I Love Goa

My Top Ten Reasons to Love Goa 10. Palm Trees, coconut palms, and all the other types of palms. There are lots of small plant shops, and they have everything. 9. Lots of flowering bushes. I love the hibiscus. There are lots of flowers I've never seen before. 8. Gorgeous golden clean sandy beaches. Miles and Miles of beaches, some developed, some deserted. 7. The beautiful Arabian Sea. I love the tides coming and going. Sometimes it's calm and smooth, and other times the noise from the crashing waves is huge. Swimming is a lot more fun when it is calmer. I sometimes feel vulnerable when the waves are so powerful, and knock me over. I've lots 2 hats, and my perscription sunglasses. I have learned some tricks, like facing sideways to the big waves, and bobbing like a cork. Fighting the waves is certain failure. 6. The millions of types of butterflies. They are everywhere. I wonder...do they migrate somewhere or do they live here year-round? 5. Jungle birds, and all their calls. There are so many bird calls, and I know hardly any by name. We do have a whole lot of crows who live in the trees (huge fiddleleaf figs) around us, and they are noisy, combative with one another, and jump all over our roof. 4. The weather--warm, sunny, perfect for 4 months of the year. This January has been almost cool. At night we need a blanket, and we have to turn off the fan. 3. Low cost of living. Rents vary tremendously. There are lots of really nice areas, and the closer to the beach, the more expensive. Foreigners buying property in Goa is tricky. The rules change rapidly. I've heard of foreigners leasing a plot of land for 99 years, building a house, and living there until they die or the lease runs out. Then the house and the land go back to the original family. 2. All the tourists from all over the world. Everyone, that is, except Americans. 1. The Goans, friendly, clean, helpful, interesting, interested, and kind. The women are always clean and well dressed. I can't tell the rich ones from the poor ones. The men are also clean, with good haircuts.  I have always felt comfortable, at ease, and accepted here. They are used to Westerners, and when I wear my salwar kameez, they hardly even notice me. I base my attitudes on the people I see on the public buses, in town, and in our neighborhood.