Anjuna to Arambol

After a very relaxing week in Anjuna I packed my bags and headed north to Arambol. I chose the north end as it looked the most lively. The beach itself is 4km long, with Mandrem to the south. Just a short walk along a rocky path is a very quiet section of sand where I have now set up base. It is perfect, quiet at night but restaurants are near. One criticism of Arambol is the rather large pool of ditch water/sewage that collects at the north end. The ditch runs onto the beach where it is then blocked by a sand bank. This pool is drained during low tides as the fishermen dig a trench to let the water escape (to the sea, nice). However during the recent full moon and high tides waves would roll over the bank and into the pool, thus considerably expanding the niceness a great distance along the beach, and to the edge of many beach side restaurants.

Party wise it is still quiet. Although strangely I have not been that bothered. I am happy drinking Lemonanas (an ice lemon and mint drink) and sitting in my hut listening to music. What parties there are are tame, with the same music as at Anjuna. I feel that Goa's days as a hedonists retreat are over. I think the beach parties in Europe are better. However it certainly is a romantic spot, and I see many happy couples enjoying the sun and restaurants whilst generally being annoying and in love!

Although I say that hedonism is on the wane here, drug tourism still is very popular. Arambol, as far as I have seen, does not have the same police presence as Anjuna. The bars waft of pot and LSD is very easy to come by. Not that that really bothers me. But I have found topics of conversation limited to how good various stuff is from various locations, which to a non user is of no interest.

I have also managed to scare myself silly on Goa's roads. The roads are generally good, a huge improvement on 7 years ago when I was last here. But the driving skills have not. I think I must have aged a decade or two as I stared numerous oncoming lorries in the radiator as I chugged along on my little Honda.