nomad4ever

Goa’s beaches are famous for its calm waves, soft sand and shallow waters. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be dangerous, as there are undercurrents present at most of the popular beaches. Every year around 50 tourists drown (or are declared drowned - but that’s another story).

So it’s generally advisable to go swimming in places where there is a Beach Guard. Luckily there are now more than ever and they are even equipped with better and better gear to rescue a swimmer in distress. They have Jeeps to patrol the beaches, Jet Skis, boards and vests and occupy sometimes those small Watch Towers along the Coast.

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written by Chris

‘Why do you do it?’ friends often ask, perplexed,
Brows raised, minds sorely vexed.
‘The world out there is dangerous!
Aren’t you scared? Why do this?
You need steady work, a house, two cars!
You have only a motorbike, and sleep under stars!’

Dear friend, if you must ask, you cannot know
This curiosity that drives me so.
To you it is hidden; in me rises unbidden!
But one day the world I’ll have ridden
By iron steed, then perhaps this need
Will have vanished, finally vanquished!
That day will find me on deathbed,
With no regrets for the life I led.

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written by Chris

Only a few more days and this year is history again. Gosh - time was really flying the last 12 months!

I certainly lost a bit of track of what had happened over this period. In January we were still enjoying the easy-going life in Bali, then spending a few weeks in October in Singapore, before moving to Goa in India thereafter.

So continuing with the short tradition of a yearly wrap-up, 1st-time done here for 2007, here is the list for last year. These are the posts which attracted the most readers and sparked plenty of comments from you guys:

written by Chris

To describe the best Indian dishes is not an easy task. Indian cuisine is rich in spices, tastes and influences from different cultures. And no dish tastes the same if you visit a different restaurant in another town.

But there are certain fixtures, for instance that mainly more vegetables than meats are used. The most popular geographical classification is dividing Indian food into North and South Indian cuisine (although West and East Indian cuisine (Bengali) exist as well).

South Indian cuisine is a bit lighter, with less spices, focusing on rice and coconut-based dishes - while North Indian food can be richer in cream, dairy products, (cottage) cheese or yogurts, spicier and with thicker sauces:

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written by Chris

Ahhhh - a sunny Sunday afternoon! No clouds in the sky and the sun slowly going down a bit, taking the heat of the day away.

What better to do than relaxing a bit at the beach, having your after-lunch nap, swimming in the calm waves or catching a few of the last sun rays for improving your tan?

Just watch out that not something else catches you! What could that be?

For instance someone secretly snapping your picture in a bikini or swim suit and maybe even posting it on the internet:

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written by Chris

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

“Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.”

“The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.”

“Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”

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written by Chris

I was practically glued to the TV last week when the events in Mumbai happened; couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Hard to get in front of a computer again, didn’t feel like posting anything at all about long-term traveling in India.

But then, isn’t that what those terrorists tried to achieve? To paralyzing the country and make an economical impact? Most people in this thread on the IndiaMike Forum, discussing the repercussions of this hatred, agree that they want to continue traveling to India.

So I will follow their example and won’t stop recommending it. Read on for a “Cost of Living Chart” for living in Goa, India:

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written by Chris

The Indonesian Rupiah declined over the last couple of weeks substantially. This week it even hit a new 7-year low of less than Rp 12.000 for 1 Dollar, exchange rates not seen way back in 2001.

Just this week it lost almost 7% of its value against the US Dollar, while the exchange rate to the Euro remained more stable.

While that is certainly good news for Travelers and Expats in Indonesia with assets in US Dollar, the Rupiah is coming down pretty fast.

So what’s the reason?

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written by Chris