From Bangalore to Dharamsala
Thomas and Cheryl are doing our packing and theirs, getting ready to leave Bangalore. They lost a bet to us, so that’s why they have to pack for us. I’ll tell you about the bet later. But, don’t feel bad for them, it’s not like we had much to pack. A few t-shirts, a couple of pants and pajamas. We hated leaving one of the best five star hotels in Bangalore, but it was time to move on to Dharamsala.
Since last we wrote, we left Colva where not only did the beggars put on an act for our sympathy, but so did all the dogs! On our way back to our hotel one night, we were befriended by a ‘kangaroo dog’, this is a trick, so don’t feel like we were ignoring a wounded dog. We’ve seen this ploy in many parts of India, the dog will hop on his two back legs appearing hurt or disabled, and tourist will give the owner money to get the dog care, but as soon as no ones around, the dog will walk on all fours. We also got to stay at a lousy hotel in Colva, they touted themselves as a four star, but when we got to our rooms, there was not air-conditioning and the hot water for our showers was tepid. But, after six days of not showering, Cheryl’s hair smelled worse that any street beggar that crossed our path, so tepid water or not, I shower was most definitely necessary.
After we left Colva, we briefly went through Goa then onto Palolem. When we arrived in Palolem and had lunch down by the beach, we actually bumped into some familiar faces! It was John and Carl from Baga. What a great surprise! We hooked up with them the next night, but our party was cut short at midnight. It was Gandhi’s Birthday, it’s celebrated all across India, and the whole nation becomes ‘dry’, no alcohol will be served by bars, pubs or shops. They can’t even display alcohol. Goa just isn’t Goa unless there’s libations. When we went for dinner, we all felt like we were at the Last Supper, but without the wine!
Related posts:
Tags: beggars, five star hotels Bangalore, Gandhi's birthday, sympathy