Day Twenty Two

At one of my other cities in Rajasthan I ran into some of the people I’d been in Ranthambore with for the tiger safari. They broke the sad news that the very day I left, they saw a tiger that afternoon. They showed me a picture they snapped and then admitted they only saw the tiger’s butt as it walked off into the trees. So that’s the question. Is it better to let the tiger remain a mysterious beast, tucked away in its dwindling habitat? Or better to see it’s ass walking away from you? Having gone on a dolphin safari, and seen only dolphin butt, I think I prefer the mystery. At first I thought I’d go zero for two and get stood up by the dolphins also. We’d been out on the water for a good thirty minutes and they’d yet to make an appearance. But my guide pointed back towards the beach and there were a pair dipping back into the water. I saw them a few more times, but just their fins and backsides. I’ve got mixed luck with animals these days. There was that squirrel that jumped my foot before. And today I saw a pretty big lizard on the beach. He camped out in the shade of my chair for a while and did this awesome thing where he puffed up his throat. But the tigers and dolphins have been pretty standoffish.

Tomorrow I’ve got a fuller day of sight-seeing in Goa. It’s been mostly resort living for the past two days, so I welcome a change of scenery. I didn’t need to come this far to sit on a beach, and I don’t want my trip to just peter out lounging by a pool.

I did take an archery lesson and a yoga class today. But both were these lightweight, self-esteem building seminars where the instructors were concerned with making me feel good than teaching me anything. The yoga was more like naptime than exercise. I wish I’d seen a real yoga ashram to an authentic taste of Indian yoga. All I really got were a few spa-style classes that focused mostly on rhythmic breathing and relaxation.

Regardless of what happens here in Goa, I know I’ll see some stuff in Bombay. A business associate from the area recommended a number of places that sound interesting. Like an open pit for the disposal of dead bodies? Something about the cultural beliefs of the Parsis. Sounds great, right? Stay tuned.