JAN 2, 12 .. GOA .. HUM-M-M

Thanks to technology .. copy and paste  ..   all 'right click mouse magic' .. I am moving parts of two writings .. from babakaps.net here .. so let's try .. IT WORKED .. read on ..

Last week over in Pernem at the railway station .. 

I met an OLIVE OIL SNOB ..

I was chatting with a pair of ladies leaving Pernem for New Delhi .. both of Indian origin both living in the U.S. .. a mother and a daughter .. mother was  a very senior and the daughter probably in her 60s .. mother lives in New York City and daughter lives in San Francisco .. Vernal Heights ..

So we had a lot to chat about after I learned they too were going to board coach A1 (my coach next Wednesday) on Train Number 12449 (my train also) .. and I lived in San Francisco for about 33 years ..

Somehow .. I can NOT recall just exactly how .. we got on OLIVE OIL .. and I told them the brand of olive oil I had gotten here in Arambol .. CIRIO .. $5.80 U.S. Dollars for 250 ml .. expensive .. and good .. I REALLY LIKE IT.. extra virgin first cold extraction in a DARK GREEN BOTTLE the Italian company dating to 1856 .. having traveled in Italy and in Greece I do know something about olive oils ..

Well did the daughter turn up her nose ! .. saying to me .. "CIRIO is terrible .. we brought six (6) bottles of our own olive oil from Italy.."  etc  etc  blah  blah  blah ..

I just kept my mouth shut .. BUT I thought-my-thoughts !

And I think that I LUG around too much weight .. I can NOT grasp lugging around six or so full one litre bottles of olive oil all over India !

OK.. let's do some math .. 250 ml is exactly one fourth of a full litre which is 1,000 ml  ..  my 250 ml bottle of CIRIO olive oil cost me (U.S. Dollars)  $5.80 .. they are NOT giving this away .. and it came in a DARK GREEN bottle .. good stuff .. it is flawed math to say that at $5.80 for 250 ml .. a full litre at this rate would cost $23.20 .. I say the math is flawed because you do get a price break buying the larger quantity .
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Well I am out of olive oil .. as of yesterday ..  I had four more full days plus Wednesday morning left here in Arambol Beach .. so I decided to buy more olive oil .. and I went price shopping .. and I found a deal ..

I found a full litre of extra virgin (first cold extraction) olive oil for (geez only) $10.23 .. at this rate .. 250 ml would cost me only $2.56 and NOT $5.80 that I paid for the CIRIO brand in a DARK GREEN bottle .. imported from Italy by a company in business since 1856 !

Prior to making the decision to buy a full litre .. I spoke to the owner of my apartment building .. and I asked him IF he used olive oil .. he said ..  "Yes but sparingly because it is so expensive .. we use a little in cooking.." .. and when I asked him IF he used it on bread he said .. "Oh no.. too expensive.." ..

So I told him .. "I would like to offer you a deal .. I will purchase a full one litre bottle of olive oil and I will give it to you free as a gift .." .. and he smiled .. then I added .. "BUT .. here is the deal .. I will give you the new bottle of olive oil so you can open it up and see it is new .. never opened .. THEN I will ask you to pour some of it into my 250 ml bottle so I can have some for the next four days .. you keep the rest .." ..

Such a deal he couldn't believe ..

So off I went and I purchased my full one litre bottle of extra virgin olive oil ..

Now back to OLIVE OIL SNOBBERY ..

This will slay you.. I smile just thinking of it ..

The one litre bottle of olive oil has a brand name ..

It is  LASER brand .. oh c'mon now.. LASER  brand ? ..  like laser to zap things in the dark .. YEP ..  LASER .. (what's that Zilla .. WHAT ? .. you have seen it at Wal-Mart .. figures .. ) ..

And the olive oil in the LASER brand bottle is in a clear transparent  bottle NOT in a dark green (proper) bottle ..

And it is made .. in the E.U.  .. this means in the European Union .. so much for Italian with a heritage back to 1856 !  Being made in the E.U. means the olives could come from who knows where .. just from the E.U. .. so my LASER brand olive oil has NO heritage .. olives  from all over europe ..

Now IF I had told the lady at the train station over in Pernem about the LASER brand olive oil.. in a clear glass bottle .. with NO heritage .. costing only $10.23  a full litre .. I would have fully understood her SNOBERY ..  but not over my PREMIUM CIRIO brand ..

BUT it looked good and the label stated that it was a first cold extraction .. extra virgin olive oil will be DARK in color .. so evidently the LASER executives WANT you to see their DARK olive oil in its clear bottle so NO dark green bottle .. 

I just giggle over the name .. LASER .. 

So with some trepidation I took it to the owner and he opened it up .. I said that I could never give him an already-opened bottle and thanked him for going along with my plan.. 

Then back to my apartment I trotted with my half-full 250 ml dark green CIRIO brand bottle HIDING my LASER brand olive oil inside .. (I could hear the dark green CIRIO bottle say to me .. "Dad .. what is this stuff you put in me ? ") ..

Out came some bread with my sharp knife .. out came the special bowl I put olive oil in to  dip and into it went some LASER brand olive oil ..  out came my wood chopsticks to firmly grasp and work the bread into the olive oil .. into the LASER brand olive oil went my bread .. then judgement time was at hand .. into my mouth went the bread soaked in LASER brand olive oil ..

IT IS ABSOLUTELY .. AND IT IS POSITIVELY .. WONDERFUL .. IT IS PHENOMENAL .. I LOVE IT .. 

So IF you see LASER brand olive oil at Cost Plus .. or Wal-Mart .. or Trader Joe's .. or .. buy it IF it is extra virgin .. 

Actually at $10.23 a full litre it is cost- wise comparable to COSTCO premium olive oil in a dark brown bottle that costs a tad more money ..

But why-oh-why not call it ..  LASERIO  .. ANYTHING but LASER .. say  .. "Made from the finest olives we could find throughout the entire European Union .."  .. spend a few pennies for a DARK GREEN / BROWN bottle ..

Now here is why I moved the writing over to this web site .. below is a photo of the two bottles and their brand names .. so you can SEE for yourself.. poor LASER even has a torn label.. but his olive oil is just fine ..  NOTICE his clear bottle and CIRIO's dark green bottle ..

oh yeah i am having fun here in arambol beach in goa on the west coast of india 360 miles south of bombay .. much joy for a happy and joyous and sober new year 2012 .. cap .. can you recognize the photo was taken on my porch beside my couch .. on the porch railing against the blue column ..

Jeanne 99631 .. I came back half a day later to see IF I could add another photo to an older post .. and I have .. still 'learning' this .. I MUST GOOGLE LASER OLIVE OIL .. I DID .. got 4,800,000 Google 'hits' .. laser is a technique the Italians have developed to combat fraudulent claims of some companies claiming the quality of 'extra virgin'  on lower quality olive oil .. go figure .. isn't GOOGLE SOMETHING .. actually little CIRIO looks kindda like he likes standing beside LASER .. he is sortta snuggled up beside her .. 

JAN 1, 12 .. ARAMBOL BEACH .. OH YUM-M-M

I don't know how many of you get THRILLED with your food.. well I DO ..especially when it is just so good ..  I promised Patti this photo since the salad came while we were on the cell phone ..

This is the world's TUNA SALAD TO DIE FOR .. at my favorite restaurant .. the China Garden .. in the basket are four (4) chapatis .. I make 'tuna salad burritos' putting the tuna salad into the chapatis ..

JAN 1, 12 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

Down below in December 27, 2011 .. I show you some photos of some special shops here in Arambol Beach .. some of my favorites .. 


I had NOT taken a photo of another of my favorites because it so DEEPLY TOUCHES ME.. but today.. January the 1st.. the shop and I were in 'synch' and I shot the below photos .. FIRST look straight into the shop and notice the stairs in the back .. these stairs lead up to a home or a room .. a place people are living .. a very ELDERLY lady attends this MODEST tiny shop fashioned together at the bottom of her stairs with bamboo poles and tarps .. and she seems to be SCRATCHING OUT A MODEST LIVING .. selling very few items.. I strive to give her my business when I can .. I mean she has NO inventory .. just a few little tid-bits of snacks ..

This photo looks at the side of her tiny little shop .. in the below photo.. on the right side of it.. look closely and you will see the stairs leading up to a room .. I mean this tiny little 'shop' is hodge-podge patched together with gum and masking tape IF that ..

The little boy seems to be a grandson .. I have not the nerve to ask her any questions about her little shop .. I just smile at her and give her what business I can .. 

Maybe I can talk to her and ask her IF it is her shop .. IF it is .. I am tempted to slip her a thousand rupees .. whew !  .. this scene is played out daily all over India .. little people scratching out a living however and where ever they are able .. study the look on the face of the little boy .. I mean he IS SERIOUS about what it is he is doing .. the little boy seems to be 'playing' as children will do.. making up a game as he goes along .. or maybe he is oh-so-very carefully 'organizing' the soda bottles hoping it will help to sell just one .. I will utter it again .. whew ! .. notice at his feet .. a 'soda bottle' just beside the tiny display case .. this is an EMPTY water bottle filled with gasoline to sell to motor scooter owners who need a 'fill up' .. whew ! .. I will NOT say this is what I love about India .. I WILL SAY THIS .. scenes like this are what SO DEEPLY TOUCH MY SOUL here in India .. 

JAN 1, 12 .. OH MY .. TOO MUCH NEW YEAR'S EVE !!

To get myself going here .. I am going to post a few TID-BITS for you .. the two below photos were taken today.. Sunday.. January the 1st .. New Year's Day.. they were taken on a one hour walk I took early this morning from my apartment in Arambol Beach to Mandrem .. they were taken on the main highway between Arambol and Mandrem .. yes there were a LOT of roadside gawkers !


MY-OH-MY .. WHAT A WAY TO START THE NEW YEAR 2012 .. 

I then walked down and shot back up at the poor car..

How on earth they are going to extract this car from the woods I have no idea !  It is PLANTED and I mean it IS planted ..

JAN 1, 12 .. GOA .. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 ..

Sometimes a photo IS worth a thousand words .. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 ..

Since I do not really know what to call this .. I am going to call it a KITE .. I watched as part of it was put together here in Arambol at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church .. NOT knowing what it was they were busily making.. I did NOT photograph it .. in the photo below I am 'sneaking' in one last photo of the church .. if you will look closely to the right edge of the photo you will see the KITE as it hangs in front and to the side of the church .. I LOVE THIS CHURCH..

Again .. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 .. to you ALL .. with much love.. cap .. 

DEC 28, 11 .. GOA ..

On November the 27th.. I ventured north of Arambol Beach to see what lay beyond the main beach to the north .. of course I had heard that there was another beach up there (somewhere) and a somewhat mystical 'hidden' lake there as well .. well on that day .. I got to the next beach .. I now know this beach is called 'Sweet Water Beach' and .. on November 27th .. I ONLY briefly noted 'some water to the east of it' .. when I tried to go past the sandy portion of 'Sweet Water Beach' back on November the 27th.. I ran into trouble .. I did NOT have (1) hiking boots on and (2) I did NOT have raw hide gloves with me .. I only had beach sandals .. so I was TOTALLY UN-EQUIPPED to really (safely) go too much further north because I ran into an extremely ROCKY section .. and I (sensibly) retreated and headed back to my apartment .. thinking .. maybe one day I will return fully equipped (hiking boots.. raw hide gloves.. water .. etc ..) to do what I wanted to do .. I also did a post .. FWIW..  78.. November 27th ..


Well it took me one full month to go back north .. but last Monday .. December the 26th .. off north I headed .. EQUIPPED .. hiking boots.. raw hide gloves .. water .. electral for de-hydration .. beach sandals in case I got into tidal waters and had to do some serious wading ..  towel and wash cloth to wash my feet IF I got into the sand and water and wanted to put my hiking boots back on .. etc ..


And on Monday .. the 26th .. I achieved one goal .. I got to 'Sweet Water Beach' and really looked at this mystical 'hidden' lake .. to the POINT of having climbed up a (mountain) small hill and photographed the lake from high above it .. I also photographed Arambol Beach from the top of this (Mountain) small hill and down I came .. TOTALLY EXHAUSTED from the climb up the (mountain) small hill .. and I headed straight back to my apartment .. to have begun to put one foot onto the rocky section north of 'Sweet Water Beach' would have been insanity for me.. I was 'toast' .. I have talked to some others who have climbed the (mountain) hill and they agreed with me .. it is difficult and tricky and dangerous .. oh yes.. by the way.. I snapped (more than a) few photos ..


Tuesday .. much to my surprise .. I felt fine and fit and so off I went back north in the early morning mist .. COOL mist .. and I accomplished two goals on Tuesday .. I got as far north on the rocky coast as I wanted to and I got to the Banyan Tree .. another mythical feature of Arambol Beach .. as in .. "Oh you MUST see the Banyan Tree" ..  and by the time I finished that exploration .. again .. I was EXHAUSTED .. climbing around on the rocks and up to the Banyan Tree really took a toll on me .. and back to my apartment I went .. having taken (just a few dozen) more photos .. (lots more) ..


So here I sat Tuesday night with a lot of photos .. a lot got edited out believe me .. and I got to work posting some of (18) them .. FWIW.. 114 to 116 .. of my journey to 'Sweet Water Beach and Lake' .. I also (since I was at it) posted (9) photos of some of my favorite shops in Arambol Beach .. see FWIW..  113 ..


Well .. wonder of wonders .. today .. Wednesday the 28th of December .. back I went yet again to 'Sweet Water Beach and Lake' and to the rocky coast north of the beach ..


So in FWIW.. 114 to 119 .. I have managed to post 36 photos .. including FWIW..  113 .. 45 photos in the past two days .. 


I have done the best I know how to do .. in an ideal world I would have laid them all out.. and in proper order .. posted them .. the problem is THIS .. you do NOT want to even think of trying to post anything even closely approaching (for me the number is 10) this number of photos in one post .. the web site does odd things and suddenly .. I have this happen .. I have lost photos I had SAVED .. and had them jump out of place for me .. so you end up having to post the photos BACKWARDS .. since YOU will be reading them backwards also .. you will start here with FWIW.. 120.. and go down .. so since I am posting only six to eight or so a post .. to take you chronologically in order I have to start with FWIW..  114 .. as the end of the line .. and FWIW .. 119 as the beginning .. 


The photos in my camera are NOT in the order I will post them .. so it is a real challenge to get something even closely approaching what I would like to have .. so as you read down here .. you will see a few photos several times and some will be out of order .. today the 28th I took more photos but I had written and published FWIW.. 114 to 116 last night .. so I just plopped them into FWIW.. 117 to 119 .. out of order .. IF I had gone back and inserted them into FWIW.. 114 to 116 .. I risked losing the entire post .. I would have had to delete some to do what I wanted to do and just was not going through the  hassle ..


I DO sincerely hope you enjoy the results of my past three days (daze) .. in order or out of order .. some of them are really nice .. well I like them .. much joy and much love.. cap ..

Well what's another photo .. this was taken in Agra Cantt back in October .. I mean I think that I 'have the hang of' posting photos ! 

DEC 28, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH ..

Below .. in the early morning mist .. is a photo facing south and looking down upon Arambol Beach .. it is not the best photo that I have ever taken .. but it was the best I could get with the misty conditions I had to deal with ..

 To get north and past the main part of Arambol Beach .. you walk north and past the rock outcrop you see to the left side of the below photo .. this rock outcrop DEFINES the north end of the main section of Arambol Beach .. we will see it several more times ..

Here is a closer view of the rock outcrop at the north end of the beach ..

Yet another even closer view of the rock outcrop ..

And a view looking down from the top of the hill overlooking Arambol Beach .. this photo below shows you how the ocean shoreline changes from a sandy beach to rocks once past the rock outcrop shown above.. it will return to a sand beach at 'Sweet Water Beach' shown below.. I mean just look down at the JUNGLE below you in the below photo !

A shot of the shoreline as you have passed the rock outcrop and are heading north for 'Sweet Water Beach' .. note the white home in the photo.. this is a real landmark going north ..

A close up look of the white home.. it is STUNNING to see and walk past .. I really like it a lot..

And shortly after you pass the white house shown above .. you come to  'Sweet Water Beach' shown below .. I am going to continue this walk in FWIW.. 118.. below .. I have to tell you this .. 'Sweet Water Beach' is really a nice beach..

In the center of the above photo.. you can see the water body that stretches to the right and out of the photo .. this is 'Sweet Water Lake' .. I will show you more of this 'hidden' lake in following FWIW photo series below.. but want to show you now what looking out upon the lake looks like ..

'Sweet Water Lake' is really 'idyllic' to sit and contemplate ..