finally, india

Today I left with my family to Gokarna, which is in the state of Karnataka. Since it is outside of the safe little bubble of Goa it is decidedely india. While we were waiting for the bus Dana, Roni, Julie and I walked along the cow filled filthy streets looking for lessons--all the things about India that they wanted to teach me. We found a little hut where a man squeezed sugar cane through a machine that was probably made before the industrial revolution, maybe. We passed the cup around, pretending to be generous but really trying to get the others to drink it so you wouldnt have to.
Then we went to sample all the bizarre little indian sweets. As Dana described, "first they take like cheese cake, then marzipan and then something gross." After a hard sell like that I just couldn't resist. She was right and it was delightful, maybe even because of the gross part.
The next shop over sold Indian barbie dolls and monopoly with rupees and mumbai place and then we settled down for some really good indian food and heaps of locals. Probably the best meal Ive had here.
The bus was cramped and dusty--something I certainly miss from Laos. Only this time people were way more willing to stare. I covered up as much as I could and settled down for my hebrew lesson from Julie. So, now I know "to learn, to love, to know, to speak, to walk, to go, to have, bitch, family, but, with, lets go, why, when, because, here, there and of course, leave me alone..." there are other new phrases beefing up my vocabulary but I'll save you from listing them all.
After the bus we walked through the sleepy and yet hectic town of Gokarna to the beach where we got on a long wooden boat with a silly little motor. it rode like a roller coaster and we barely stayed above water but if you disregarded all of the ways in which we were doomed, it was a blast.
We arrived just before sunset and sent out our scouts, Dana's boyfriend Roy (who is the best salesman/negotiator I've ever met) and Julie. They returned to inform us that the best rooms we would find on this shore were a cement floor in a kitchen of a temple. Finally, a bedroom with a stove. All my life I've thought why can't I sleep and bake at the same time. Here in India my dreams can come true. Ah, to be in a holy country.
We will try and move to new accomodations tomorrow, in the meantime I think that I can handle how crappy it is simply becuase its absurd. Anything is tolerable, as long as it is also funny.