Goa, October 21 - ?????

Above: a church in the middle of the jungle (the Portugese were in Goa for many years) and one of Goa's many beach cows.

When we arrived in Goa we remarked that we could be in Thailand or Belize - this part of India is different than the India we have seen, and much more watered down. They serve raw vegetables in restaurants geared towards westerners, where the food is washed in purified water. The streets are full of young Israelis and Europeans, here to enjoy the beaches and party scene. But a few traces of India remain, namely the crazy driving, ubiquitous cows, colorfully dressed women, and delicious curries.

Our days have been filled with yoga, meals, and beach. We are practicing with Simona's longtime teacher Rolf and have met a number of ashtanga devotees from all over the world, many of whom are here for two or three months.

One of the most exciting parts of our stay here is the journey to yoga practice in the morning: via motorbike. Those of you who know of our driving skills would be very scared at the prospect of either of us operating a motorbike. We decided that Eli was the best candidate for team driver, despite his distracted tendencies, because Simona felt too unsure to negotiate the Indian traffic. The ride has been scary at times due to the many cows, dogs, bicycles, and reckless drivers on the road, but it's also very fun. Thankfully, not so many people are on the road when we are headed to practice at 7 a.m.