NOV 30, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. THE CHURCH ..

This will be the final (well don't count on this) photo of the Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Arambol ..  For me it is simply STUNNING .. the church itself and all the facilities surrounding it .. what is SO PLEASING FOR ME IS THIS .. the church is very much alive and active .. each and every day a 7AM Mass is celebrated .. on Sundays there are three morning Masses celebrated .. the school is alive with the children in their uniforms during school days .. and one day during the noon hour .. I hear singing in the church and when I stepped inside .. there was a large group of children and a choir leader (evidently) practicing their singing .. let me tell you .. the sound of children singing in a church is one of life's joys ..

NOV 30, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

Well I showed you a photo of my Thanksgiving Dinner.. but not a photo of the place I like to eat.. and where I had my Thanksgiving Dinner.. so here we go with MAGIC PARK in Arambol Beach in Goa..

When I arrived here with Lisa and with Bert and Trudi from Holland.. this is the very first place Lisa took us to cool off and settle and rest for awhile and get a lunch and water.. what a find it has been..

As you can see from the below two photos.. it is a TROPICAL VENUE !

 Well.. I am in the TROPICS ! .. in the below photo you see MY TABLE.. technically it is Table 3 and it is where I seem to always sit..

Magic Park is owned and run by German people with local help .. it really is great.. and I thank Lisa for showing it to us immediately upon arriving in Arambol Beach on Monday November 14th.. 

NOV 27, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

ON THE BEACH IN ARAMBOL BEACH.. GOA..

The below photo looks North from where I enter the beach coming from my apartment.. from my beach perspective I can only see that there seems to be a developed area in the distant North.. I will show below a close up of the rock formation on the extreme left end of the land .. 

 The below photo is a closer look at the area North of me.. here you can see that it is indeed a developed area .. again.. note the rock formation on the left edge of the photo extending out into the ocean from the end of the land visible in this photo..

 Below is a closeup view of the rock formation at the extreme Western end of the land mass as viewed looking North from my beach.. see my reference to it in the two photos above..

OK.. pushing North by walking around the above tip of the land (top three photos) .. you walk along the side of a steep dropoff down to the ocean.. this nice home shown below just hangs onto the side of the cliff ..

And continuing North.. in the photo below .. you finally come to another beach.. an isolated and an independent beach that is land-locked on each end ..  this beach is a LOT LESS developed and has far fewer people on it.. in the extreme left edge of the photo.. is the end of the land mass in front of you in the below photo .. we are now going to continue to walk North to .. and around this end for more scenery.. scenery far more rugged and far more rocky.. no more sandy beaches on this outing of three and one half hours ..

I describe the below scenery in one word.. WOW ! .. as you 'work' your way North you encounter a much more rugged coast..

Can I use the word again.. in the below photo I can only say ..  WOW !  yet again.. see what I mean by a more rugged and rocky coast once you pass the isolated beach I talk about above..

And here I flat ran out of  steam.. my total walk .. out the door of my apartment and back in the door .. was just over three and one half hours .. when I encountered this above area it became somewhat dangerous for me.. I was NOT wearing boots and I did NOT have raw-hide gloves with me to protect my hands.. wearing only beach sandals.. I risked falling and cutting myself and getting a serious infection within (and I kid you not here) minutes.. also had I sprained an ankle or a knee or worse.. there was NO ONE in sight.. and I did NOT have water with me.. I did NOT know what lay ahead of me when I set foot heading NORTH from my beach.. IF I do go North up here again.. I will take a back pack and be prepared to make a day-of-it .. time to publish this and sit back satisfied with about an hour and one half of work to post these photos .. here we go ..

NOV 27, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

SOME TID-BITS FROM ARAMBOL BEACH ..

The below photo is absolutely AMAZING.. I actually had to go out and purchase a blanket because at night.. when the temperature PLUMMETS DOWN into the low 70s and WORSE the upper 60s.. we (I am not alone at all with this odd phenomenon) all get cold and need a blanket to sleep comfortably.. I am standing on the top step in front of my apartment (the left side of the photo) and you can see the blanket goes all the way to the ground so it is PLENTY LONG enough for me to really snuggle down under.. the 'blanket' is actually a ' shawl ' but it certainly is warm and toasty on a frigid upper 60s night.. GO FIGURE.. but I have to tell you.. I DO sleep much better with it..

The below photo is for PATTI.. of course you all can look at it.. but PATTI will howl when she realizes what the store is .. smiles..

 

Can you make out the last word on the right side of the sign at the top of the photo.. IN ARAMBOL if you can believe it.. I couldn't when I saw it and decided I had to photograph it !

In FWIW..75.. below.. I photographed my Thanksgiving Dinner.. the Thanksgiving Dinner photo was taken at night and every thing.. including the WHITE RICE and the WHITE PLATES and WHITE BOWLS .. looked brown.. taken in the daylight the whites LOOK WHITE.. this is a much more appealing looking meal ..

A brief summary.. on the left plate are two pieces of REAL German Bread.. the restaurant is owned by German folks.. on the right plate is a bowl of Indian Dal (left bowl) and Vegetable Curry (right bowl).. the WHITE rice has a 'sprig' of parsley and finally.. the red 'blob' is a tablespoon of pickled lime .. the bowls are slightly larger than 8 oz.. I took a plastic tupperware tumbler and filled it with water and poured it into the bows to really check them out..

NOV 25, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. POST OFFICE ..

THINGS IN ARAMBOL BEACH THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND ..I decided to skip over all of the obvious things like my health.. my sobriety.. being able to do this at age 75.. all of YOUR SUPPORT for me on this trip ..

I AM THANKFUL THERE IS A POST OFFICE IN ARAMBOL ..

In the below photo you see the ARAMBOL POST OFFICE.. it is NOT in Arambol Beach.. it is in the village of ARAMBOL which is a separate community about a fifteen (15) to twenty (20) minute walk from the Beach Community.. when I handed the Postmaster twenty two (22) post cards this afternoon to mail I was handing to him between seven and eight hours of painstaking effort.. they smiled and ' oogled ' over the fancy stamps and asked me where I got them.. then they postmarked each post card in front of me ..

 

In the below photo you see a close up photo of the official Post Office Sign.. it is the real deal ..

In the below photo you will see that a local tailor and the India Post share this building.. 

the Post Office is DOWNSTAIRS .. the local tailor also custom ' tailors ' packages for the International Mail in nice and neat packages of cloth that are stitched tightly together.. you would have to see them to understand.. it is quite a job..

 Well there you have my official India Post Office in ARAMBOL IN GOA.. for which I am thankful .. now let's see IF my post cards get to you ..  

NOV 24, 11 Part 4 of 4 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. YUM-M-M ..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING..  TODAY I WAS VERY THANKFUL FOR MY SIMPLE .. YET ELEGANT .. THANKSGIVING DINNER ..


In the below photo.. you have two plates of food.. so let me begin with the simple plate.. the plate on the left contains two (2) pieces of German Bread .. baked by German people who own the lodgings and the restaurant .. Magic Park .. the lodgings are ' huts ' and I mean literally .. ' huts ' .. let me assure you this is REAL German Bread .. wonderful .. let me digress a tad .. European tourists VASTLY IMPROVE the neighborhood .. and Arambol Beach is loaded with them .. they demand the best and they get the best .. 
 
Now to the plate of food on the right above .. again I will start with simple.. in the lower foreground you have a nicely shaped ' bowl ' of white rice with a ' sprig ' of parsley .. I start with the ' sprig ' of parsley for digestive reasons .. now to the left of the plain white rice you have a serving of an Indian Spice known as ' pickled lime ' .. I swear that I would NEVER EVER have thought that I would develop a taste for ' pickled lime ' .. but.. thanks ONLY to this restaurant.. Magic Park.. and the fact their ' pickled lime ' is home made and fresh .. I actually have come to enjoy it to the point I lick the plate clean of its residue ..  it thinks it is spicy and hot.. YOU would agree.. but I KNOW it is just pretending ..


OK to the two bowls at the top of the right plate .. the left bowl contains Indian Dal .. a thick soup like dish that is a staple of all Indian meals .. it is made with lentils in a soup base .. probably chicken broth .. it is mildly spicy .. and good Dal is great with mixed with or put over plain white rice .. I put the rice into the bowl of Dal and mix it up in stages as I eat it ..


Lastly you come to the right bowl.. this contains vegetable curry .. it is loaded with vegetables.. green peppers, onions, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower and green beans in a soup base with the spice curry used to season it.. again.. this vegetable curry is quite mild ..

You all KNEW this above picture was coming didn't you.. the waiters just roll their eyes when they ask me.. "Sir.. are you finished ?" .. I estimate the bowls are from 8 to 10 ounces in size.. the total cost of the meal INCLUDING a generous 20% gratuity comes to four dollars and thirty two cents ($4.32) translated to one hundred and ninety (190 Rs) India Rupees .. of the total.. the two slices of german bread are  25% costing 20 Rs each piece.. the Dal.. the Curry.. and the Rice each cost 40 Rs (forty Indian Rupees) and one U.S. Dollar contains 44 Indian Rupees .. there you have my THANKSGIVING DINNER IN ARAMBOL BEACH IN GOA IN INDIA.. I am truly thankful ..   

Cap

NOV 24, 11 Part 3 of 4 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. SUNSET ..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ARAMBOL BEACH IN NORTH GOA IN INDIA..

HOW IS THIS FOR SOMETHING TO BE OH-SO-THANKFUL FOR.. EACH AND EVERY EVENING.. YOU CAN SET YOUR WATCH.. 5:57PM.. IT HAS CHANGED FROM 5:58PM OVER THE TEN DAYS I HAVE BEEN HERE IN ARAMBOL BEACH.. 

NOV 24, 11 Part 2 of 4 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. IN THE PALM TREE ..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.. NOVEMBER 24, 2011..


TODAY I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THIS LOCAL MAN WHO CLIMBS WAY UP IN THE LOCAL COCONUT TREES ..

CAN YOU SEE HIM ' WAY UP THERE ' IN THE TREE ..

WHEN HE GETS INTO THE TOP OF THE COCONUT TREES.. HE USES A LARGE KNIFE TO CUT DOWN LOOSE COCONUT TREE LIMBS AND TO KNOCK DOWN RIPE COCONUTS THAT ARE READY TO FALL.. IF ONE OF THESE COCONUTS WERE TO HIT YOU ON THE HEAD IT WOULD KILL YOU  INSTANTLY .. 

THE TREE CLIMBER HAS AN ' ON THE GROUND ' ASSISTANT AND THE LOCAL RESIDENTS ALSO HELP TO CLEAR UP THE SLASH AND .. OF COURSE .. HARVEST THE FRESH COCONUTS AND THEIR MILK.. 

HE IS AN ELDERLY MAN.. AND HIS ' WORK DAY ' SEEMS TO BE FROM 6:30AM until 8:30AM .. WHEN IT IS COOL .. THESE SHOTS ARE ALL IN MY VERY OWN BACKYARD ..

THERE YOU HAVE IT.. I AM SO VERY THANKFUL THAT I DO NOT HAVE TO OVERLY CONCERN MYSELF WITH BEING HIT BY A FALLING COCONUT .. WELL AT LEAST NOT IN MY OWN YARD..  I DO NOT KNOW HOW OFTEN HE DOES THIS CHORE.. WEEKLY.. MONTHLY.. I WILL SEE..

NOV 24, 11 Part 1 of 4 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING .. NOVEMBER 24, 2011..


TODAY I AM THANKFUL TO SEE FISHING BOATS IN HONOR OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER.. IF YOU WANT TO PICK A SAINT.. SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER IS SURE ONE..

AND TODAY I AM THANKFUL TO SEE A FISHING BOAT IN HONOR OF SAINT ANTHONY..

TODAY I AM THANKFUL JUST FOR THE WONDER OF FISHING BOATS ON THE BEACH AT ARAMBOL IN GOA..

TODAY I AM THANKFUL TO SEE THEIR 'CATCH OF TODAY' .. and to see THEIR THANKS   
AS WELL.. 

OH MY.. TODAY I AM SO THANKFUL TO SEE THE SETTING SUN IN THE OCEAN AT ARAMBOL BEACH IN THE NORTH OF GOA IN INDIA..

THANK YOU OH GOD OF ABRAHAM FOR MY MANY BLESSINGS..

NOV 21, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL..  NOVEMBER 24, 2011.. 


"IF THE ONLY PRAYER YOU EVER SAY IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE IS THANK YOU, IT WILL BE ENOUGH."   by Meister Eckhart.. 1260 to 1328.. 


TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR FISHING BOATS IN THE SETTING SUN ON ARAMBOL BEACH IN GOA ..

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR SUNSETS LIKE THIS AT ARAMBOL BEACH IN GOA..

TODAY ON THANKSGIVING.. I AM SO TRULY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF MY MANY BLESSINGS..

NOV 19, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

SOME TID-BITS FROM ARAMBOL BEACH.. NORTH GOA.. INDIA..

A LITTLE SURPRISE FOR PATTI.. 

I am NOT alone in my apartment.. these two EXTREMELY FRIENDLY feline guests just 'moved on in' with me.. you can tell by their temperment.. they have NEVER been abused nor treated poorly.. they just 'lap up' any attention I pass along to them..  they even eat bits of my digestive biscuits .. and lap up the crumbs they may scatter .. IF perchance you are thinking to yourself.. "This photo just does not fit in correctly" you are 'spot on' correct.. the two felines are on the couch OPPOSITE from MY couch.. I was on MY couch .. they are on the south side of my porch..

Just in case you forget what I look like.. tossed this in.. 

And.. in the below photo.. you will see two.. VERY VERY HAPPY CAMPERS .. here in Goa.. I think EVERYONE is a VERY HAPPY CAMPER ..
 
Aren't these two just precious ..  hope you all liked a few .. TID-BITS .. from Arambol Beach ..

NOV 19, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

PATTI.. you were HERE WITH ME.. listening in on my cell phone with me .. as these 'beach musicians' did their thing this evening.. how much fun was that .. 

ON THE BEACH AT ARAMBLOL BEACH.. GOA.. INDIA.. so far.. and this is now my 6th day here at Arambol Beach in GOA.. each evening a group of 'beach musicians' get together and play 'rhythm' music on bongo drums.. tonight one had a water bottle with beads in it for a 'shaking' rhythm.. and of all things .. we had an Australian Didgeridoo (Didjeridu) .. (forgive my guess at spelling) .. THAT was wonderful..

 In the below.. closer up photo.. the man on the extreme right edge of the photo is my next door neighbor.. he is from Germany and his wife is from Russia and they are here for 'the season'.. having rented (or own) a full house .. you can plainly see the Australian Didgeridoo (Didjeridu) in the left foreground .. my next door neighbor .. Tom .. is on the right of each photo ..

 Another photo of my extremely photogenic friends from Holland.. Bert and Trudi.. you will recall in FWIW.. 70.. November 15th.. I met Bert and Trudi (and Lisa) on the train to Goa from New Delhi.. what a wonderful gift these three people have been for me..

 Lisa.. smiles.. fell off her motor scooter earlier this week and is healing well.. you can see she took quite a hit.. under her right eye and her wrist and forearm and her knee got a bit of 'road rash' .. she is quite a 'trooper'.. BECAUSE OF LISA I have the wonderful apartment I have.. she found it and took me.. along with Bert and Trudi to it.. what a gift LISA is ..

 And... we can NOT forget OUR BEACH GIRL .. PATTI ..

Nice building of memories .. on the beach.. in North Goa.. Arambol Beach.. wish YOU were here with me M' Dear One..

NOV 18, 11 (4/4) .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

To understand these photos.. you really need to go to my writing web site.. http://babakaps.net..

IF you will then read For What It's Worth..  70..  November 15.. 2011.. you will KNOW who Bert and Trudi are and you will KNOW who Lisa is.. well.. immediately below are Bert and Trudi..

 This photo of Lisa was taken BEFORE her motor scooter accident.. she is a wonderful young lady.. that is one enormous UNDERSTATEMENT.. read FWIW.. 70.. at my writing web site..

 

OK.. in the photo below you see Bert and Trudi and Lisa.. out on the beach at Arambol.. we were all watching the sunset and listening to four or five bongo drum players just DOING RHYTHM.. 

 
Another photo of Bert and of Trudi.. these are such wonderful people.. again.. read FWIW.. 70.. of my web site http://babakaps.net.. to read about how I met Bert and Trudi and Lisa on the train from New Delhi to GOA..
 
So far I have eaten dinner with Bert and with Trudi each and every evening since we all arrived last Monday the 14th.. Lisa has joined us twice.. such fun..THESE THREE PEOPLE ARE 'MAKING' MY VISIT TO ARAMBOL BEACH AN ASTOUNDING SUCCESS.. LISA found my apartment for me.. and Bert and Trudi are just phenomenal human beings..

NOV 18, 11 (3/4) .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. MY APARTMENT

 The above photo shows a frontal view of my guest house.. my apartment is on the left (north) side of the bottom floor.. I moved from the right (south) side to the left side because the north side is SO MUCH COOLER..

In this photo below you see a 'close up' shot of my apartment.. you can see on the left side of the photo a nice couch.. well.. I am NOT a 'couch potato' BUT .. I do LOVE to sit out on 'my' couch and just enjoy 'it all'.. 
 
OK.. up onto my porch you walk.. go to your right.. turn around and face due north.. and you see what you see in the below photo.. a direct .. straight-on .. photo of 'MY couch' .. I mean I LOVE to sit outside of my apartment on this couch and just relax.. just 'chill out' ..

WELL.. just look at who showed up to let you see him on 'his couch'..

I hope I look like a 'happy camper' BECAUSE I AM.. a 'VERY HAPPY CAMPER'.. 
.

NOV 18, 11 (2/4) .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

ARAMBOL in north GOA consists of two settlements.. ARAMBOL and ARAMBOL BEACH.. I am living in a guest house in Arambol BEACH.. to get to ARAMBOL I have to walk about one half a mile.. I go from my guest house to a 'main' road.. turn left and walk north 'a bit' .. and arrive in ARAMBOL 'proper'.. these two photos are of the local farmer's market.. how neat is this ?

TOURISTS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS ALIKE.. all are seen shopping at this farmer's market.. love the scene.. LOVE it all..
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