Second India Post

We are starting to settle into the scene at Arambol a little. Our friend Leita is a great person to hang with, and she has spent four winters in the area and around India, so she knows what’s going on, and has been very helpful with advice and tips and tricks. So far everything has been pretty smooth, sleep is a little uneven, but we can nap if we want so it’s not too hard to take.

Today is Friday, and through Dylan, the owner of the best coffee shop in town, we heard about a Jewish community right here in Arambol. Bretzlav Jews from Israel have established a “Bait Yehudi” right off the main strip, and so we dropped by to say hello yesterday, and were immediately invited for Kabbalat Shabbat this evening. Apparently they play lots of music (not on Shabbat, only voices) and are very joyful so we are looking forward to spending our first Shabbat evening with them.

Besides that, we are trying to decide how long to stay here and possible next moves. We could easily hang here for a week, not too hard to take at all, but I think Leita has a little adventure in mind, so we shall see.

So far no real health issues (knock on wood!), though I do get some sniffles periodically, not sure why, it’s not a cold. Stomach is fine so far (knock on wood!), being very careful with water. The food is excellent here, and it’s even okay to have salads and tomatoes and such in some of the restaurants. This place really caters to the “tourists”, though some of those tourists have been here for thirty years! Last night there was a jam at a restaurant, and one of the performers is almost eighty and has been here since the 60’s. He played a little accordion and sang some “hippy” songs “Live Life” was one, a little cheesy but at the same time pretty cool. The lineup was a real mixture of folky players, then one crazy guy dressed like Elvis who did a medley including Tobacco Road, In a Gadda Da Vida (!), People are Strange, Light My Fire, and on and on (get the hook!). There was a swing band with an Armenian, a Ukrainian and a German violinist. There was a French “dude” (his words) who kind of barged on stage and wanked for a while, so it was a real mix. I played three guitar songs early, and people sang along and were very appreciative. A lively crowd for sure!

Amy’s off to an Ashtanga Yoga class this morning, which is a little too strenuous for me, so I will walk the beach, get a little organized, and meet her and Leita at Dylan’s around 11 am.

This is such a great place to land, unwind and get used to being in India. It’s kind of in between the “real” India and a beach hangout that really could be anywhere – reminds me of Santa Theresa in Costa Rica, places in Mexico, and so on. The waters are warm, the beach is beautiful and sandy, the weather is great, and I just feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to be here. I highly recommend it!

When you think about it, if you could save up a few thousand dollars, you could easily spend a winter here, no problem. It’s not so hard to take! And especially if you are interested in Yoga, Meditation, Healing Arts, Ayurveda, music, art, etc., it’s a great place to be!