Goa

Ahhhh, Goa.  It was awesome.  I've heard from several other people that they didn't like Goa because it was so touristy, but I ended up on a nice, quiet beach and just enjoyed the sun and surf.  I'm glad I didn't book a hotel online for the two days before the conference, because I would have ended up at a beach that I thought was quiet but turned out to be party central.  The taxi driver at the airport suggested Agonda beach, so I ended up spending more on a taxi since it was further away, but the guest house, run by Inacio and Maria Fernandes and family (Goa was a Portuguese colony), was only $12 per night.  There are about five similar guest houses along Agonda beach, but not too many people.  It seemed to be a popular spot for middle-aged and older European tourists, so there was no problem wearing a bikini and being harrassed by local men, as I've read happens at the busier beaches.  We spent an entire day on the beach.  Oliver loved crawling around in the sand naked, and tasting the sand once in awhile.  He was all smiles when we sat in the water, giggling when the waves hit him.  He only sat still for two minutes to eat his supper, so I had to chase him around with a spoon...after playing on the beach all day he was still too excited to sit still.  That night, he was out as soon as I laid him down in his crib, didn't even roll over.

Goa was a lot like I imagine the Dominican Republic to be...beaches, coconut trees, narrow winding roads, colorful houses, crucifixes and rosaries, men wearing soccer jerseys, women dressed in knee-length dresses and skirts.  The conference was good-nice hotel, great food, and fun to see and talk with other Fulbrighters.  There was a family there with their 9-month old daughter, so she and Oliver had a few playdates.