Finally in Goa!

Thank God I am in Goa now. Getting here was quite a nightmare. I was not really looking forward to the 41 hour train ride (so slow-it was terrible 1187 miles/1910 km), but to make things worse I caught the pig flu and was leaking fluids for the final 8 hours of the trip. OR I got some badass food poisoning from the on-board food service. Either way this was NOT a fun ride. Everything is so dirty here that you can never tell where the sickness comes from...

Upon departing the train I quickly grabbed up a hotel room and laid in bed all day yesterday. I took some antibiotics and some pain relievers and I am feeling so much better today. Still a little nauseous, but I hired a motorcycle-taxi and rode down to the beach town of Palolem. I am going to head out in a few minutes and find a beach bungalow to bunk down in for the next 8-10 days. I sure could use the rest after the sick-train ordeal and when my stomach is feeling good again I am gonna eat the hell outta some fresh seafood. Seafood is a big part of my diet back home and it has been missing in India. I am really looking forward to the variety!

And an update about my passport and visa.... everything is going to be fine. The US Embassy is handling the passport and they are issuing a new, official replacement passport good for 10 years. I will have to spend another day in Delhi getting the exit visa from the Indian officials, but this should not be too much of a problem either. I will return to Delhi on the 5th or 6th and then I depart for Paris on the 9th.

One thing that seems a little ridiculous and I need to correct... I have been in the country for over 3 months and I haven't been to the Taj Mahal. Hmmm... I can't stay here for nearly 4 months and never see the subcontinent's most famous attraction, can I?