From GOA, with love...BY PATRICIA LOOMIS (with Epiogue By Julio)

hello my lovelies,

I realize it's been a while so I'll start with the obvious: we're doing very very well, for a number of reasons. Last you heard, I was recovering from what turned out to be only the first phase of my 6-day G.I. adventure. It got uglier, especially when we had to leave Pondicherry (via Chennai aka Madras) to travel by rickshaw-bus-train-bus to get across the country and back to Goa. It was over a day of travel and the night before I left, I finally understood it when my pharmacist told me that I would know when I needed to take my Ciproflaxin. He was absolutely right, though I remember feeling frustrated when he said this to me. I now know what is meant by severe diarrhea. I'm surprised I have a G.I track anymore. I'll spare you any more of the details, but there was pain involved, along with the emotional difficulty of worrying about the fact that Immodium did not, as before, really help. Then again, maybe it did and it could have been much much worse. Anyhow and anyway, I am officially better and Julio's health is fine as well. I have eaten over the last few days and enjoyed it and I believe my stomach may be returning to its former size (a good thing!).

We are on vacation at the beach in a tiny town called Patnem. The water is warm, the sun is hot, the beach is long, wide and almost empty, save for Julio, Romina, Maria*, me and a few others. The neighboring town, Palolem, is hopping in comparison, filled with too many westerners so we moved after the first night. We've been staying in a shack on the beach made out of bamboo poles, plywood and woven palm walls. We have a little porch and a bathroom with running water that sometimes works. It is so lovely to wake up with the sun coming in through the patterned holes in the weave, it shines speckles of light on the mosquito net and is just so exquisitely beautiful. It's mostly idyllic except our little house is missing part of a wall and I realized this morning that we have other roommates besides the mosquitoes and crickets and insects. It's either a mouse or a rat and I think it must have a very dirty mouth because it's been eating my soap. It's scented with tea tree oil so I can almost see the appeal. Fresh and clean tasting.

[*these two are of Rishikesh fame, for those of you reading Julio's blog from his first month... they're two warm, amazing, beautiful-souled Chilenas who laugh a lot (like us) and have reminded me how much I love the Spanish language. I've decided to refresh my language skills when I return, although I now have an invitation to Santiago after they get back home. Tonja--you too! maybe we should think about living abroad for a while? And Carlo, I know you've always got a place for me in Ecuador, right?]

It was so nice to arrive here after our tour de force, which ultimately took a lot out of us, especially after our sicknesses. Now, our main commitment is to the sun and the water. We wake up when we feel like it, go grab some yummy coffee and something to eat at a restaurant down the beach called Home (London, Zurich, Patnem) and then we swim and soak in the sun. Today, Julio and I started the Bikram series in the sand as we were tanning. It was hot enough, just extra challenging because of the sand. At party time (the only official water break of the series) we jumped in the Arabian Sea instead of drinking water. After that, when we wanted water, we just swam. It felt so good, we haven't done any yoga here because we haven't been in one place long enough. Most yoga schools take students for a month or a week at the least. I've been missing Bikram. Charlie, Kim: you'll have to get me back in shape when I get back. Doubles for a week maybe? My practice was already slipping before I left, I can't imagine what a month off will do.

We found a place that makes really yummy, really fresh Indian food and it's affordable. There's no menu, just a waiter with a beautiful smile and great suggestions. We're thinking of taking a boat to get to one of the islands here and then maybe on another day renting mopeds to go up to Old Goa. We met a family on the train who are originally from Goa but have moved around the country over the last few generations. They told us a story about their annual pilgrimage back home to visit their family shrines. Basically, when the Portuguese were coming, their Hindu ancestors buried their idols so they wouldn't be destroyed by the Catholic colonizers. After the fighting ended the families returned, uncovered the goddesses and built shrines for them. They invited us to come and see them. Such a beautiful strength of spirit, sense of history, real hope for the future, and power over the powerful.

EPILOGUE:
Tricia has done an outstanding job describing our journey to Goa and what we have been doing here. I will simply add that Goa brings my psyche (our, really) back to normal. The sand and the sea and the all powerful sun have a way of recharging the batteries that have been used in out tour the force. Tricia wakes up smiling at the sun piercing through the bamboo, and I wake up singing -

LITTLE TOWN, SUCH A QUIET VILLAGE.
HOT DAY, LIKE THE ONE BEFORE.
LITTLE TOWN, FULL OF LITTLE PEOPLE.
WAKING UP TO SAY, "NAMASTE, NAMASTE."

LOOK THERE HE GOES THE MAN WITH MORE CHAPATI.
HE'S GETTING IT READY FOR US.
ALL WE FEEL IS GREAT SUN.
READY FOR SO MUCH MORE FUN.
IT's ALL SO WELL.

And, with these feeling we get on with our day as Tricia described. For those of you paying attention, yes, this means no OSHO for Tricia. We decided that the sun offered her much more (for less) than OSHO ever could.

And, a special note for my beautiful mother. THIS INDIA, YOU WOULD LOVE!!!!!!

"Into the Woods to Find the Giant..."
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