A CLASSIC BEGGAR


It cost me 2 rupees, but I was worth it. This is interesting, look at the drum. Who knows more?

GRAMMAR IS FUN… HEHEHE
I am using the grammar checker more in my Microsoft Works word processor program and I am learning a little. I can tell my grammar is getting better. It for sure improve those typing errors that you think is bad spelling, but is me just typing the wrong key and making it spelled wrong. I am having fun with this, and have found that I tend to make sentences too short and not long enough. I have to constantly combine 2 sentence fragments to make a complete sentence. Now that I am doing that as I go, I have less sentence fragments. I will soon make a page to help me on grammar. That will give all you overly sensitive people a way to hit me.

I went and made a page of my questions on grammar. Might as well do it while I am thinking and get started.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/helpandygrammar.shtml

HAPPY WITH FOOTPRINTS GUIDEBOOK

I have never read in 7 years a lot of the Footprints guidebook, although I am sad to say. I got on the Lonely Planet track and was both lazy and by chance only using that guidebook. I do not like to by guidebooks retail. I like to trade, or buy used a guidebook. Therefore in I was very lucky to trade, and pay a little for this Footprints guidebook.

Footprints have Internet symbols on the map! This is excellent, and I am not sure what the present status of Lonely Planet is, but they should follow suit. There is a need to tell the traveler where the Internet is more then the telephone.

I have a page where I collect BOOKS that are guidebooks. I suppose I do have some online guides there also, but would call a portal more of an online guide. I have the links to Footprints on this page and hope it is working.

http://www.hobotraveler.com/guidebooks.php


TRAIN AND PRAYER NOISE
I was slightly awake this morning at about 5 am and I here this hollers or people noise. I adjusted my ears a little and connect the brain and realized it was I think prayer. I did not see them, but I heard what distinctly sounded like a lot of people praying. It could have been on the loudspeaker system like in Muslim southern part of Thailand, but I am not sure.

The about 6:45 the train whistle blow while I am here working on my newsletter. I am toward the back of the concrete hotel and the noises are slower, not dead or still, but definitely slower, plus I am on the second floor or 3 levels about the din and noise outside.

WALKED DOWN THE STREET IN MARGAO
I was reading my Tom Clancy book, and decided to take my third walk of the day around Margao, India. It was about 9:30 at night and the regular stores were closing rapidly and only the restaurants and the bars were still open. There is a mix of food carts and men, a few women tattered and torn looking and a few more respectable sorts. I am in a very bad or ran down part of the city, close to the railroad tracks. Like and close to the railroad tracks place in any place in the world it is full of the lower rent tenants. Some of these sleep on the ground in or around the hotel. Quite a flop areas in many ways, as the people clutter the streets and area.

There is a constant sound of horns, motorcycle and chatter of the locals comparing notes and stories. A few are playing game of change with 3 cards, and there is a square board I believe is called Carom. It is a game where you point a little round what is like a checker and flick it with your finger. I may have the name of the game wrong, but there are also little nets in the corners. We played a very similar game when I was kid at Christmas, but our game had little poles in the center and a round slot in the middle that was the high points.

I learned today from a statue that the game of Chess was invented in India.

I am surprised in many ways, the streets of India here feel more dangerous then the streets of Baghdad. But the riff raft is at a much higher percentage. The UN should have them food for oil programs here where it is needed and not in Iraq.

- posted by Andy @ 7:17 PM

 
SUPER FAST CONNECTON
HELLO!
I here in the morning. VERY fast connection. Right up there with England. I am on a direct connection to the internet and not a dialup.
- posted by Andy @ 7:53 PM

 
VIRUS ON MACHINE
i downloaded from the internet in Margao yesterday.
The 3.5 disk had a virus. I am not presently able to update my Norton Anti-virus because I never have a connection. I am going to work on a USB to USB connection for inside the internet cafes.

Usually the internet cafes are paranoid about viruses and this helps me.

BEGGARS
The beggars have come out in force in the area of Margao where I am staying. A beggar will hang around in a city before they will hang around outside in the countryside. I do not know why beggars want to live in a city, unless it is for friendship of other beggars.

Funny little kid came along yesterday. I was walking and do not give money to beggars unless they are more or less missing body parts. I will share my food or a piece of my food if I am eating something. I do not think anyone in the world should be really hungry, not that I think most beggars are hungry, but some are. But this little boy kept pointing at his mouth, like he wanted food, so I went over to a stand where they had bread, bought 2 pieces for 2 rupees. Place the 2 pieces of bread in his hands and left. He looked at me as if to say, I do not want food, I want money. I would not have given him money under any condition here, there would be 20 children following me all the time.

I consider the very poor of a country the responsibility of the state and if I give money, then it enables the country to avoid its responsibility.

LIFE A LITTLE MORE UGLY HERE
I am down by the railway station. At least that is what I believe, I still have not seen the actual station, although I have seen the tracks. There are lots of people laying around, and looking “Beat” as Jack Kerouac would have said.

There is a siesta time here in India and around noon till four they close up shops and stop work. It is probably a different times but I have not clarified yet, but I do know between those times activity drops to almost nil.

COVERED MARKET
I was told about the covered market here in Margao. I am going to go check in my new, slightly used 2002 version of the Footprints guide to India and see if they talk about it?

Nope, lots of talk about churches and a few house owned by the Portuguese.

Let us see what the Encyclopedia Britannica has to say?

“also called Margao, town, west-central Goa state, western India. Madgaon is situated on the railway that extends from Marmagao port to Castle Rock in Karnataka state. The third largest city in Goa, it gained importance with the development of Marmagao port, the best harbour between Bombay and Cochin. An industrial estate just outside the city, a cold-storage plant for fish, and a large agricultural-produce market have strengthened its economic position. The city is not far from Colva, considered one of India's most beautiful beaches. Pop. (1981) town, 53,076; metropolitan area, 64,858.”

Madgaon - Margoa - Margao
There are three ways to spell the name of the city.

I like to get the interpretation of the encyclopedia because it puts a well rounded touch on the city. But I do recommend you have a guidebook, it is needed very much for the rooms and transportation. I am not familiar with the footprints way of writing and style and this was one of the precipitating reason I found and bought the footprints. I wanted a change from the Lonely Planet thought process which I find to be like a bunch of dread heads that want to burn their draft card, but do not have one because they never registered. I am not happy with the Lonely Planets opinions research and historical perspective. Although I have to say that each writer for each country has a different slant and style. Each country has the guidebook that is maybe the best in its brand or publisher. I am saying that you cannot just buy one name of guidebook and get the whole picture. It would actually be best to have them all, but that would be a little ridiculous also. For me I really do not care after a certain point and just want to sit back and enjoy the country. All the various “spoofed” ideas of the guidebook and other travelers are not the reason I travel. I travel to meet the people and the to learn the culture. To get inside their minds and to know how they think. Of course that is not possible but that is the goal.

TALUKA
They have states like Goa.
India then may break it up into “Districts.”
India then may break up a district into a “Taluka”

I tried to use the word or not a word I wanted to use spoofie.
It is not in the dictionary and either is Taluka.
I would equate it to a county in the USA.

FINISHED THE BOOK “ON THE ROAD” BY JACK KEROUC

Hmm? Would I recommend you read it? Probably not, but then again if you want to learn history of drug, jazz, and beatniks. Yes.

“Beatniks: a person who rejects the mores of established society (as by dressing and behaving unconventionally) and indulges in exotic philosophizing and self-expression.”
Encyclopedia Britannica

I wonder if I could just say that all definitions are from there? I suppose I could put a little number next to the word or phrase like a footnote and send a link that way, but who knows?

I know I can quote them the way I do
- posted by Andy @ 7:42 PM

 
20 RUPEES AND HOUR AND NOT 45 FOR INTERNET
I am using the internet at 1/2 price. It is more or less the same speed here in Margao. Palolem is not the place to sit around doing research. But strangely my room is more expensive, but a lot better. No beach.
- posted by Andy @ 12:23 AM

 
GUT FEELING ON TRANSPORTATION IN INDIA
I have only taken a train from Bombay to Palolem. That was a financial disaster, so I really am still clueless. But my gut feeling is that it is a lot easier to travel then the other travelers indicate. They actually say it is easy, but I am wanting to wander around the country aimlessly and not have to worry. I think this is easy as long as I take my time and do not mind long bus rides. They normally go from tourist jump to tourist jump, and have very few side trips.

I am thinking of doing the get on the bus for 2-4 hour play in the morning and get off where I land method. I first did this good in the country of Colombia. A very good way to see an entire country inside and out without an overlay by the guidebook. 99 percent of the traveler are like the Thailand travelers. Always on the same route and listening only to the other travelers recommendation. I also listen, but have few travel techniques that change the trip from regular to cultural.

ARRIVED IN MARGAO AND FOUND ROOM
The place is full of people that came to a prayer festival. I now have a Footprints guidebook, but most of the cheap hotels were full. I did not go visit all of them but the lower end ones. I found a room and was tempted at 275 Rupees and decided it was not safe. I am presently in a room for 180 that has a toilet inside the room. This one has a huge hasp on the door and I can use my own lock. I have found that the more expensive the room, the more I need to trust the management. In the end I have a policy to never trust the manager ever with my valuables. This has kept me safe for 7 years.

But then I am in a room at least 90 percent of the time where I am able to use my own padlock. I never allow them to clean.

The bus was 15 rupees. I paid some guy that knew of a hotel 10 rupees. He took me to a full hotel and was in the end really worthless. I am finding I have to watch these Indian people constantly or they will become cling-ons and I get this look from them like,
“I walked with you so you owe me money.”
I do not pay them anything unless there is some value. The bike guy did take me by his motorbike a few blocks, and then pointed towards the hotel I am in now.

But I will have to watch them to keep them from walking with me. The can be quite belligerent, but then I can be the same back. I would think the passive people of the world would be paying all the time.

I will probably stay here until Tuesday. I want to see what a real India city looks like. So far India reminds me a lot of Mexico. India has all the same shenanigans, problems, corruptions, and just plain confusion.
- posted by Andy @ 12:17 AM

 
MOVE TO MARGAO INSTEAD
I woke up this morning planning to go to Agonda Beach. I talked with Gabe and he as so excited to explain Gokrana that I change. I am going to Margao for 3 day or more and the to Gockrana or however you spell it. They are both very close. I need to restock on cash before I go south, and I am positive the Margao has a Bank Machine or ATM.
- posted by Andy @ 7:06 PM

 
I MOVE TO AGONDA TOMORROW
I am going to jump beaches until maybe Wednesday of next week. Change of scenery. I will leave tomorrow morning at around 10:00 am. I am told there is no internet. I have my doubts, I think there is internet.
- posted by Andy @ 5:20 AM

 
SO ITS COLDER
I have been reading a book called “On The Road” by Jack Kerouac; it is about a guy around the year 1947 to early 1950s traveling across the United States. Gabe was recommended it very highly, and he actually found a copy and read it again, and then loaned it to me. It is some girl’s copy and she is carrying it with her. I do not like to borrow books, I try to trade or buy a book so I do not have to worry about giving it back. I travel and could leave quickly and not have the book finished and then I would think about the book.

Gabe is 65 years old and this book influenced him to go travel and roam around. The book seems to be or have some type of cult like following; you know the type where it is trendy to read.

The book refers to different types of Hoboes and what they look like and how they travel a lot, so in many ways a reference for travelers. I am going to finish this book today. I want to go to Agonda, so this is delaying me a little. One day, not so much, but I still do not like to sit around reading fast just to say I read a book.

I like the book but am more in the history of travel book type world then a really interesting book to me. It has made me aware of where the word “beatniks” came from, and about the beat generation.

Oops, I title this “So Its Colder” and then did not explain. It is getting colder in Goa and I need to leave the fan off at night, and in the morning put on a sweatshirt. It must be a little chilly around here in February when it gets really cold.

GOT MOTIVATED FOR DIET
I was reading this book “Without Remorse,” by Tom Clancy the other day and got real motivated to lose weight. It is funny how things can just hit you and I can go from a trying sort of type of way to a really get down to business determination. I think it was because this guy was a fighter in the book and got in shape after getting show by a shotgun that made me realize I should be serious about this weight thing.

So for the last 3 days I am down to just a small breakfast and a couple cups of Milk-Coffee with sugar as they call them on the beach here during the day. I am cutting weight very good now, and not just in some stall pattern. I hate getting older. When I was younger I could eat all I wanted and it did not phase me, but with each year it gets harder and harder to stay at a good weight.

Not sure why this is exactly, I am sure that I am less vain and do not look at myself so much in the mirror. They say it is what I eat, but I eat a lot better and healthier then when I was young. I actually avoid certain foods, and try to limit my intake. But I think in the end genetics and the exact inherited characteristic of the metabolism rate is what determines our weight. I think it has almost zero to do with what we eat and our basic will power.

I just do not see anyone that is really skinny or thin that seems to control it with any willpower. In fact they sometimes seem like the most undisciplined individuals I know. On this beach right now there are a few older people that are in some ways very good looking shape. I will not say in good shape, because they all drink about 10 beers a day and smoke one cigarette after another and I know they do not get any exercise, but they do look in good shape for their age. The ones that moderate are in worst shape looking physically. It just does not make sense.

Gabe has amused me. He is trying to give up smoking and daily talks about the need for him to quit. He had tuberculosis and has damaged lungs. He has to use one of them breathers to help him reestablish his breathing once in awhile. He has these nicotine patches that he uses, but they do not seem to do any good. He will put them on, and then just start to smoke later in the day. It is funny to me and interesting because he is just a normal person and really has no clue on how to give up an addiction. He has been addicted to everything and is in a safe mode right now, more or less regulated by money and the desire to live.
Goa is a safe zone for addicts. You could get drunk, stoned, hooked, or whatever you wish and have trouble getting in much trouble. There is very little legal influence and the car situation is bleak.

In the end a place where there is no law and no cars is a safe place for addicts or alcoholics to live. Then they all come here searching for God, but really learn a great place to stay safe.

Gabe was saying to me that he feels bad when he tells people he is giving up smoking and then starts later in the day. I said,
“Then you should tell everyone.”

He shook his head, and sort of said that that was not a good idea, but he knows and I know he does not want to quit. He is just playing games with his head. Age and maturity has little to do with this game in the head, in fact I think as people get older they have often more childlike behavior then when they are really young. When a kid says no, it can mean no. Some really hard individuals say no when they are older and mean no. Tolerance is not a benefit. That is the minds game playing sometime and the excuse or rationalization to except crap in your life.

I can be really judgmental and intolerant, but that make me like myself better and keep the crazies out of my life. But it also limit’s the number of people around me, because I will not tolerate their crazy behavior. This is OK with me. But like the book I am reading “On The Road” there is camaraderie of being nutty together. The book glamorizes people getting drunk, having sex, and doing stupid things. I think for me this is the idea that the only way to have fun or to be really stimulated it to do harmful things. I went to Iraq and that could be considered dangerous, but I would consider it a socially acceptable way to have fun, and enjoy life. Plus very stimulating and I learned a lot about myself and am a better person for the adventure. I suppose the litmus test of behavior is if you are a better person in the short and long run.

I say the “Short and Long Run.” Because I used to drink a lot and I am a better person in the long run for this, but the time that was lost was not worth the bother. I would not recommend that anyone go out and drink, get addicted, and give it up. I would not want my children if I had some to behave or go through that, I would want them to skip that epic.

AGONDA
Agonda for a few days is looking good. What is tempting is not the beach, but the balance of people I met over there. I met people from every culture and country when over there. He is almost only British and they are all acting like a clic.

SPELLNG PROBLEM
I have spent the last 10 minutes trying to learn how to spell click or clic or cliché or clich.

I think what I am trying to spell is click. Something that works well together succeeds or functions. There is a common ability to work.

But I was talking about the “British Clicks” or groups of Brits that run in groups. This is annoying and is the opposite of why I travel. I travel for diversity, learning, and variance in my day-to-day activity. There was social and are social click in the entire world. This is just normal, but there are also social clicks that penalize or treat anyone that is not part of the click as an outcast. Most clicks exist in many ways by the enforcement of the norms. So a religion in many ways is a click and enforces the norms or the idea that you must behave in a certain way. I do this also, but am more desirous of finding people that are unique and free thinkers. A free thinker will make a decision free of what the norm or click has to say. The merit of the argument or the assumptions inside the discussion or argument is the reason for their decision and not what the group does.

Gabe is a free thinker, but can be a chameleon to fit in under certain circumstances. I fit in often by just keeping my mouth shut and not adding or lending to the conversation. For instance I do not say to Gabe whether it is good or bad if he quits smoking. I tried to offer him some toothpicks to keep his had busy, but he did not see that as help. There are lots of lines to draw.

I will get down slowly to a clear reason why the British Expatriate Colonies irritate me. I think this British girl said it the other day,
She called some,
“Lager lots.”

I guess and I am not clear, but it is the “I drink a lot of Lagers” mentality. It is I am a in my “Local” mentality.

Politically correct people can be an even worse click. The clicks here can be so racist against any other country. Especially they target the Israel people or the Jews. This makes me very angry. I have decided to not talk to LB. She said comments the other day about Israel people to them and in front of them, and then again to some German girl. Both had not even talked. So I know they did not provoke. But his is just racism at its worst. I have opinions and some of the behaviors of countries that I do not like are based on actual and real behaviors but I try to not bring that up.

You could say than why am I typing this? That is because this is my thoughts and share between you, and me and not targeted at a person to hurt them. Maybe to make you think if you are a Brit? Or part of any click, but not meant in a mean way to hurt anyone. Clarify and express myself. This is my log only and not yours. The value of the log is I being honest.

Travel is about meeting new cultures and interacting in a sharing and fun manner. A click is about excluding other cultures. Sort of like going to a resort so you do not have to deal with the rabble of society. I can see doing this sometimes, but in moderation.
- posted by Andy @ 9:51 PM

 
I MAY MOVE TO AGONDA
I am thinking that I may move to a beach 8 kilometers away until next tuesday. I do not think there is internet there, so I may not write much.
- posted by Andy @ 6:12 AM

 
NEWSLETTER DAY - IN SEARCH OF TURTLES
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo133insert.shtml
- posted by Andy @ 2:21 AM

 
WHAT FUN!
I went out this morning to talk with Gabe. There is a small shaded area with 4 tables in my Huts or Hotel for breakfast. We are sitting there discussing this and that and how the newspapers of the world are nothing but tabloids.

I look over to the owner of the complex. He comes out the back of his house that is in the center of everything. He has a screwdriver and a few light tools. He looks around down the road and about. He continues to do this all through his operation on the box. The electrical meter is under his back porch area and had a glass box covering the meter. It is locked, but obviously because I watched him open it, he has key to the lock. He opens the box. Looks around a lot and then proceeds to use a long screwdriver to loosen something. He then pulls out a piece of wire maybe 6 inches long. It is a heavy gauge wire and is rigid. Probably 10 or 12 gauge solid copper wire and in the shape of a U. He places this in the box and proceeds to tighten some screws on the inside. After he is completed he closes the box. Locks the box securely and stand back a foot. He stands there and studies the meter.

The piece of wire and the studying the meter almost guarantees to me that he is adding a bypass wire that will allow the un-metered electricity to enter the line with him paying. Then he had to look at the meter to see that it indeed was moving slower.

This is the type of situation that exists in maybe 80 percent of the world. The world steals electricity at a tremendous rate. There are constant blackouts in this area of Goa, but stands to reason when there is no way to know or anticipate the exact usage needed.

I also ask a guy the other day on whether or not they stole electricity? He started to laugh and said,
“Of course.”
He then told me how they bypass, or hook up direct, or put some type of magnet on the meter that is suppose to slow down the meter.

I have seen some really creative ways of stealing electricity around the world. Some just blatant methods like hooking up, and others involve breaking into concrete walls and installing and extra wire, but nonetheless they steal electricity. Etc. It is fun to watch and observe. What is even more fun is to ask people about their electricity bills and how much they pay? The will lie. Man will they lie. It is fun to just see how much the average Joe on the street will tell a story to try to protect themselves. Even though probably 95 percent of the people in the area are stealing electricity. In an investigation that involves corruption the truth is very difficult to discern. The big mistake is to believe the rich are corrupt and the poor are not corrupt. They are both equally corrupt, but normally the rich are better at it. In the end the small or poorer people are not jealous or angry about corruption, they wish they were a bigger beneficiary of their corruption.

PLANNING TO LEAVE SOON

I have had enough of Palolem Beach, so it is time to leave soon while I still have a good feeling about the beach. It is not good to stay longer then my welcome and my interest in the places.

I want to go find some of real world where people work and people do not spend their whole day and night getting stoned. Agonda beach made me think and miss the balance of people in the world.

There was:
1. A Swiss man that travels the world.
2. A Russian girls with a motorcycle.
3. A German lady that drove their camper from Germany, she probably had he husband with her, but I did not see here.
4. An English girl that was probably just part of the colonization effort.
5. A highly educated Indian person that had sailed around the world.

I met some travelers not tourist.

I suppose last night listening to 3 Brits compare or try to send text messages over their Cellular telephone did not make my night. They were also talking about going to the Casino at the Inter-Continental and what to drink. Fortunately they did not talk about Soccer of Football, which is highly abnormal. It is taxing on my mind to listen to some of the inane conversations around here. Gabe is the best conversation on the beach, but he has the whole world wrapped up in a world surrounded by the drug culture and how it influences the world. He reads a lot and had not adapted the fashionable stance of life. The positions that is politically correct and boring.

- posted by Andy @ 8:33 PM

 
TURTLE NEST





NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY

So yesterday I rode a bike about 16-18 kilometers. That is about 12 miles. Not a long distance on a bike but is a lot on Palolem where most people smoke cigarettes and drink all night. It is almost impossible for most of them to get both the motivation and the energy. But for non-drinker and me a non-smoker this was a walk in the park.

But it still is hard for me to understand people. They are quite amazed at this feat. I have ridden a bike up to 60 miles in one day. I suppose I could ride a bike for about 100 miles on flat land. The hills are the killers. I do not especially like to ride bike long distances, and consider it boring in most ways, but if you get on a bike it is a less strenuous exercise then running or maybe swimming.

But most people can relate to riding a bike and seem to consider it difficult task.

I can tell someone I have written 132 newsletters in 7 years of travel and they will just nod their heads. That does not seem to be an accomplishment. Often the things I do that are difficult are considered easy, and the things I do that are easy are considered difficult. It must have everything to do with the person’s frame of reference. If they have never done the activity, there is no way to compare and they just listen.

Comparison is how people analyze the world. If they cannot do the activity they really cannot compare. It is like a person complaining about the boss. They have never been the boss and probably will never be the boss, but they will complain and minimize the positions or how the boss does his work. Like he does nothing and they do everything. But how can you compare?

I tend not to think of what I am capable of doing, but to think of how long it would take me to do it. I need graphics or logos on my page. I made the one that is on my page. I did all the artwork. Now I am not an artist. It took me probably 20 hours longer to get this little hobo guy correct then an artist that has skills.

This to me is life. Almost anyone could overhaul an engine if they had unlimited time. It would just take longer for some people then other. It is like learning the computer. It takes some people a lot longer to learn and is beyond their level of tolerance for frustration. So in the end they stop because they are frustrated. They have the ability, but cannot stand the frustration.
I RODE MY BIKE TO AGONDA
Yesterday I rode my rented bicycle to Agonda. This beach is located about 8 Kilometers away from Palolem and is quite a trip. There is a hill that seems to go on forever, but generally the ride is very enjoyable and passes a few interesting and intriguing things along the way.

What was most interesting to me was a concrete elevated irrigation canal that was along the side of the road. It was elevated about 1 meter off the ground. The grow rice all along the road, so there is a need for a lot of water for the rice patties. Irrigation is common in most countries in one way or another. There can be lots of methods. The really interesting thing about this canal though was not the canal, but the way they went under the roads or made gates in the canal.

The water would go to a square concrete tank. It would fill the tank with water. At the bottom of the tank was a large underground culvert or duct that went under the road. Once it reached the other side there was another tank the made of the same size.

The water would enter the top of the one tank. Then equalize by going down and into the underground tank on the other side. When the level was as high as the other side it would then dump into another canal and continue flowing down hill. It was quite ingenious.

ANOTHER THEFT ON BEACH
The waiter in one of the restaurants took about 5000 Rupees from the restaurant and left the beach. Just moved away or took off. He also borrowed 2000 rupees from a traveler. This is about 160 dollars U.S.

So for 160 Dollars U.S. it is enough money to get a person to steal and leave the area. He was from Delhi and not such a big problem for him. He was not a local. Gabe says this is very common. They become trusted and then they steal a lot of money and leave. I think this is about 2 or 3 months wages so in comparison it would be like a McDonalds worker stealing 3528 dollars and taking off. So this is a not a huge sum, but is still quite a bit of money.

I despised the guy the first time I met his little beady eyes. He knew I thought he was scum and we did not talk or associate. I would go to great lengths to not talk or order a drink from him.

But he was also one of the local dealers of hash. But then again most of the young guys that hang around and talk with the travelers are selling hash. So this is common.

I remember a week or so ago. I said to a person,
“Will you go ask the waiter to change the CD or music?
He does not like me.�
The person thought I was a little crazy, and asked why he did not like me. I did not answer because the person would not understand that I instinctually or intuitively thought he was a jerk and I do not talk with jerks. So in the end I was correct. I am always amazed at the value of instincts. I will listen and talk to people that I get bad vibes from, but I will not associate. If I feel them to be bad, I cannot be bothered to get to know them. Life is too short to become friend with everyone and the people that send off bad vibes are a waste of my time.

Everyone says that travel makes you more tolerant. I agree that I can tolerate a lot more because of travel, but it also makes me less tolerant of crazy things. In reality I just refuse to accept certain behavior around me and because I am a traveler I can always move away from the problem. In normal life it can be impossible to avoid a jerk. As a traveler I can very easily avoid anyone. I move away.
- posted by Andy @ 8:40 PM

 
MARKET DAY IN CHAUDI
I just got back from going to the market in Chaudi. I was confused for the longest time about the world Canacona. I now realize that is like the name of the county in this are of the State of Goa, and I have been going to the town of Chaudi. But I stay on the beach of Palolem.

I went to buy some more of these Anti-fungus pills. It is all gone, except some discoloration or maybe a little spot. But I think this type of thing goes into remission and then pops it head back up under certain conditions so I am going to keep treating it for about another month. I will continue to use the soaps and powders on a regular basis from now on as long as I travel. Plus I have some germ cleaning type cleaners. I will also wash my clothes in very hot water once per month. I almost have a tip put together on the whole cleaning and fungus problem.

The market is very nice and has lots of vegetable, spices, and trinkets. It has lots of people and colors. I met a guy from Switzerland in the market. He was walking by me and in my typical Indiana manner, I nodded my head, and said hello. He said,
“Hobo Andy.”

Nothing more, and I stopped and shook my head yes, and went into the why and how of why he said this. I guess he had seen a photo of me on one of them pages I have yet to change. He was great and told me about having turtles on Aganda beach. He invited me to come and visit and see the beach. I will for sure do this right away because I also want to photo the turtle nest they have on that beach, plus nice to hear some opinions from readers. He said he has been reading it since I went to Iraq, and replied once when I was thinking or asking whether I should go to Baghdad.

ELECTRICITY OFF
The electricity went off for almost the whole day yesterday. The electricity here goes off about 5-8 times a day. Not normally for very long, but it does go off a lot. This country reminds me very much of Mexico, with lots of the same problems. It goes off here about the same as Iraq.

DOGS BARKING
I woke up early by the sound of growling or barking dogs outside my room. I needed to leave my room and go use the toilet. The dogs barking outside my room is not good. It could be many things, maybe a person walking around trying to steal things in the night or who know what. I decided to open my door and go for the toilet. Dogs are not totally predictable. I look just outside my door and there are 2 dogs. They are sort of standing and look about. I leave my room and walk to the toilet. Coming back they start to bark again, it is really annoying to have dogs sometimes around hotels. But as best I can tell the one dog is in heat and the other is tailing her around. The do not appear to fix the dogs here, I have heard about my friend Lori and a dog in front of their house barking all the night.
- posted by Andy @ 9:36 PM

 
BORED VERSUS TOO BUSY
I hate.. I really hate to be “Too Busy.”
I like to be a little bored.
The balance between being busy and bored is difficult. Better for me if I stay more on the bored side and less on the too busy side. To me a person that keeps too busy is avoiding themselves. NOT always, but sometimes. They need to be just as happy either way. I do find though that all the things in life pile up too high when I am too busy. But when I am bored I catch up. So catching up is a much better place to be… So I like to be a little bored.

WHAT A GREAT DAY
I walked for a couple of hours this morning to see turtle nest. I cannot say I saw any turtles, but the walk was great fun. The government of India has a person protecting what are presently 6-netted areas. Below each area is a place where a turtle laid eggs. The date is on each sign of when they were laid. The man said they would hatch in 55 days.

I am going to write about it in the next newsletter. Something like… In Search of Turtles. It should be a great read.

I was also very lucky on leaving the turtles and walked by a still where they are making the local moonshine. It was a big one and I got to take photos of that also. Very good and I can explain with photos now the whole process.

I am worried about my computer friend that makes a living by computer here. He went to Bombay and said he would return in a week. I thought he was leaving the majority of his clothe and things, but I found out he took them all. He was to return in a week. This does not mean he is in harm, it does mean that he is a traveler like the rest of us, and just might not return to this beach. It would be bad luck. I really should have moved faster on the interview.

More and more Israel people are coming to the beach recently. This is very good for me, but probably irritates the Brits. They seem pretty prejudice and are always complaining. I do not understand why? I guess I do understand, but the reason is silly. The Israel people are loud like an American, Brazilian, Italian, or the Black people of the USA and few other cultures. Plus they are very confident people. They do not take crap from anyone. So this irritates the passive majority of people that are not so wrapped. To me they are delightful. They say hello, smile, and talk and laugh and are very inquisitive. Lots of fun and in the end to me just very friendly.

But they can be loud. But that is their culture. Like telling a French girl she should not give a person 2 or 3 kisses on the cheek when she meet you. This is their way and part of them.

But the bad part of all this is that the local also pick up on the prejudices. People complain more about them. It is funny how people can complain about Israel people being loud. I sort of think this is really a long term tradition of racism and a carry over from years and years of this in Europe. I get more irritated about the Brits who act pompous and better then others. This is much more annoying then the loud Israel people. But that is their culture also, and what can you do. Just deal with it. It will not change.

But I had a really great day today. I had lots of fun and lots of great photos and some good material for the newsletter.

- posted by Andy @ 5:28 AM

 
BEACH PHOTOS - PALOLEM BEACH - GOA INDIA




- posted by Andy @ 6:32 AM

 
SOMEONE GOT ROBBED
I did not get robbed, but a person down the way in the XXXX huts got robbed. I am going to call it the XXXX huts because it really does not matter. The cost the room, the owner, or any other explanation of where or what or why does not matter. It happened and could happen in any hotel in the world.

It was a toilet run theft or maybe best to say a person left their room for a short period and someone entered, stole her money and was gone before she returned.

MORE OR LESS THE EXACT DETAILS
A girl is living in a hut on legs here on Palolem Beach. The hut does not have a toilet inside the room and the person uses the communal toilet or shower. This is common for at least 80-95 percents of the rooms on this beach. I have not seen a room where the toilet is not shared. I know of one place that has a toilet inside the room. The problem is that is not important. The person left the room for some reason or any reason without locking the door. A person in this situation was watching her room and ran in and stole all her money. It was suppose to be about 2000 Dollars. This is a lot of money for a backpacker to have on them and for me ridiculous. I had close to that on me in Iraq, but then there are no banks in Iraq so I had no choice. Some of this is maybe traveler’s check. I did not talk to the person directly yet that got robbed. I will try.

She woke up at 3:00 pm and went to the toilet. When she returned the room was robbed. Now a robbery often gets blamed on the wrong thing. She may have just discovered it after returning from the toilet. Maybe she had some guy in the room earlier and he stole all her money. Then she went to the toilet and come back and for some reason checks. Blaming it on the wrong reason. Lots of thefts happen by people or men or women that some person meets and bring home with them for the night or part of the night, a casual friend of sorts visiting the room. It is better to not bring people in your room. Lot of people on a beach like this may bring people into there room to smoke drugs.

This is sort of the shoplifter method of theft. Someone is in your room visiting and snatches or nicks something. If a lot of people are always in your room then they can do this without being blamed.

Normally a person steals what they know you have, they do not steal from people with nothing. Someone for some reason probably knew she had that money in her room. So she helped them.
I have a computer. The secret is very difficult to keep secret for a long time. That is why I try to get a room that is difficult to break into or enter easily. I am in a concrete room with bars on the window. The lock mechanism or hasp to bolt the door is one of the biggest I have ever seen on any hotel room. It is great and makes me feel very safe. I have my own lock that I brought from another country and is not the cheapest on the market. Nothing bought in this country and known by people.

The only way to break into my room is to come through the roof of to literally break the door in. They would break the door into two pieces. This is not a normal type robbery. It does happen when you have an isolated room. I am in the middle of a courtyard area and my room is connected to the owner’s house. I am not isolated. This is always a problem of camping or living in a motor home or van. You can get robbed easily.

It is always a temptation to leave the door unlocked for just a short look in the mirror for me to comb my hair. I on occasion do this, but probably less then 1 percent of the time. I am gambling when I do so.

I stayed or shared a room for the first 2 nights on the beach. The huts were on the ground and not up in the air or legs. The person I shared the room with refused to lock the door and said they trusted the locals. This creates a situation where I have to leave. If I must trust the whole camp or area I will not stay in a situation. I was on the Amazon River for 18 days. I had my backpack with a computer below me for the whole time. I did not open the computer or show anyone the computer including the foreigners that were with me. I did not talk about my computer either. Because know one knew or I did not talk about the computer there was not temptation for people to steal the computer.

I would say stealing my laptop computer in this country would be like stealing 35,000 dollars in the USA. It is one year’s wage. The person that stole the money from the girl here may have gotten 1 year’s wages for the theft. This is a huge theft. It sounds small to us in a way and would only think of 35,000 dollars as being a big theft. But this is really what the person stole. They stole in our minds 35,000 dollars worth of value. A lot of people would become thieves if they thought they could steal 35,000 dollars and not get caught. Like a fellow worker leaving 35,000 dollars in the desk drawer in a large floor of cubicles.

So what is the bottom line of this story? Lock your door always when you leave.

What is the value of my computer to me? It would cost 1000 dollars to replace my computer. So to me… that means I could live in India for about 166 days on that money. That is one-half a year of living in this country for me. I spend about 6 dollars per day here. That is a lot of money to me. I live on about 5400 dollars a year. I would say that to take or say what the value of 1000 dollar is to me. I would say that it is about 15,000 dollars USA money. I would feel like I lost 15,000 dollars USA. This is mainly because I am not in the USA. I am in a country that would be very difficult for me to earn 1000 dollars. It would take maybe one half year for me to save that money working in this country. I would have to return home to earn that money. That would cost a lot.

People may think I am crazy when I say my Hobo Budget is 5400 dollars a year. But I was at the coffee club with a lot of drinkers and travelers sitting around. They spend the season here in Goa. They smoke cigarettes and are just normal people or members of the English colony of expatriate here.

One person says,
“I budget 50 pounds per week.”
All the people nodded their heads except for me.
I think in dollars, so I was translating that in my head. I was thinking. That is about 75 U.S. dollars. Let me think. I know I spend 6 dollars per day and 6 times 7 days in a week is 42 dollars. Round that up and I spend about 50 dollars per week. If I drank and smoke cigarettes I would be on the same budget as them.

So a normal expatriate on this beach lives on about 75 USA dollars a week or about 300 dollars per month. That is just for normal expenses. Lots of these guys have Enfield motorcycles and I am sure they spend more. But not on the just run of the mill food, drink and shelter. Toys and such is where they would spend extra money. They are not tourist. They do not go shopping daily for sarongs, and crazy things or trinkets.

- posted by Andy @ 7:23 PM

 
NEWSLETTER DAY
Palolem Goa India
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo132insert.shtml

- posted by Andy @ 3:44 AM

 
HOBO LIFE TODAY
I will go and pick up my 7 pairs of pant that are in the process of having my secret pockets sown inside. It cost me about 25 cents USA per pocket to have them sown inside. I am probably being generous. I also took my backpack to them to have a zipper replaced. This will cost 1 dollar U.S.

The rest of the day will be devoted to getting sun and finishing my newsletter. Putting some final touches on it and hoping my grammar problems are minimized. I am lucky because of the time difference, I can send this at night and it gets to the USA in the morning and Europe in the afternoon. Not really important but I like to think that someone is out there working in a padded cubicl and an email comes in with pictures of the beach. Sort of a great way to let them dream and help them steal time from their capture.

I am building up steam. I will finally. I hope. I think. I maybe will make this 2 hour walk tomorrow to see the turtles nest.

HISTORY OF GOA HIPPIES
I have learned about world history here in Goa. The trends and fashions of the 60s and 70s that shape opinions. Lots of older people around that were the real rebels of this time. They are quite interesting and humorous. Lots of 65 year old men smoking dope and drinking. Some have grown up and other have not. I always believe that most people change little after they end school. The just stand still in the time frame of the time they graduated and protect or adhere to the culture or their time in the sun.

DEFENDING THE GOOD PEOPLE
I have caught myself defending that people are basically good and all the conspiracy theories and corruption is just crap. I admit that there is lots of corruption…

But I bet my life on the fact that people are good. I went to Iraq when nobody said is was safe. But I hung around with the 90 percent of the world. The good people and stay away from the trouble makers. I do not advise most people to do this because only if you can tell at 10 yards who is the 90 percent and who is the 10 percent without ever talking to the person. If your instinct cannot do this. Stay home.

I thought this was weird for myself. But I find that in the end I am very optimistic about people, just not sure I want to share lunch with the majority.

- posted by Andy @ 10:39 PM

 
COFFEE CLUB
There is a few coffee clubs around Palolem beach. I try to stop outside my room to have a cup of coffee with Gabe about 7:30 in the morning. He give me a perspective on a history of the world from a English and Goa view from WW II until the present. What a free education for the price of a cup of coffee.

There are various coffee clubs here in Palolem mostly catering to two groups. One is the colony of British Expatriates of long-term standing here, and the other is for the Tourist that carry backpacks that need some Muesli and do not feel comfortable unless they get some western style service, talk and food. There is a German place that sells bread. So it is popular. Just like Al Pizza. Very popular with the colony. He is a Swiss guy with Dredds that make a pizza that looks more like quiche. Nothing new in this. Most pizza in other countries has too much pineapple and tuna and short on pepperoni and cheese.

I had some of my secret pockets made here so I can install in some of the new clothes I have purchase. They cost me about 50 cent USA here to have made and a lot of patience. I had 20 made and will walk over to the same place and take about 6 pairs of pant and shorts to have my clothes brought up to my level of proper travel condition. I am fully prepared to conquer a small planet, or will be soon. I am almost fully restocked of all the missing pieces in my backpack.

The only thing I can never get right for my backpack is a mirror. I have a very small mirror, but I am lucky to see my nose with it. Just too small for me to be vain. I have purchase larger mirrors but always end up breaking them.

I have been in a lot of expensive countries in the last 4 months and all my staple supplies of widgets and what-cha-ma-call-its are gone or need replaced. So India has been so far a good place to restock and fix, mend, and replace all the missing parts of my home. I live in a backpack. I think in a computer. When I go out my room I am in the world. Life is just too good. Thank you to all the good Gods of the world.

I was having a discussion this morning about the Islamic religion. It seems to be very close to a cult. I could talk about the similarities. I wonder if the world is brave enough to discuss whether a cult can really be a religion and whether a religion can really be a cult?

- posted by Andy @ 8:42 PM

 
DEDUCTIVE LOGIC
I was reading a comment from some government official in the Muslim country of Turkey after the Bombing of a Jewish Synagogue in Istanbul.

QUOTE FROM ARTICLE:

The government, said Cicek, condemns the bombings as "savage and inhumane acts of violence -- no matter who did it or why."

The bombers, he said, "are not human and they are not Muslim."

Can I use deductive logic in reverse and say?
"that if they are not human and they did this they are X?"

I suppose this has a lot to do if who did this... Is there a secret we are suppose to keep quiet?

I took this from:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/17/turkey.explosion/index.html

- posted by Andy @ 8:41 PM

 
READER ANSWER - Me looking for manufacturer of Backpack in India?
Andy,

I could be wrong, but I don't think there is a nylon backpack manufacturer in India. Cotton, jute or leather though, are Indian materials they make bags with.

Here is a listing of Indian bag manufacturers (in Asia, it seems nylon backpacks are made in China, Taiwan and Thailand). You could ask these manufacturers and find out or ask for a referral. I could get you Chinese and other Asian contacts for the standard backpack types. For instance, Jansport is made in Taiwan, as I recall from looking for you before.

http://www.trade-india.com/dyn/gdh/eyp/Home_Supplies/Bags_and_Cases/?set=1&page_no=2

- Chris


I have a theory about not wanting to swim up stream.
If it looks like I am the only one swimming then maybe I am in the wrong river.
It looks like India is sort of out of the game. They so far do not have any backpacks for sale and the ones may be from Taiwan?

I am sure they make some backpacks here somewhere. But it does not seem obvious so far. This is a big country. I know that in La Paz, Bolivia they have a market that has all the raw material type pieces that you can buy to manufacture backpacks. In fact... hehehe they also sell the brand name tags so you can add to the bag. This is specifically so they can make copies.

But in the end a good supply of parts and a good supply of labor is needed. So it looks like China, Taiwan and Thailand become more interesting and India become less. I am wondering about whether this is about them export them to me, or me going and importing them.

I still have Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia on my list. But then China, Taiwan and Thailand
are also good. Oh yea. Philippines and Guatemala.
- posted by Andy @ 8:38 PM

 
ALPHA THEORY
I went off on a research tangent in my Computer Encyclopedia and to me a long time to find any clarity on the subject of “Alpha Theory.”

I do this, I will study a phrase or behavior until I get some chunked down clarity on the subject. Until I can understand a concept in simplify in simple terms.

What happened? Why am I talking about Alpha Theory. Last night I was saying that I consider the Islamic or maybe the Arab world working on a more overtly macho level. They dominate the females, and males dominate or try to dominate the other males. I said to a guy,
“Saddam in the leader or figurehead for the Islamic world.”

It is Alpha Theory…. If you have a group of wolves. One will emerge as the leader of the pack.

The man said,
“I do not believe in this.”

That is simple and irrefutable, but lacks the natural idea that someone can dominate you and it really exist. I always think of the very huge football players on my dorm floor. It was fun to talk to them, but in the end you always remembered that they could swat a smaller guy like a fly or mosquito. They was naturally dominant. I could maybe dominate them mentally, but in the end that threat of violence was an equalizer.

I really think that Saddam and Usa Bin Laden are nothing but BIG DOGS or leaders of a group that is only controlled by violence. The more violent, and the more willing you are to enforce the violence the more a person is capable of being the leader in lots of Muslim societies. This seems to hold for the Clerics also, they hold a lot of their positions by having their follower incited to kill the other clerics.

But as a strategy to stop the violence of the middle east and terrorist you need to remove the leaders. If you remove one, there will be another. But after awhile th idea is to replace the leader with person that has power given to him or her by the people. That is democracy. But there is still this alpha theory going one.

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek Alphabet. Therefore as I understand this it means the FIRST. So the alpha theory means that one will be the first. All movies and westerns, and violence shows, and such are about the conflict between good and bad, and who gets the girl. In the end it is also about who is top dog. I am amazed at the intentional or non-intentional desire to keep this type of thought out of conversations. Of course I could just stand up and bang my head on the table and get the proof, but then people would cower and be submissive and walk away. It is sort of a control issue, and to ignore it is to allow a dominate alpha person to control you life. Whether overtly or covertly. Aggressively or passively a person can control another person. This is often a very good thing, it is NOT bad. It is human nature.

So to remember where I stand in the pecking order is to know my safe level of interaction with people. I wrote something a while back to myself on this and think I found it. This link will eventually work.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/094bigdogtheoryinsert.html

Democracy still allows for the Alpha Male or the Alpha Female to emerge. The idea works much more subtle, but still works. I think about this every time I am afraid or cowering. I do the cower thing to let them think they another is dominating sometimes, and some time because I am really afraid and know it is the best idea. But in most cases this is still a premeditate concept and sort on the cold side of my head and not the warm side of my head. Maybe from the shadow of myself. Good guy - bad boy sort of debate in the inner mind of myself. Now is all that rambling didn’t give you a head ache. Nothing will..

INDEPENDENT GIRL
There is a guy and a girl that met on this beach. The man is about 45 and the woman is about 35 years old. They both sit on the beach daily and talk, then at night they sit and eat dinner together. They are both sociable, warm, and have met various groups of people on the beach. So they do know a lot of people on the beach and are not alone in anyway or dependent upon the other.

It is nice to see relationships start and blossom. This one has a time limit almost of 1 month or until the man goes back to work. Each of them has a single hut on the beach and are right next to each other.

This is a liberal world with most of the traveler and tourist and hard to see any religious or moral restraints that impinge upon their lifestyles. People for good or bad are able to do as they wish. I have been watching this relationship since I arrived at Palolem beach. Thinking they were an item, but I am not a kid and do not go around teasing or chiding as I may have when I was younger.

But yesterday I broached on the subject. So what’s up with your girl. He said,
“We are just friends, she is very independent.”

I said,
“She is independent.”
He said,
“It is good.”

I think he is saying the right thing and trying to allow her to be independent, but I can tell in the back of his mind that he is very frustrated. He has done what he thinks are all the right things. Treated her with respect, listened and tried to be a gentleman in his actions. But in the end this guy did not want to be just friends, he wanted a little more romance. I know that he learned this the other night when a lot of the traveler went out and got drunk. He returned back home late and night and woke her up to try to make her laugh. But was shut down, and told to go to bed, so there was a boundary he crossed, and she did not tolerate a jolly time by him at all.

I told him,
“The USA has a whole country full of independent women.”
Paused, then said,
“They are so independent they do not need men.”

I see a generation of men that have learned the new rules, and they have learned to respect women. This is good and correct. The sad part is they have learned to not have respect for themselves. This man has continued on hoping if he behaved and did all the right things the girl would respect him and care for him.

To me this is a sad story of independence gone astray. She has 35 and 1/3 rules that he obeys perfectly. Why does a person sit around obeying or listening to rules of another person without having some rules of his own? He is no a rule maker and does not try to enforce any rules on her. I would like to walk up and slap him side the head and say,
“The girl has not met you half way.”

She is independent and it is her way or the highway. This is fine and she has the right to do as she wished. But let her be alone and get on with your life. He is now talking very little with her, and starting to make a lot more friends along the beach and wandering around more. But he tried so hard and forgot to have respect for himself.

There is another couple next door that is just the opposite. The male makes all the decisions and the girl tails along. This is sort of out of balance, but it works and they live together and they are happy.

TOOK A LAP
There is a circle to make here on the beach. I can start out from my Hotel, then go out the back to the road, and slowly follow it back to the beach where I walk on the beach back to my room. I take about 4-5 laps a day trying to find something to occupy my time or my mind. I just got back from a night time lap. I normally do not make them at night. Early morning or just before sunset is the best time to make a lap. People walking around and things happening. It to me is a good idea to walk the area of anyplace a lot. The more you walk the area, the more you can pick up on subtle parts of the culture. Small signs, or where the schools are located, or where the cows go. I just learned that on the beach at night all the dogs sleep. They even sleep in groups some of the time. There is a group of about 8 in a pile as I walked back. Not a pile, but a close knit grouping of dogs. Make you remember they used to run in packs. But this is something small you learn as you roam around. This is the local culture and the dogs are the burglar alarms for the area. They will bark in the event of trouble.

I slowly learn faces and name also by walking around and saying hello to the locals. They start to see me enough that I am familiar and more then just a dollar sign to them. There are a few that I recognize very well and am starting small conversations.

- posted by Andy @ 8:12 PM

 
BRAD GETS A DEER
My Nephew Brad got a Deer in the first hour of Deer Season.
He is 16 and a great accomplishment. Not that this type of activity makes people happy. But this is real life folks.

I have teased all my nephew about or saying to them,
"Let go kill the bear."

I have never killed a bear, but what I am talking about is becoming a man. I am not sure if Brad feels good or bad now. But he does know one more fact of life.
I congratulate you Brad.
- posted by Andy @ 7:17 PM

 
PANTS
I got back from the Tailors yesterday and had my new shorts with me, so of course like anyone. I had to put them on and wear them around. They are great and a lot better to walk for a few miles on the beach in then my bathing suit. I has one of them liner inside and has a lot of friction. Plus nylon is never as comfortable as cotton. I am constantly learning how cotton is the best type of clothing for travel. A pair of fast drying nylon pants is not going to keep you comfortable on a 20-hour bus trip. They will dry fast, but the comfort level is bad.

I was laughing at the new shorts. On the left side of the pocket at the seam is a black stamp.
“100 Percent Cotton”
This is so typical of the developing countries. They do every thing good up to the last 5 percent and just have trouble putting the icing on the cake. I did not negotiate on price at all and paid 130 Rupees for these shorts. I probably could get an off the shelf pair here for 100 Rupees or less of similar quality. What I cannot do is pick out the type of pockets, the length I wanted and the color as well. So this is closer to my ideal shorts then off the rack. I can probably go back again and get even closer to the ideal. Plus it help me to keep my mind in a creative phase and not a boredom phase. I am trying to RE Create … “Recreation”

I am happy so far with the pants. I hand washed them last night and took out that starchy new material conditioning. I am hoping they are not too soft when they dry. They are 100 percent cotton and a think type material. Choosing the materials he is the difficult thing.

I dwell or muse on how to do certain things when I travel. People will say very matter of fact.
“You know that this area of is where all the clothe in X are made.”

I always wonder if they know that or they are just repeating what other say. There are lots of comments around here about the “Gap” store or that there is a place in India that manufactures “Gap” clothing. The never get real specific. I wish they would on things like that, or really I wish I thought the really knew. I wished they had done extremely good research and could tell me the exact city, and address.

I visited the Swiss Knife factory while in Switzerland. This type of trip is fun. I remember visiting the Kellogg Cereal Factory when I was real young. I like to see how people work and what they work at, and it is especially fun when I know the product.

I have a few names of factories in other countries. I am finally realizing that if I could find the location of Backpack manufacturers I could really get down to the nuts and bolts of how to make some backpacks to sell on my site. So for you listeners if you know of a backpack manufacturer in India, please tell me so I can maybe go visit. I say maybe because this country is huge. Not just easy to go across like Costa Rica or Smallish countries. This is like Brazil or Canada.

WINTER COLD
I suppose I could blame it on winter as it gets colder in the Northern Hemisphere of the world, but I am in the tropics. My nose is running, and I feel achy all over so I must have a cold and building up more anti-bodies. I probably have a really large selection after 50 plus countries.

I am getting adjusted to being bored, or at a slower pace. This is good for me. I needed a rest. I have received a few different emails about my mental status or what I talk about in this blog. Some are pragmatic and helpful on current problems like Chris telling me to use Pepper to make the Ants stay away. I received and email yesterday from Yvey. She like when I ramble on about “Motivations” or other pop psychological stuff. Dave is real helpful as is Chris on the idea of how to export - import custom made Hobo Backpacks and what country is good.

Justin wants me to find some topless India women, and thinks that if it is possible to do this and photograph that I am up to the task. My mother is concerned about my mental status and thinks I am in the boredom phase. She knows that this is probably more dangerous for me then the too active phase of my mindsets. One of my ex-girlfriends picked up on my diet and asks me if I was “Gordito.” Which means in Spanish “A little Fat.”

Lynn is helpful on all sorts of things and great for a booster shot of energy. I get sometime lots and sometime few emails. I have kept the angry hate mail emails to a minimum and this is good. When I started publishing them to the Internet people is not willing to stand by their anger open. They like to hide in dark places so that has pretty much solved that problem for now.

I like my regular writers. They help me to remember who I am and why, and what not. Some of you know me pretty well and can tell when I am up or down. That is interesting. It make me feel good when someone say, they can tell that I am happy or sad. A log to me is about being authentic. Rambling about what I think about and what I am doing. The experience in real terms and not edited. So that is what I do. Of course I am aware that in life it is easier to complain then to talk about the good. So I slow myself down on the complaints. But that is getting older and knowledgeable that life goes on and a good complaint does not do much good anyway. I am not here to change the world. I am here to travel the world. Enjoy life and help distribute some of them western dollars in the poor countries.
Thank you to all the people that read this blog or my newsletter for being my friend. Life is good.

I say this like a weapon. It is just very hard to be ungrateful when saying the phrase “Life is good.” It is a weapon against the naysayer of life.
- posted by Andy @ 7:07 PM

 
CURIOUSITY VERSUS BEING LAZY

I take photos. I take a lot of photos. I take photos of people a lot. Yesterday I took a photo of Gabe the old hippie on the beach. It came out very good other then the fact it hard to see he is wearing clothes. He is very thin. The photo below was taken in the morning about 8:30. He is person with a routine. He wakes goes down to Flavias for cup of coffee. Sits and reads his book, and now he has added a sit on the beach in a plastic chair. At night He sort of wanders around and reads during the days, then watches the sunset. Blows his conch horn. Eats dinner and goes to bed.

I told a Gabe last night.
“I go a perfect photo of you on the beach.”
He does not say much. That is fine. He is not a person that really is concerned about himself. But then an English guy Phil says,
“You will be on a webpage.”

Now this is the curiosity part of this story. Phil has paid attention enough to me talking to know that I put a lot photos on the internet. He connected the dots and the possibility that I could put a photo of Gabe on the internet. This was bright and quick. Plus he was making a joke to such.

What I do not understand is why there is no proactive curiosity. Why can I talk about taking a persons photo and no one goes and looks at the page to see what I am doing. To if someone said they was taking photos of me especially I would go and look on the internet and check it out.

But strangely even if a person takes down my internet webpage address I know that there is only about a one in ten chance they will look at the page. There is a chance they will look at the page if I send them the link from an email. But to be curious enough to ask me for the address.
Write it down…
“HoboTraveler.com” then tell them to click on BLOG at the top of the page.

I meet a few people that have webpage. Most who have a free one like Geocities cannot remember the correct address. I meet business owner that have web sites and tell me the wrong address. This is weird to me. It is beyond my ability to understand how a person would not be curious enough to know exactly or learn specifically how to go to their own webpage. I understand a little more them having trouble going to my webpage, but to not be able to go their own is just baffling to me.

What do they think about? Where are they in their mind? Are they lazy?

I think about two types of activity in life.
1. Proactive and
2. Reactive.

If I am sitting in and internet café and I have a photo of a friend on a page. I send this page to the friend and he or she opens the page. This is reactive.

If I talk about page, then they write it down. Go and look at it later. This is proactive to me.

I looked it up in the dictionary:
1[1pro-] : relating to, caused by, or being interference between previous learning and there call or performance of later learning ²proactive inhibition of memory³
2[2pro- + reactive] : acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes
- Britannica

I am not sure I understand exactly the meaning here, but this is what I mean I believe. It is that some happened or was learned “previous” and there is a call for action later.

Maybe it would be correct to say I wonder about what happens to a person that
1. Learns something.
2. Maybe writes it down or references in some way to remember what they learned.
3. Takes the information that has been recorded and acts on it at a later time.

A project like writing a book takes that you react on the information over and over again in a chain of consistent day or periods. That you continue to focus on something without prompting. There is not reaction. It is proactive.

To me in my opinion this sets us apart from the animals and maybe for a lot of people it does not separate us from the animals. An animal gets hungry and looks for food. That is probably reactive. There is suppose to be an instinctual drive to migrate or travel south for the winter in birds. This is difficult to grasp where this drive come from. What is instinct? I think the desire to have a baby in humans is instinctual.

It is below the conscious level. We do it almost without choice, and it is inherited from family to family or person to person. This is instinctual behavior.

But what happens to curiosity? Why are people not curious?

I just thought about fear. A person will get real curious if they are afraid. This to me is more instinctual. Self preservation and survival. I can get a person to pay attention real well if they are afraid. Sort of a boot camp mentality. Push them real hard and punish them and they will bond with the other soldiers and learn real fast how to behave or what is expected of them.

FEAR
I would guess or I think that only about 1 in a 100 hundred have the ability to work on a project without fear involved. Some people have done projects for school, but they are afraid they will not pass the class. They may talk about this project they accomplished for the rest of their lives.

BE FAMOUS
I think about 1 in 50 can work on a project if they think they will get famous. I believe most actors have a obsessive, compulsive desire to become famous. I think it bridges on insanity. Same for the rock singers.

A PERSON THAT JUST WANTS TO LEARN
Lots of people will read and stuff their brains full of information. This is learning and not a project. They pick up a book and get a tingle in their brain because they are happy. That is a chemical reaction. Sort of like bungee jumping but less intense. An endorphin rush. I think of people that like too much stimulation on a regular basis as endorphin junkies. This learning is not proactive. It is the desire to feel a feeling. To want to be happy or get the rush of the endorphins in the mind.

3 TYPES OF PEOPLE:
1. People that do things because they are afraid.
2. People that do things because they want to be famous.
3. People that need an endorphin rush or to feel good.

No one is just one of these things. They are a little of all of them and mixed up in a barrel, and shaken. There is just no clear answer to anything. Always life if jumbled.

MOTIVATION
I look at people as I travel. I try to see or learn what motivates them. Everyone is different but there is still little difference between a dog and a human. But then I do not consider the desire to be famous a high level of thought. I consider it just a huge endorphin rush. Most people put on clothes or take off their clothes to get a rush. They were a fashion to hope they feel good or people will comment on how beautiful they look. The more they get the rush of feeling good the better they feel. They are motivated to be famous.

Wanting money is normally fear of not having money. Some want or are greedy so they can have more of that endorphin feeling. The more they have the more they can feel good. There are lots of traveler that will say. They need to go home and take photos so they can show their mate or friends. I think of that as just want to be famous. The sharing of something with a friend is nice, but not a reason to go on ones own. Return and drive your friend crazy with the photos. Better to really go together with a person and share the experience together. Like a husband and wife does in life, they share their lives.

But to me, and forever I am curious about what separates us the human from the animal. I do not see a big difference. I really see almost no difference. The only time I see a real difference is when a person collects things over time like a hobby. They have a project that they do alone. That occupies a lot of time. That they must go and search for information on and they do it for years. This is a hobby or a project that goes for a long time. A lot of entrepreneur types work toward a goal for a long time.

The constant working towards a goal for long periods of time is something an animal does not do. A curious person can work toward a goal for minutes, hours, or a day. A person that is not just an animal can do it for days at time. A person that is well above the animal life can do it for years. But in the end do we do it to be famous. To be loved? For money? To just feel good? What motivates us and I should say…
“What motivates myself?”
Who really knows?

I cannot separate this from myself. I am just like anyone else. Sometime I want to be noticed or have people pay attention. Sometime I want to just feel good or get the endorphin rush of learning or doing something. Sometime I am afraid.

Somewhere in that mess is my motivation for why I travel. But I am not sure where and I am not sure I care why. I think in the end. I am happier traveling then I am sitting at home working. So if I can work and travel life is good. I work on the web pages like a hobby. I try to keep the think organized and in shape. Pruning, cleaning and organizing with the hope that some day this garden called a web site will be beautiful and wonderful to enjoy. But I am also afraid. I want to have money so I can live and retire and do nothing. If I work on the pages long enough I can have enough money to live anywhere and enjoy life.

To be able to live life as I wish totally. Not controlled by location, or situation or another person is my goal of the webpage. To have enough money from the webpage that I am not dependent on anything to live. This could be fear. I suppose I am afraid also of people letting me down or commitment. But all these fears, wants, and desires to have them endorphin rushes are what makes us or me human.

Maybe I am a human or maybe I am just an animal?
I think it is a “Maybe.”
I am not sure a person can live with this answer. Can I live with a “Maybe?”


Fishing boat on Palolem Beach in Goa, India. They net fish.
- posted by Andy @ 2:37 AM

 
IS INDIA DIRTY?
I think the people take less showers here then in most countries. They do not seem to mind living with the pigs. But is it a dirty country? I would say no far. But I only am in Goa. A piece of country set apart for English Travelers who want a beach vacation.

Cancun is similar. Has about as much to do with Mexico as New York City.
It is not close to being Mexico.

I COUNTED TONIGHT
5 English people.
1 Dutch person
1 USA (Me)

This is not a balance mix of culture.

HEROIN ADDICTION IN ENGLAND
I have never asked, or really cared about the addictions of the world. Just a normal part of life and an issue or problem that all governments need to fight. But what I have become aware of more and more is the Heroin problems of Europe. The world focuses on the USA and forgets to look at Europe. Because there is about 3 or 4 heroin addicts on this beach in some stage of addiction there is talk about this subject.

I had a English guy in La Paz, Bolivia say that they wash it under the rug. But did not understand the statement. I would almost bet the average person in the USA does not know anyone that is or was addicted to Heroin. But almost anyone of the English tourist knows a lot. It also came to my attention in Barcelona because there were 3 ex-addicts that came to the apartment.

BUYING PANTS OR SHORTS
Took another bike ride to Chaudi today. Went in with the specific mission of trying to have some shorts made. This was almost a complete flop. There is so little choice in materials in Chaudi that it was hardly worth the time. I did order one pair and hope they turn out good. They will be out of 100 percent cotton and cost 120 Rupees. This is about 3 dollars USA. The tailors were constantly trying to steer me to a certain type of short. I had brought a pair for them to copy so that did not work. I believe I could have bought some off the shelf cheaper and had them alter them to be perfect. I will try this again in a bigger city. I want to have some special or custom travel pants made of lighter material. 100 Percent cotton and similar to my army travel pants. I will work ups a special custom design. They are a little easier to work with then the Thailand people because their English is better and they lie less. They still are very clever, but not in an outright lie like the Thailand people, but more in wanting to make the type of pants they already know how to make. But in the end there is not an adequate supply of different types materials here.

GABE
Hello,
The sun is setting. Gabe the old hippie has a conch shell that he uses to blow a goodbye sound to the Sun as it sets. It is normally a red color at night and sets just over the one small island or where the land juts out into the sea. I came inside to clean up a little and to read before the night begins. Not much really happens on the beach other then a lot of talk and a lot of drinking, and smoking.

People decide where they are going to go eat. This is the first place I have been where the travelers seem to think like tourist. Trying to plan their dinner out. The line between travelers and tourist is ending. Everyone is tourist and the backpacker’s think and act like tourist. Most of the people in Goa came for the beach on Holiday and not to travel around. A lot of people from England that spend the winter season here. There is a migration or is suppose to be large migration from some area that is full of Marijuana fields in the north. So traveler will get cold and come south soon.

I have been thinking a lot about Gabe. He is a special person in many ways. He is a 65-year-old hippie that knows the history of travel or tourism in Goa. He was saying last night that when the pigs go, the tourists have taken over a beach and it is time to move down the coast farther.

The reason I have been thinking about him is that it would be good fun to film him telling his life story. I have this camcorder that I have been carrying for about 5 months now and have not used. It is difficult to know if he would like this or not. It would be a good documentary of Goa and how the drugs, travel, and people from Europe have invaded and in some ways taken over this part of India. The Indian people are more or less around for service. Very few ever talk with the tourist. The only conversations are with the boys that work as waiter when they are selling drinks, drugs or chatting up one of the girls. They are always trying to get some girl to listen to them. It is a little pitiful because the girl is in complete control and the guys are sort of helpless. But there are always women in all countries that come and want to talk with the local boys. This is probably more common then the boys talking to the girls. In India it is forbidden almost for a man to talk with an Indian girl, but the Indian boys are constantly talking with the foreign girls.

I will discuss this idea of filming his life story soon. He is so bloody honest about himself it is ridiculous. His self-esteem is totally intact. Most of the old hippies are walking basket cases of pent up rage, hostility and problem. A history they try to run away from or cover up. Not Gabe.
- posted by Andy @ 7:47 PM

 
FRUSTRATION
I have a lot more time then places to go and things to do so I am a little frustrated. It is not that I have nothing to do or that it is boring. It is just now I have to look around. I also want to do some major updates or cleaning house on my webpage. The thing is so big now that to keep organized or even to look at the page takes hours. I have a lot of broken links in the earlier areas and I need to fix them.

Prioritizing or making my mission for each day is a job. I am in the elective phase of doing phase of activity. I can really make choices and are none of the choices that are pressing or just have to be done. So sometimes I just wander around and do nothing. This is good, but there is a need to feel productive. Not real productive, but nice to have a hobby or a small mission. I am thinking about some turtles up the beach. This would take a few days to photograph. They are pretty far away and not just a ½ hour walk. So I need to make an excursion of the day to just go and see.

Last night a couple came over and told about seeing a tiger and leopard. They went and bought a chicken to see if they could get it to return to their hut. They live north of here in a smaller beach called Uganda or something like that. It must be about 3 kilometers from here. That would be fun to take photos of a tiger. But they saw it at 3:00 am in the morning. The same is true for the turtle. Very early in the morning is when I could see them. This is tough when you have to walk 3 or 3 miles then sit around and hope. They could or maybe could show up.

- posted by Andy @ 1:41 AM

 
NEWSLETTER DAY - GOA, INDIA
My normal newsletter with photos and tips.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo131insert.shtml
- posted by Andy @ 12:47 AM

 
CHANGING ATTITUDES
They are a few different groups of people in Palolem Beach. Most of the regulars to the beach are from England. But there are various types of returning season visitors that live on Palolem for up to 6 months and return to England or wherever to spend the rest of the year. I have discovered an older group them me, but friendly and little less on the drug crowd. All the groups are interesting in a way.

Had a funny conversation here, and there were negative comments made from some people on the “Football” types. There are some people in England that are tired of the fighting and hooligan type behavior of the fans of soccer. It is interesting. I am not able to detect the subtle differences between English travelers until after I meet them and realize they could be a jerk.

The American Traveler is easy for me, and I can instantly weigh them and categorize them. This is not always fair. But I do not care. My job or goal is being happy. The less time I spend with anyone that is trouble, the better. I am sure I classify some folks as problems incorrectly. But I cannot and do not care to be friends with all people. This philosophy makes my life great. Stay away from the crazies. It is impossible to avoid them completely, but the more aware of this goal the better my life.

It is still interesting to hear people talk how the Football crowd annoys them. I have found that Football or Soccer in England is like a God to them. They are even more fanatical then the sports fans in the USA.
- posted by Andy @ 7:55 PM

 
DENTIST NOVEMBER 10, 2003
Road a bike into Chaudi this morning and looked around again. It is the second trip to Chaudi by bike and a good way to get a little exercise. Nice small town with a lot of hustle and bustle. I was looking for a dentist, thinking that maybe I would get my teeth cleaned. I did not know the system and so anything goes here. I was not sure if I needed an appointment or just walk in. I found a place and all the equipment and the lady dentist seem perfect. They just took me in and started, not much discussion. I asked the price. It was 200 Rupees or about 5 dollars US.

She took a good look at my teeth before she told me the price. I am not sure what she was thinking. It was funny though half way through the cleaning she says,
“You no smoke.”
I said,
“No, I do not smoke.”
She said,
“All men smoke.”
I sort of laugh, and had trouble talking. She was cleaning my teeth. Plus she had on a mask, and spoke softly. It is difficult to understand any country when you cannot hear them. The Indian people are softly spoken people, and hard to understand for me. I cannot hear them half the time.

But she cleaned the teeth. Did not say anything about cavities. I think she expected a lot more work, but I do not smoke so she was lucky. I would recommend people get a cleaning on their teeth when in the cheaper countries. Not a lot of problem. Very safe and cheap to have your teeth cleaned. I am not sure if I would have a whole lot of dental work done. But you cannot get in much trouble having your teeth cleaned.

SITTING IN NEW ROOM
I am now in the new room. It is pleasant to think I can leave the room and not be in the middle of a mess. I suppose my old place was more like camping. This is the problem with camping. When you leave the tent you are a little wet, a little disorganized, and a little dirty. In a room you have space.

I have been working on a book this morning. I am probably going to write a book on… Why the world hates the USA? It is not just that and I am leaving out the main parts, but this is going to be fun and not too serious, but serious when needed.

A few of my friends have been banging at me, and even my mother took a jibe to say I should write a book. Mom wanted it about my trip to Iraq. But I cannot be bothered. It is just too boring the war in Iraq at the end of the day. There are too many unfortunate deaths in the effort to get rid of terrorist. I really think the more I think about it and try to understand is that this is just a war on terror. In the war on terror they live among us, and want to destroy the system, and the place where they live. It is like getting rid of themselves.

I read in my latest book about the inner city being a self-cleaning oven. That you just shut the door and they will clean out themselves. The author called this racist. I do not understand why? Iraq is sort of a self-cleaning oven. In Saudi Arabia they had another bomb yesterday. In Iraq they had a bomb on a Mosque. It is obvious that they will kill their own people as much as they will kill innocent. They really do not have a clear objective. To me it all them kids that did not get hugs that want to rebel against their parents or anyone in authority.
- posted by Andy @ 1:04 AM

 
TURTLE SEARCH
I am thinking about walking with Gabe the old hippie and a group to see the sea turtles. They moved the walking date out a few days. So I can probably join them with no problem. Gabe is unbelievable intelligent for his age, and his history. Someone should write a story about his life.

Last night he was telling about his journey by land from London to India. How life was in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran and the complete trip. He explains all this in a completely unassuming manner and with no sense or pride in his accomplishments. To him I think he just thinks it as a few drug addicts crossing countries to get to they place they want to go in the cheapest way possible. But in the end, he still did the trip, and remembers the trip. It is an accomplishment whether with or without the drugs. He is an amazing man.

But he is going to be the Turtle Guide. Take everyone to see the turtles. I do not think he realizes he is the guide and that all the travelers have naturally made him the guide. But as far as explaining India he has more experience then any book reading guide could every have. But ooops Gabe is also a book-reading guide. I think, and this is just my opinion. But he probably learned to like to read in Prison in Germany. He wanted to exchange books with me. I have known a few friends that have learned to read in prison and then are addicted to reading. Gabe says he has to have a good book.

MOVING DAY
Today I move up closer to the beach. I will probably be in a room half the size of the room I presently have, but will have a western toilet, and a normal showerhead type shower. Plus the walk will be concrete. What at this is about is convenience. I am moving for a little more conveniences, not very many, but just enough to get over the edge of discomfort. Palolem beach would probably be uncomfortable for 80 percent of the population. This is an ideal place for people that want to sit around and drink, and do drugs.

I don’t do this, but it is also a perfect place for a person that wants to sit around read a book, get tan, and have a good conversation.
I think that is correct.
80 percent want it cool, and do not really care about the beach.
15 percent are looking for a safe place to drink and do drugs.
5 percent want a place that is quiet, relaxing, hot, and a perfect to lie around reading books.

The 80 percent though comes to these quiet places, and try to be happy. But difficult to be happy when you need to keep busy, and there is nothing to do. They need a job to keep them busy or they go stir crazy.

Did you know that in jail people almost fight over becoming a trustee? A trustee is a person that has the ability to walk around the prison more. But a trustee does all the work. They work and clean up after everyone and doing the jobs that outside a prison would be drudgery. A prison without jobs would be punishment.

The worst punishment you can give a person is to put them in solitary confinement. Why not reduce the prison sentences down to 25 percent of the original time, and put them all I solitary confinement. No one would every return to Prison. Prison is paradise for lots of criminals. Sitting around playing cards, and talking to people that think and act just like themselves. Hell, these guys are normally pretty ugly anyway. Not like they had much choice in women.

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
A beach life is paradise. Just a few more people on this beach and this would be more of a paradise. It is a little on the slow side for me. Most of the other travelers are complaining that there are too many people. So far that is not the problem, but it could become the problem. I do not normally see the quantity of travelers as being the problem, but more the quality of travelers.

Now this is paradise for me, which does not mean it would be paradise for everyone. Everyone has his or her perfect environment.

Kash wants to go to Delhi. He was saying it would be nice to wear his jacket and his hat. He says,
“You know, my uniform.”
This is honest and accurate. There is a uniform of comfort that people wear. I like to be on the beach with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. This is my perfect uniform. Kash wears socks, shoes, and long pants here and is having a mosquito problem. I think he is having a moisture, or perspiration problem. Very hard to stay crisp and clean in a somewhat humid, and hot climate.

LEARNING GRAMMAR
Spelling is easy now with the spell checkers. The bigger problem is to know when to use “then” or “than” and such. The progression or evolution of grammar and spell checker is helping me to learn grammar. I am using a newer version of Microsoft Works that has almost the same spell checker as Microsoft Word.

Unfortunately my program to make webpage called FrontPage 2000 does not have this sophistication of spell checking and grammar. I try to cut and a paste into the program from Word or Works, but they have this extra code language inside the paste, that causes problem.
A little extra code can cause a burp in HTML that looks like a @$# or something. You can re#d along and when I publish it. It will lo%k like the line I just wrote. This is real taxing on the patience. It will appear correctly on my computer though. This is the cutting and pasting process from one program to another that causes the problem. The saving of this in .txt or text and pasting in Blogger.com seems seamless. I am not sure why, but it works good. The bottom line is that not all text files are the same when cut and pasted.

- posted by Andy @ 1:01 AM

 
INVITATION TO VISIT MOSUL, IRAQ
I have been working on bringing together and completing an invitation to help the English Scholars of Iraq get some friends to come visit their city. I have in 3 formats. I will probably make some more update and change a little. But all of this is free to be copied, distributed, and printed. Please give to the press, or realize the press of the world is invited to publish. Thank you.

HTML or Normal Webpage
http://www.hobo traveler.com/131visitmosul.shtml

MS WORD
http://www.hobotraveler.com/131mosul/visitmosul.doc

PDF FILE
http://www.hobotraveler.com/131mosul/visitmosul.pdf
- posted by Andy @ 2:44 AM

 
CLEANING RESEARCH OR A MISSION
A Dutch girls last night talked about having a Mission. She says they have mission to go shopping, or to find certain types of clothing, or they will go on a mission tomorrow to find some turtles. I may adopt that mission soon. There is a place where the sea turtle lay eggs.

But I have a mission to find the best way to clean my body. There are soaps that kill bacteria, fungus, and germicides. I have been talking to the Pharmacist in Chaudi a small berg about 3 kilometers from the beach about how to clean. I still have the focus on the rash. It is 95 percent gone, but what I am on a mission for now is to learn how to super clean and make sure that I never catch one of these rashes again. A fungus, or eruption of this type can come from anywhere. I could be sitting in the sand, or swimming in a pool. A pharmacist in Quito, Ecuador said I got it from the water in the Amazon.

Hot water kills most problems in water. But in the tropics there is no hot water. So my clothes are washed in cold water. I shower in cold water.

So the ability to knock out or kill off all them little bacteria or fungus in the water is more difficult. They do have special soaps to assist in this. But the locals, the travelers, and very few people seem to care. I have started to notice on the beach a lot of people have a fungus on their body. It is hard to notice, or know why there are little splotches on the skin.

But my mission and ongoing mission is to find the proper chemicals or cleaning agents to clean. I did take an anti-fungus pill yesterday. Chris gave me the heads up that this existed. So I am cleaning my system.

I wrote a tip last year in Thailand about how to heat water and the need to wash clothes in hot water. Let me go look for the link. Found it….
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newstips091.php


TOMORROW I MOVE AGAIN
Had enough of the toilet situation here. I have to walk in the sand, and over these small piece of volcanic rocks to the toilet. When I return to the room my feet are covered with sand. I have my bucket in front of my room and I dip my feet to clean so I do not track sand into my room.

There are various types of toilets in the world. But the squat type toilet here have 2 types mainly. There are ones that you flush with a bucket of water. There are one that you flush with a handle, or pull like a normal western toilet. I have the type in this place where you have to flush with bucket. This coupled with the normal person not using toilet paper and life just gets more and more complicated. But in reality the problem is that it get extremely dirty. I have found that I stay about 2 levels cleaner then the normal travelers. There are modern countries of the world that live like pigs.

My new room will have a western toilet. A pull flush and two showers. I have the bucket type shower presently and the new one will have a shower head. I actually like the bucket type of shower. It is slow, quiet, and invigorating. Dumping a bucket of cool water over you head in hot countries feels good. I will have a common toilet, but the walk to the toilet will be on concrete. Strangely the cost is only 25 rupees more. This is about 60 cents US. I will be paying 3 dollars US or about 2.70 Euros.

PLANS
They talk about States in India. Like the USA talks or the world talks about states. They say I am going to this X state. So I am going to go in a couple of week to the next state south of here. There are 25 states in India. I want to go to the state of:
State: Karnataka
Beach: Gokarna

Trying to spells these correctly is a chore. Hope I am close. I post this up here on the blog to help me also remember. I am without a guidebook still. This place is predominantly Hindu and few tourist.


HASHISH IN GOA
I have started to realize I am one of the few people around that does not smoke Hashish.

:the concentrated resin from the flowering tops of the female hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) that is smoked, chewed, or drunk for its intoxicating effect- called also charas; compare bhang, marijuana
- Encyclopedia Britannica

I suppose I do not pay attention to travelers smoking marijuana, hashish, or smoking cigarettes. It is just so common that why would I pay attention. Just normal. What hit me last night was the way they smoke hashish here.

When I have seen people smoke hashish in the USA it is with a small pipe. Now if you would pop out a small pipe here in India they would know instantly that you was smoking hashish. So a common way of disguising the hashish is smoke it inside a rolled cigarette or Marijuana. Since there is lots or it is normal for people in India to roll their own cigarettes this is not out of place.

Now I have been watching inadvertently people smoke hash for the last week. They open up their Rizlas or rolling papers and fill it with tobacco and they cut up small piece of hash and insert into the tobacco. Roll it up and smoke it. Nothing really strange about that. Now the somewhat strange part is that this is normal tobacco.

CLICK AND A LIGHTBULB!
There was a click in my head last night. They are always using normal cigarette tobacco. This would gag about 50 percent of the people from the USA because only maybe 50 percent of the people smoke cigarettes. So to take a deep breath of a cigarette would make them sick.

But being that most of the travelers, or about 90 percent minimum smoke cigarettes here then this does not bother them. That is what hit me as extreme. To be able to smoke cigarettes and hash at the same time is a really full on, and overwhelming amount of smoke in a persons lungs. This is extreme.

I really cannot be bothered with listening or talking about drugs, alcohol or hashish or whatever they smoke or drink. It is part of life of travelers and very normal. It does separate me sometimes, but that is not important. The thing that separates me more is the British Male bonding or being mates and smoking. There are a few bars here where you will see only men. Once in awhile a few girls, but for the most part only men. They sit around drink, smoke cigarettes, smoke hash, and pontificate. The allow women and welcome women, but I think that most women would just consider this a little too much.

I am reasonably sure that British society is at least ½ again more sexist then the USA society or the Continental Europe. There is definitely a good ole boys club in Britain. Britain is a first level country and this aberration is interesting. Although the British girls act more like men then in most countries, or are more similar to men then other countries.
- posted by Andy @ 7:49 PM

 
BUSTED
Was sitting inside my room, typing on the computer. Got up walked to the toilet. A cup of coffee and the day starts. The owner says,
“You go to Flavias?” Or translated to mean… Why are you or are you going to move to Flavias?

Flavias is the name of a Hut Complex directly between my present room and the Beach. Flavias also has palm leave constructed huts also.

I start to say something about … “How did you know?” But stopped myself. This is not important, but somehow she knew that I looked at the concrete rooms of Flavias and was thinking about moving. There is a little embarrassment or shame on my part. I have not normally moved just for the reason of the toilet. But I am moving out of my extremely safe, and extremely large and spacious room, with a great price for a room that I can walk to without going in the sand.

The difference is that I can walk to the outside toilet without walking in the sand. Small, but significant in the dark of night.

She came to my door again… “Ann Dee, Ann Dee” as they say my name. Hard on the Dee.

She thanked me for staying and knows I am moving out. She is very nice woman and wants to learn what is wrong or why I am moving. I told her again about the bathroom. There are about 3 more reasons.
1. Closer to beach.
2. More people in common area for conversation.
3. Even more safe because of more people around.

They rob huts here in the night by breaking into the grass huts. In the concrete ones they come in through the roof. Only the dogs, and other people keep people from breaking in the roof. An isolate concrete building with the tile roofs are very susceptible to robbery.

She is happy because I said to her,
“I will live here for 10 days, and pay 100 Rupees per day, After that I will pay 125 and decide then if I will stay for 10 more days.”

The other guy that was here in the other side said he would stay for 3 months and would pay 80 Rupees per day. I am not sure how long he stayed, but she gave him the discount and he did not stay the time. I advise that only payment in advance is good with travelers. They do not lie, but they will renege on any deal. Western people are not trustworthy with a handshake. They will only hold to a deal if there is a legal or contractual need. But a contract in another country is worthless. So in the end a Hotel owner needs to collect in advance.

For me… My handshake and my word is law. I wish I could say this was 100 percent. It gets closer and closer to 100 percent as I get older. There are times when it is literally impossible to keep your word or handshake, so the percentage is more between 90 to 100 and not 100 percent. Nobody is perfect. If they say to you 100 percent then they are a liar.

I do a test sometimes with people. If someone would say that they are always something. I could say to them… you are always or 100 percent this way. Never a problem and never less, and always hold true. If they would hold that they never let down on what they say. Then I know they are a liar and not to be trusted. Nobody is perfect.

NOTE: All this negotiation and clarification with the owner of my room was done while standing wrapped in my beach towel after returning from the toilet. Life is not very formal and sometime not close to private.

THE BRITISH
I had a pompous English person try to correct my in that ever present I understand better then you mode of the English to instruct that he was not British, but he was English.

Great Britain encompasses England, Scotland, and Wales, and I believe also Ireland. But there is also the word United Kingdom. All under the rule in round about ways to the Queen. But there is also an entanglement of ownership in values and control with the “Common Wealth.”

I instructed him,’
“British people are touchy and can become quite annoyed if I accidentally displace their specific country. If I was to call you Scottish by accident. So the wise and safe as a person from the USA is to use the encompassing and correct term British when dealing with people that are from Great Britain.”

He knows he does not like to be called Scottish and that British is correct He was being completely pompous. To me this is an attitude of you be peasant, I be noble class. A pervasive theme in 70 percent of the English toward non-English people. They had a long time to learn to be that inherently owned by the Queen. I then said,
“I could call you a POME”

He totally did not understand the perspective of the Ozzies of calling the English Pomes. A girl piped up and said. It is not that he Ozzies were ex prisoners and they should be called POME. Prisoners of her Majesties Empire, but that the people that are prisoners are the people that still live inside the mentality of the British Empire and have never escaped.

“THE GOA THING”
Alex Garland in the book “The Beach” probably said this about Goa because so many people from Britain come to Goa. Goa appears to be the first travel trip for many of the young people. While maybe Europe is the first and normally the last travel trip for Americans.

HISTORICAL HIPPIE
I was talking last night with Gabe. He is a 65 year old hippie. I think that is his age, but I will have to check again. This guy is a walking encyclopedia of hippie or old time stories about, travel, drugs, and of India.

He was saying how 20 years ago a couple of the members of the band “The Who” stopped in Palolem and set up a stage and played music. Just hanging around and having fun at no cost to the local group of travelers.

When I first me him I was either sad or a had a little revolt ion at the thought of still being here or returning so many times. But he enjoyed this place and it is where he lives for 6 months of the year. Not a bad idea. Maybe it was his appearance that said,
“I am a long haired hippie.”

DICTIONARY DEFINITION:
a usually young person who rejects the mores of established society (as by dressing unconventionally or favoring communal living) and advocates a nonviolent ethic; broadly : a long-haired unconventionally dressed young person
- Encyclopedia Britannica

The aging process of travelers is not so noble some times. 95 percent give up the backpacker scene and adopt the tourist travel mode as they preferred way to travel. As I get older I admit the constant talk about drugs, drinking, and sort of rebellion is annoying.

Some of the older travelers here in Goa are quite clear on why they do not adhere to a normal lifestyle. The work from 9-5, get married, have 2 children, a fence, with “2 cats in the yard, and life used to be so hard.”

A “Crosby, Stills and Nash, Young” rendition of life. This music group and many others are the purveyors of a social norm of how life is, or could be, or should be, and the world is still in turmoil. Woodstock and the Vietnam War has reverberated down through time in a confusion and glimpses of clarity to everyone since. I am too young for the Vietnam War and the full impact. As is most travelers, but it is still discussed all over the world as turning point. I am not sure what direction people turned after this war, but they definitely stopped and started to question societies value system.

I personally do not think they have came up with better values systems, but a questioning of values is good.

A guy here by the name of Chris Time said last night,
“I think all drugs should be legalized. What would be the harm?”
I asked,
“Is doing drugs morally correct?”
He said,
“What are morals?”
I got my answer from him quite clearly. The idea of good and bad was not considered in his realm of thought.

I refer often to the encyclopedia or dictionary for a more consensual agreement on word meanings, and not my own.

ETHICS OR MORAL PHILOSPHY
- also called moral philosophy the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong. The term is also applied to any system or theory of moral values or principles.

How should we live? Shall we aim at happiness or at knowledge, virtue, or the creation of beautiful objects? If we choose happiness, will it be our own or the happiness of all? And what of the more particular questions that face us: Is it right to be dishonest in a good cause? Can we justify living in opulence while elsewhere in the world people are starving? If conscripted to fight in a war we do not support, should we disobey the law? What are our obligations to the other creatures with whom we share this planet and to the generations of humans who will come after us? …
From - Encyclopedia Britannica


BAKSHEESH
: payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service

I have picked up on an in congruency or confusion in my understanding of Baksheesh in India. I thought this was an annoyance bribe given to help grease the wheels. I have often found that information is only for sell in the developing and most of the world really.

But I have never really seen the relationship between a tip and a bribe, and begging. But what has happened in India is that I have had both the beggar and the extorter of tips say the word to me “Baksheesh.”

I understand the extortion principle. They put me in between a rock and a hard place. Make me pay the extra fee to work my way out of the situation. I am almost an expert in avoiding this situation. I can smell the dead end situation arising, and will not go forward.

For example a taxi driver can get you in the cab. You say where you are going. We drive along for a short distance until I am lost, and then he needs more money to find his way to the correct place, otherwise he has suddenly forgot how to find the place. In that situation I just get out of the taxi and refuse to pay. The cost will be the same and hopefully the next one takes me to the correct place.

But to the association of baksheesh and begging was not so clear. But here the beggar appears to be saying baksheesh. I could be wrong and will continue to research this. I have discovered that the root word of bribe came from a French word or associated word to beg, so there are relations.

- posted by Andy @ 7:54 PM

 
2 PHOTOS TAKEN WITH CHEAPIE CAMERA
I took the 2 photos with a Creative webcame used as a normal camera. Cost me 40 dollars in the USA.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/recommendedandy.shtml

- posted by Andy @ 10:42 PM

 
COMPUTER JOB IN GOA

There is a man here that earns western wages and works here on his computer. I have lots of people talk or dream of working from another place. He is actually doing this feat. I met a Norwegian guy in Ranong, Thailand that did graphical work and sent back home. Making the full wages of his country and not the country that they was living inside.

There are lots of people that work in other countries. But the wage are paid within the country. There are lot of people that do about ½ their work in another country and go home an finish it. This man does all his work outside his home country and just stops home to visit. He has been living outside his country for the most of the last 20 year.

I will do an interview soon. Quite amazing.



Hello,
Another day in Paradise!
I said this phrase the other day and a traveler started to tell me about why it was why Goa is not Paradise. I said,
“I was trying to make a happy generalization and I understand there is no such thing as paradise. Just some places are closer then other.”

I have found the world seems to get progressively more literal. Failing to understand the intentions of a person then the literal statements.

I speak Spanish very well. It would be almost impossible for me to speak this language if I need to understand at this high of level of literal sense.

I traveled in Brazil with this Argentina girl for about 2 months. The Brazilian people could understand her Spanish with a push better then my Spanish with a push. Plus she had a bigger vocabulary and could insert a few extra words, or change the words. (Synonyms ) And for this reason they could try and if they WANTED to understand they would understand me. It was more difficult for me.

Now she listened or understood in a more literal way. I could get the intention or meaning a lot faster then her when they responded or answered in Portuguese

So the would says something.
I would tell her in Spanish what they said,
She would answer in Spanish,
They would say another comment.
I would interpret and tell her what they said in Spanish.
She would answer in Spanish.

But all this is about trying to understand by their intentions. Sometimes a person is working too hard on words and misses the meaning of the sentence.

Good news:
1. Misogynist.........Women are no good
2. Feminist...........Men are no good
3. Environmentalist...People are no good
4. Cannibal...........People are good.
- From Chris
- posted by Andy @ 10:24 PM

 
Yahoo Groups Down
I have a mirror on yahoo groups of my normal topica.com newsletter. I cannot access through the normal links.

Wonder if Yahoo is blocking this country? I had problems in I think Iraq. Went 4 weeks or more with not posting. I still cannot get to those pages.

Normal
http://groups.yahoo.com

Back Door!
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com


- posted by Andy @ 7:35 PM

 
LOLITA a novel by
-----------------------
Nabokov, Vladimir
Lolita (1955), with its antihero, Humbert Humbert, who is possessed by an overpowering desire for very young girls, is yet another of Nabokov's subtle allegories: love examined in the light of its seeming opposite, lechery.

born April 22, 1899, St. Petersburg, Russia
died July 2, 1977, Montreux, Switz.

in full Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov Russian-born American novelist and critic, the foremost of the post-1917 émigré authors. He wrote in both Russian and English, and his best works, including Lolita (1955), feature stylish, intricate literary effects.
----------------------- From Encyclopedia Britannica

FOUND IT!
Ironic coincidence has led me on a study of the world “Lolita.”

Why?
- Because I met a 15 year old Indian girl on the beach by the name of Lolita.
- Because the book I am reading by Wilbur Smith, “Hungry as the Sea” talks about the “Lolita Complex.”
- The music world has been driving me crazy for years with the use of Lolita in songs. This is a long term form of cognitive dissonance.

Sometime a word gangs up on you and you cannot or I cannot help but be curious. Why is this word popping into my world or photo of the world?

Stephen introduced me and few other people to Lolita. She is a very dark, almost or really is black skinned girl that lives on Palolem beach. Intrigue is around how and what she does for the group of males around the current group of visitors that share conversation.

I was returning from Margao or Chaudi the other day. It is about 40 kilometers north of Palolem Beach. It is the only real city complete with ATMs and such. This means: You can buy what you need.

I enter the beach by way of the lifeguard station. A gas powered rickshaw or a.k.a. Tuk Tuk in Thailand. A 3 wheeled motorcycle with a seat for 2 or maybe 3 has just dropped me off. (The also drive something close in Iquitos, Peru)

Well. I walk down the beach. Tired and beat up from the 1 hour and 12 ruppee trip to Margao. The price for foreigner can be 15 if you are not careful. But as I return from the eggbeater that can only so poignantly remind me of a chicken bus in Guatemala and waddle down the beach. The sun is baking and the fresh breeze is making me remember that I am in paradise and the business day run to Margao is a price I have to pay for paradise.

But… I am approaching my set of huts. Further away from the entrance to the beach then close to the beach. I have to leave the hard wet sand of the waters edge and now cross the dry and soft sand. I am wearing my flip flops. Not a real cheap type, but none the less flip flops of a sort. The type with the big toe and the second toe that keeps them on. Not the best to walk through soft sand. Better to take them off. But I cannot be bothered.

Boom, Bang. Bom…!
Up skips Lolita. Like a smile on wheels. She is in my face and challenging me to avoid here. She is probably in a way tout. A person that want to convince you to buy from her something. I am not and still not sure what she is selling.

I say,
“Hello.”
She says,
“Hello,”
She says,
“Where are you going?”
I say,
“I am going to my room.”
She says, and this is the pressing issue.
“Do you want me come to your room?
Now. I did not know how old she was at this juncture. She could be anywhere between 15 and 30 in my view. I had not studied her. I had met her. The sun is shining, and the only sure clue to her age is the energy and the smile. She is just too vibrant for an older woman. She has the fell and smell of youth. That brazen, devil could care attitude.

So I am hot… and for a second I stutter and slip back. The heat is pounding on my brain, and I need water. Has she brought me water?

I regain my strength. I place my hand on her arm and say,
“No, I do not think that would be a good idea.”

There is a saying that God always gives us a way out of temptation. I am not sure how he gave me this here, but I can say that I passed the test. What a mischievous God he is.

I am new to India. I do not know the people or the culture. This could have been innocent and she just wanted to talk. It is very possible that was the case. Her older 24 old sister came up with Lolita the next day and talked about this. Lolita was with her. They then bridge on the idea of me taking her back to the USA to clean and arrange around the house.

Who sings that song? “A man needs a maid?”
Aagh.

But all the inner and ever changing group of regulars on this beach has been trying to instruct or nag me on this issue. She is now my problem. I think they wish they had the same problem. Chris Time and his wife had the same problem with her. She would hang around their room and even wanted to sleep in their room. We think this is innocent, but then again you do not get to look into her eyes like I do. I am still confused. She is innocent, with those question marks.

Chris Time is also a blond. That does appear to be a coincidence. All the other hippies are either shaved head or dark. They do not give the absolute contra view of this culture as me and Chris Time represent. I cannot say really he is blond. He has that very spike and glued down hair or glued up hair and the tips of his hair is blond or white. There is contrast that is trendy or fashionable. Looks pretty good, and a lot better then the purple fashion of Europe.

But back to the coincidence of Lolita. I go look around and smuggle around in my computer encyclopedia. It is a wonder of the world that I can sit in my room alone and come to fruition with the understanding of the world Lolita and its implications. To me this can make me a genius. I can have very complex ideas and keep them organized with the assistance of a computer.

So most of this is my happiness that I have found one answer to a long term nagging question. Why do people use the word “Lolita.” There are probably more explanations then this. But this will suffice for now. I will read the book some day by Vladimir Nabokov by the name of Lolita and will further my query.

I am avoiding Lolita. God and good and bad need to take a vacation.

Life is good here. Funny little enigmatic days. Much more mentally stimulating then Europe. I suppose Europe was more wondrously interesting and not so mentally.

BORN IN THE USA
Bruce Springsteen you are winding me up!

In the front of a beach front bar sitting peacefully with a non-political and homogenous group of expatriates. Although mostly Brits it is difficult to see a person that claims a country with a vengence.

I try to ignore the first playing of this song. Born in the USA. It is not good to bring attention to songs with the “Americanism” all over them. It only goes to provoke some of the people that hate anyone that could love anything. The Americanism of Patriotism is despised by the nations similar to the USA, and loved by the developing countries.

But sitting in plastic chair that is used world wide. On a floor of sand, in nowhere in the world I hear this song. I am both confused and happy at the same time. The words take root hard in my head more then normal. I listen with a checks and balance to see if they will cause me trouble. There is a dualism in the song for me. I feel that when Bruce sings the chorus.
“Born in the USA”
Repeating this phrase with a cadance and beat that both inspires and to me says I love the country but there is a good and a bad. But in the end. I was born in the USA.

But the words are not pleasant accolades about the USA. They are what to me freedom represents. Placing the name of the USA and the fact that a native born person… Born in the USA went over and killed the “Yellow Man.”

It would be easy to say this is protest song and much easier to support that argument. Some political commentary against the policies of the USA. But it is still to me a song of patriotism and nationalism that will continue to anger the world for as long as the country exist. Because the fashion of the day in the developed world is…
“Thou shall not love anything!”
Especially a country

I can sing a love song. Dream a dream. But in the end to say that I would want to get married till death do we part is not acceptable. The social pressure is to say that we have choice, and if we continue to love and wish to reside together that is fine. But to commit to anything in the X generation is to be common.

But Bruce you are a pain in the butt. Intuitively I can feel the pride in the words for your country. I feel the same pride. But I also know that anything good is paid for with emotional pain. That is the price of all thing great. There is a piece of emotion and a persons mind that must be placed on the table as barter for the world to trample.

So thank you Bruce, but if you are going to do this. Please come and visit so I can have some backup.

I got to buy them another album. They must have 3, and this is in rotation.
( I mean to say CD. Showing my age… oops)

- posted by Andy @ 7:30 PM

 
WELL DONE LOBSTER…
Life is simple here on the beach. Not enough bikinis for me, but that is ok. The season is starting here in Goa, so the Air Charters, the travelers, and the tourist are in migration to the beach. The locals are building new huts. There has been 3 new patio type beach restaurants areas constructed since I arrived. I am pretty sure all these beach structure get washed away during monsoon and the have to build them new every year.

A few expatriates or seasonal visitors to the beach say there is less then a year left on this beach before the tourist own it. I am in agreement. The herd has arrived and this beach will have little drinks with umbrellas in them soon. The aging hippies will move on down.

Very interesting to meet so many old hippies. Like a living history of radical culture. I can sit around and listen to stories about what and who did what 20 years ago. I am not sure I want to be one of these people that has never given up. They are sort of stuck on channel 1960 and have not moved on… I suppose that was a good channel. I am too young for most of the noise, but am still on the fringe of the information curve.

I titled this a well done lobster. I am getting really good brown tan. Cut a few pounds and I will be some real competition for them younger bulls that want to rule. I hate when they try to make me behave. Still in the game, but slowing the pace. I needed to regenerate my mental strength or get the nerve back after using up all my resources in the last few month in Iraq and other mentally taxing situations. Nice to just free float. No worries.

I am happy to say “Life is good.” I like the ring. Make me know that I should be grateful.

SECOND NEWSLETTER ON LONDON
Hello,
Tuesday… The day after Monday.. This is the target day for my newsletter. I have finally got the last Europe one out and about. What a relief to be out of Europe and back in the my proper element. Life is good. But for you people that want some London action. Here is the current newsletter complete with photos and a tip on fitted sheets.
http://www.hobotraveler.com/newsletterhobo130insert.shtml
- posted by Andy @ 1:51 AM

 
LARGE PALMS
This area of Goa called Palolem Beach has very tall and think Palms. The appear quite fragile because of the height and diameter of the trunk. Hurricane as best I understand are a North American type occurrence, but for sure any really hard winds could blow these tree over. The coconut cleaners are lax and I am sure a few people get hit by coconuts. What a way to go. I am making a joke. But I do look at the trees I am sitting underneath. I was in Pie de la Cuesta, Mexico one time and coconut fell through the tile roof and dropped by my feet. Scared me too death and made me learn respect for the power of a dropping coconut. Did not help the roof either.



WATER IN INDIA?
Always the big question in countries, can I drink the water? The answer will always be NO. Even if the water is safe. Because the rumor mill controls the habits of travelers and they follow the crowd.

But to be safe. It is always better to not drink the water in any country. I think that it is impossible to avoid water from the tap. They clean the food, you brush your teeth, they make ice, if you eat in a restaurant you will have normal tap water in your food. Especially if you eat the veggie type foods, salads, or non-cooked foods. I am meat eater, and eat cooked food or packaged foods. So I almost never have problems and I do normally drink the water.

I notice along the train tracks water fountains and signs saying the water was bacteria free. There is a water meter and a water line that enter the property I live at, so this morning I asked the owner about it. Is the water safe to drink? She said,
“Yes, you know hepatitis.”
They must want to stop hepatitis.
She said they put in Chlorine and filter water.

But is it safe?
I feel extremely safe using it for coffee water. Because I boil more or less the water. Best way to purify I know. Who knows if it is safe. The only way would be to test the water. But for now. I drink the water from the main at my house. I do not drink it in any other locations. People do not like to pay for water, so they make wells, or they use the well water from years ago still and this is definitely not clean. The runoff water is for sure contaminated with feces, urine, and household cleaners.

The sewer system is on top of the water table or very close. They are too commingled.
- posted by Andy @ 9:52 PM

 
IMPORT / EXPORT
Importing or exporting things from the developing countries to the western countries would be a good way to fund my trip. If I could every put together a system that works.

MY DEBATE ON WHERE TO MAKE BACKPACKS?
I have been debating with myself over where to have backpacks made. I dwell on this a lot because it would help me to fund my trip if I had more products to sell on my pages. I now have 2 products. I am wanting to create a complete backpack system especially for travelers that do the 3-6 month tours of continents.

My choice for locations are:
1. Guatemala - Close to the USA and could be good for shipping.
2. Peru or Bolivia - I have a British friend that lives there and is where I presently make the 2 products I do sell.
3. India - I am here and asking questions.
4. Thailand - Cheap enough on labor, but the shipping seems high.
5. China - I know very little.

So there is…
1. Shipping.
2. Cost.
3. Honesty of the culture.

These are my variables that cause me to think.
Honesty in the end is the big problem. I was talking with this guy that lived in China last night. He said,
“The Chinese are good businessmen.”

This meant that they make a deal. They complete the transaction honestly and quickly. To me this is humorous because there is the stereotype that business people are only concerned about money. But to be a good business person you must be honest. A person that makes a lot of money must give a good product at a good price, consistently and cheaply. The buyers must trust the seller to perform this task. The better they are, the more they sell. So Bill Gates or General Motors maybe you are extremely honest.

I believe this is true. You cannot make a fortune without good relationships.

STEVE LIKED THE KITE PHOTO
Below is a photo of Steven flying his three kites. He was in the internet café and downloaded the blog page and this photo onto his PDA or Handheld computer. It is amazing how they have advanced. He used this PDA inside the Internet Café by connecting to the USB port to have an internet connection.

TOUTS IN INDIA
A tout solicits, peddles, or persuades importunately.

That was from the dictionary and I am still vague on the meaning. This word is common in the lexicon of travelers in India and is used commonly. I believe that there is probably a section in the Lonely Planet Guidebook on how to deal or handle touts. Normally if I am seeing a pattern of behavior within the backpackers it is because the guidebooks are talking, and the travelers are repeating.

I suppose a tout is the annoying and persistent asking you of questions by the local venders. Here on this beach it is the taxi drivers that are annoying at the entrance. They continuously ask as you pass if you want a taxi or if they can assist. The Indian people are not afraid to talk to you to try to sell a service or product.

I was talking with a young American girl that had traveled quite a bit, and she was complaining. It appears that she has traveled most of the time in insulated situations like a tourist. This is the advantage of staying in hotels that cater to tourist. They get rid of the touts.
- posted by Andy @ 8:05 PM

 
HOME SWEET HOME GOA
This is an expatriate’s dreamland. I have room that cost 2 dollars US per day. I can eat cheese omelets for 50 cents US. That adds up to less the 5 dollars a day to live. Now any kind of drinking and entertainment is extra, but this is great place to start any adventure. Start out cheap and work into the expensive places. And on a side note, the seasons India travelers tell me that Goa is the most expensive in India. Whoopee. On the run, or on the cheap.

The routine of life has begun, and I can walk the beach in the morning, and watch the sunset. Life is simple. This is how I like to live. A pair of short, a couple of dollars worth of the local currency in my pocket and a lot of people doing nothing but have conversations. I suppose this also include drinking beer or the local moonshine. There is something called “Fenny” I believe that is the local brew. This is common in countries.

I have heard that in the Scandinavian countries they are making their own beer also because of the expense.

Today I will venture out to the local proper village or city that has a Bank Machine to use to withdraw money. I need to buy normal supplies, like toilet paper, shampoo, etc. But the special and urgent problem is to buy a light bulb. I am hoping I can find a normal screw in bulb for my clip on light. They sell locally this double-poled slotted type that does not work in my system.

I want to read at night, and with my eyes getting worse the better the light, the more comfortable it is to read my books. There is an ample supply of English books, and lot better then continental Europe.

My present home is nestled in very tall and thin trunk coconut trees. It is always in the shade and cool. The distance from the ocean is far enough to barely hear the waves, but not to cause grief for talking or enjoyment of life. I can walk down a path an in 2 minutes be on the beach. So I live outside most of the beach tourist, but can visit in minutes. This is perfect.

The shower is a bucket system. You take a small bucket and dump over your head. This works pretty well, and is refreshing. Cold water is standard and I have not seen any rooms that have hot water. But it is not needed.

The walk to the beach is special. I get to walk by normal people cooking large pots of water for some reason I will need to learn. A few pigs nosing around, and various children that stop to say hello and shake my hand.

“Where are you from?”

The local girls are walking around with things on their heads. They say hello, but never stop or ask questions. I am being very cautious to try to learn the local or India customs. But more important I must learn what is taboo, or the things that would make them angry.

The beach is a series of huts made of woven palm leaves and trees limbs. About 60 percent are on legs and about 8 feet off the ground. Although this sounds romantic and beautiful, The Indian version of this is very easy to rob. This is almost the same as Thailand and other tropical places, but it is always better to have wood sided huts for security.

LOCKS: I am very happy to learn that most rooms so far are the hasp type, and I can use my own lock. This makes it impossible for the owner to enter my room. This allows me to relax knowing that my room is difficult to enter. I am in a concrete room.

I recommend any traveler carry 2 lock minimum. A long bicycle one will make life easier. Do not buy the local ones if possible. If you do buy a more expensive one, it is often the case that there are only 10 combinations of keys. So every 10th person has or shares the same key to the cheap lock. I never use combination locks because it is always dark at night and cannot see the number.

- posted by Andy @ 4:44 AM