our shoes with white cotton covers and walked straight up the stairs to the front gate...

Shoes & sandals covered up: ready to enter!

And up the stairs we met the line of Indian tourists- who had to make an extra round..

At the front gate- before we went inside..

... and just after exiting.
Tourists sitting in the shade on the marble floor- digesting the visit, I guess..:-)

On our way to Agra, we also visited the Ghost Town of the Mughal Emperor Akbar: Fatehpur Sikri (from the 1500'), which was the capital of the Mughal empire for a decade. Here we found ourselves in company with hundreds of smiling and curious school kids in very neat uniforms:-) :

Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra fort are all on UNESCO's World heritage list, and an interesting dimension was getting to know better the civilization - which gave us the word mogul (a rich and powerful person, often today used in media/film industry). The media mogul, right?

The emperor's palace, and around the palaces of his 3 wifes: a Christian, a Muslim, and a Hindu. 

Agra Fort was also impressive with a huge and well kept area, but a bit hard to concentrate on what our very knowledgeable guide was trying to explain - almost stepping on people gathering around to take pics of us... Sometimes amusing, here just annoying.. ...

Agra fort from the front side - looking like a real life fairy-tale castle..:-)

Inside - wonderful park/garden areas...

So, emperor Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, the one who built the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, preferred the white marble to the red sandstone when he had buildings erected. They used 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. The story says that after his wife died, Shah Jahan lived in Agra fort. He was deposed by his son Aurangzeb, and died at the fort, in a tower with a marble balcony  - with view of Taj Mahal.

So, to nurture your romantic soul - you can visit Agra fort, go to the spot and just imagine the old Shah Jahan - sitting there looking over to where the love of his life was buried (and where he later was buried with her, by the way) ... *kleenex anyone?*

View from Agra fort to Taj Mahal

So, I finished this Agra tale where I started it - with Taj Mahal.
And as a tiny epilogue.. some poetic words to all fellow travel - lovers out there - have a wonderful day!

Traveling is not just seeing the new, it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors, also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes. 
Jan Myrdal.

Jaipur - meet The Maharajas

I think my favorite moment in Jaipur was entering the tall Sun Gate of Amber Palace. To see the courtyard open up in front of me- surrounded by palace buildings. To see the birds fly up towards the tall mountains behind, and watch the monkeys sit right there. A pinch-my-arm-I-am-in-Rajasthan-moment!

The courtyard - see the monkeys sitting under the trees?

So, dear reader, since last time, we have been on an interesting journey to some (to us) new parts of India, and our first stop was Jaipur. Our first impression was good: it seemed quite clean, and the Pink City was something new: street after street with houses built in red/pink sandstone. The most famous is Hawa Mahal - Palace of Winds. Built in 1798 by the Maharaja to give the royal ladies an opportunity to watch the street life ( through 953 small windows) - without being seen themselves:

Hawa Mahal - Palace of the Winds

Yes, our visit to Jaipur was a lot about the Maharajas, and in addition to the City Palace (still in use by the 16 year old king - when he is home from boarding school), we spent some time at Amber Palace, built by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, and used by the Rajput Maharajas and their families. 

The first courtyard at Amber Palace. 

These guys were all over :-) 

Panoramic view over the Maota lake, palace garden, hills  - and - to the elephants carrying visitors up to the palace. 

The mirror palace - outside...

...and inside 

Entrance to Ganesh Pol, the Maharajas private palace...

...and another courtyard/garden:-) 

In Jaipur we had many laughs and funny conversations when we answered peoples' "Where are you from?" with a smile and "Bombay!" It was quite relaxing to stroll around and feeling - well, not quite like a tourist, but still kind of like one. Because this was tourist-land, so naturally some tourist-moments also popped up! Like:

..riding an elephant up to the palace ..

....and playing beautiful tunes for the snake to come up... eh......

But a very funny thing happened - wherever we were going to buy tickets - they treated us like Indians - meaning we payed the ticket - price that Indians pay (and not x10 which is what "Foreign Visitors" pay)- so what does that make us?:-)  At The City Palace- they even smiled and greeted us "Welcome home! "  Too funny:-) So, we met some friendly people - no wonder we enjoyed Jaipur? 

Anyway - more travels tales are coming up - stay tuned and thanks for visiting:-) Best to you, dear reader! 

Ta ta from Jaipur! 

Lazy blogger's day

Dear reader,
Oh, well, so it is hot in Mumbai, and the activity and energy among my friends seem to decrease... And do I see signs of decreasing energy, - almost laziness-  in myself too? Yep, think so. I take a long and hard look at myself in the mirror. Not so eager to rush out in the heat and explore these days. The home delivery business is more tempting than ever. Long walking tours? Hm. Whats wrong with taking the car? The heat is on in Mumbai!

But, the timing is perfect for having these visitors here - my wonderful cousin who is also an excellent writer. Hm. My laziness overwhelms me. She is blogging with such great joy, energy and enthusiasm about our experiences here in Mumbai! We have had some hilarious moments together, and she describes it so well. The other day we went together to Worli fishing village - a visit she blogged about. This piece is from when we came to a temple there:

We strolled around for another hour, our pace slowing down as the heat increased. Just outside a temple in the middle of the village, we discovered a pink and yellow wash basin. Apparently women walk around it before entering the temple. “It's for good luck. You should do it!”, Taronish encouraged me.

So I did. But I got more than I bargained for.

I actually paused briefly at one point before my seventh round was up. “So, what will actually happen?, I demanded. “You will get stronger!”, my guide shouted reassuringly.

But hadn't she mentioned something about marriage as well? But, Taronish had no time to answer, because my fiance, who helped me keep count, ushered me on. “Two more rounds. Keep walking!”

So, I blame what happens next – now or in the very distant future – on him.

Because, eventually, the seventh round was up and I turned to Taronish. “So, what happens now?”

“Now you have your husband Dominic for seven lifetimes!”, she stated triumphantly.

“Err…For seven lifetimes?”, I repeated, “I didn't sign up for that.”

Likewise, my boyfriend. “Whoa…whoa… Seven lifetimes!? I thought it was just for a long time. Because I was thinking in the third lifetime of maybe, you know, swap…”

Laughing, Taronish shook her head.

“No”, she said, simply.

Yes – so that is us, people. Deep blue bliss for seven lifetimes. 

See what I mean? Fun and well-written, right?! So, these days I just lean back, stretch my legs up and read and enjoy her blog. It is quite entertaining to read about myself through someone else's eyes too. And fun to read about how they see it, our life here in Mumbai and our experiences. She really has an amazing way with words... :-) You can follow her blog here. So, a few pictures from our steaming hot walk in Worli:

Listening to the guide - Worli

Love the colorful houses

And colorful clothes ..

Hot and smelly at the fish (and flie) market..

Fishing boats with sealink..

I hope you have had a good weekend dear reader, and wish you a wonderful start of the new week!
Stay tuned!