Throughout the past week we have been living the beach life in Agonda, Goa. The weather has been quite good although a few days ago we had some rough weather coming from a cyclone that passed by north of here. We have been staying at a guest house that our new friend Andre showed us. He met us while we were looking at different places to stay a week ago and he told us about this guest house that wasn’t as touristy as the others. He and his wife are from France and one of his first questions was, “Do you speak French?” I was happy to see, “Oui!” and we have been conversing mostly in French since then. India wasn’t really the place I would have imagined meeting a French person but it was nice to speak French with somebody. He introduced us to a bunch of surfers that have a shop five minutes away from where we are staying. He works there and it has been fun to engage in the surf culture here.
Due to the cyclone, we had some rough waves and the beach was closed for the first few days that we were here. However, yesterday it finally calmed down and they let us take some lessons. It wasn’t our first time surfing as we learned how to surf in San Diego, California last Christmas. It was so much fun to be on the waves again and learn more about different techniques and how to read the waves.
Throughout our stay here we have met more and more people in the town at the restaurants, shops and places we’ve been to. We’ve been spending time with the surfers every day and it’s been nice to learn more about them and the area we’re biking through at the moment. One of the surfers has won three competitions and it was interesting to hear his story of how he grew up and his passion for surfing. He gave us the lesson yesterday and was kind enough to let us use the boards for a few hours after the lesson. He even grabbed his board and caught a few waves with us after. The surf culture is quite laid back and it’s been fun hanging out around the shop with them.
We have been trying to get Markos’ and Tarn’s exams figured out as we need a certified supervisor to supervise both of the exams. Over the week we have found a school that is willing to do it. However, they were planning to take the exams earlier today but Markos’ exam didn’t get sent. Hopefully they will be able to take them tomorrow morning. Our next chance to do exams will probably be in Bangkok, Thailand with our friends that are teachers at an International School. I as well will be taking in an exam in a few weeks but I am hoping that I will be able to find a supervisor faster than it took Markos and Tarn. There is an option to take the exams over Skype, although with the time difference and horrible connections we’ve had, it would be quite difficult to do so.
Life is going pretty good for the McFerrin’s although there was a little bit of an issue previously this week when we arrived to Goa. The roads have been pretty hectic and I ended up getting run off the road. Fortunately, I am completely okay and I came out of the crash without a scratch. However, my bike was in a bit different of a situation. What happened was that a car was trying to pass me, but there was another car coming the other direction and there was not enough space on the road for all three of us. The car trying to pass me cut me off and the side of his car pushed my bike over. Due to the extreme weight on my bike, the front tire ‘taco’d’ and was bent to the point where it would be impossible to ride on it in the state that it was. Somehow, after a very long, chaotic, and exhausting conversation with the driver, officers, and other bystanders, the cops ended up coming to the decision that it was our fault and that a scratch on the car was because we “bashed” the car. Unfortunately, the driver was unable to tell the truth and we ended up going our separate ways. I guess the lesson learned is that bikes don’t have right of way and we have to be very cautious of the traffic around us.
I am very glad to be unharmed by that situation and since then my dad has been able to get a rim that fits my bike that I will be able to use for the next while. We will continue biking along the coast on Sunday after Tarn, (and hopefully Markos) take their exams.
Other than that, everything is going great! We have had some amazing Tandoori chicken and we are starting to cook some of our own meals. I am excited to continue our journey down the west coast of india and have even more wonderful experiences. The beaches are nice and there’s no place I’d rather be than here, playing frisbee on the beach at sunset, eating good food, meeting remarkable people and having a good time. Make sure to check out the India page for more photos!
