GOA

This beautiful picture marks my birthday morning, as we make our way down south to Goa on a sleeper bus- windy and restless. Goa is known as a wonderful beach and yoga-retreat getaway, and as such it attracts a western "hippie and hedonist" crowd. It was undoubtedly gorgeous and relaxing, though it was a bit removed from the India we came to see.

We prearranged to volunteer for about a week at a yoga retreat-guesthouse. We lived in this beautiful tepee amongst the gardens that we worked in during our stay. We worked from about 6:00am until noon, at which point it was too hot to do anything but swim or read in the shade.

Though the tourists were a bit bland, we were able to connect with the local staff that we worked with. This was our head chef, who with a tiny kitchen that seemed to lack ingredients, made fabulous South-Indian food.

The retreat had an excellent variety of sitting areas, including this sun deck, which we throughly enjoyed in the mornings and evenings. Behind Lauren are the beach and waves that we lived in after lunch.

Unlike much of India, Goa allowed us to enjoy a cold beer after the hard work and hot day.