Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.
What I was up to other than here:
- I read [easyazon_link identifier=”1439177732″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]I Am Pilgrim[/easyazon_link]. It might be the best book I’ve read, ever. I LOVED this book: it was smart, had so much history and real life stuff in it, so many twists! Please read it this summer! Now I’m reading another one by Lane Mortiary who wrote Big Litte Lies, called the [easyazon_link identifier=”0451490045″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Husband’s Secret[/easyazon_link].
- Last week, I headed back to America for six weeks. I’ll be in Ohio, Miami, Orlando, the Keys, and Myrtle Beach while I’m in the USA. It’s a long ass trip feels so good to be back with my parents in Ohio and my bestie Arielle who came to visit for the weekend.
- It was also my birthday on the 9th and I had the best rainy day in Goa with Ben.
- I created a Facebook group where you guys can meet each other and interact. You can click here to join it. You can ask questions in there and meet other people traveling to India; maybe make a buddy to travel with!
Now your story,
No story really, but I guess you’re used to that lately, though, since I haven’t had a story the last 5 This Is India posts. I was in India just two weeks between Greece and leaving for the USA. Goa is pretty dead in the monsoon which I love. Heres a few shots so you can see what the vibe is like.
Of course, I was happy to see my animals but also sad we’d only be with them two weeks before I was off again to the USA. Actually, while we were gone, a new puppy showed up around the house who our petsitter was feeding. We haven’t named him and are NOT keeping him (I can’t have another pet).
Someone pointed out that Kitkat looks like a llama in this photo and once I re-examined it and saw that long-ass neck, he does look like a llama! Hilarious (to me, at least). My dogs are pretty cute, too! I mean, look at omni’s face in the next photo.
The best thing about the monsoon is how lush it gets here and when I have my morning coffee and look out the window it’s like getting a boost of happiness because it’s just so beautiful outside!
Something was driving me crazy about the house, and I realized it was the futon upstairs because our dogs jump on it and make the cushion fall over every other second. So, I went and had a new cushion made. $30 at the tailor down the road. So worth it.
The next photo is from my yearly eye doctor appointment. I go to Franks in Mapusa and the Dr. there is great. The equipment at all the eye docs around here is pretty old school. I can order my yearly contacts for around $70 and it’s the same Acuvue Oasis ones. There aren’t many cute frames here though, so I get my glasses in the USA. If you have a perscription from abroad you can send it into Warby Parker and buy glasses online pretty cheap, so that’s what I do. There’s are really cute and they send you 5 to try on before you buy.
The next few photos are from a local restaurant. We were with some of our favorite Keralans chowing down a few days before I left! We had chicken biryani, cheese naan, rava fry kingfish, malai chicken kebab, and butter chicken.
For my Birthday we pretty much chilled out and like most things in my life, it revolved around food. Unfortunately, I had a really bad cold so could hardly taste all the good food. Tragic.
But we got everyone donuts to pass out since in India you should give sweets to friends on your birthday (not the other way around). Ben got me a GoPro dome so I can take half underwater photos and a new Kindle case. He also dropped me off to get a mani/pedi. I go to Snips for that and it’s $27 for an hour and a massage is included in that. Best deal ever! For dinner, we went to Habenero in Goa which is good Mexican for India.
So, back to the USA I go and I’ll be back in India on August 3rd.
Hi Rachel,
Shanti and Omni are so cute :) Love ’em. Love all the cows too. I recall seeing them everywhere in southern India. The cows walking down a busy city street in Pondicherry was especially amusing, considering the traffic jam these bovines caused. As for my story, week long house sit in Easy Harlem which has been fun. We had a nice run in Central Park today. All good.
Thanks for sharing :)
Ryan
If I didn’t have pets, I would 10000% be doing housesitting. what a perfect way to travel the world!
I visited Goa 6 years ago but have been told it’s super touristy and resorty now. You’re photos don’t seem to be, so are there still less developed parts?
there are soooo many areas of Goa that aren’t touristy at all and are totally serene. PLaces like Baga, Calangute and Candolim are very developed now and I only go there to eat at some good restaurants but otherwise avoid.
“In India you give sweets to your friends on your birthday.”
Oh… well this explains a lot. I guess my plans to lose some weight are going to be in vain then because I know and regularly hang out with over a dozen Indian immigrants XD
hahhaha good luck! ;)