The Last Day in Goa

My final day in Goa feels both relaxed and slightly surreal — which, in a way, perfectly sums up India.

On the beach, I come across something you might only see here: a couple of men inviting passersby to watch a video message from the local spiritual speaker Prem Rawat — right there on a laptop in the sand. “Only in India,” I think to myself. Spiritual outreach meets beach life.

I take a long walk along the shoreline, quietly claiming a stretch of sand as my own. After a week here, Anjuna Beach has grown on me. The rhythm, the simplicity, the slightly chaotic charm — it all feels strangely comfortable now. For a moment, it really does feel like: this beach is mine.

Back at the hotel, Sarah Lea from Switzerland — who’s been staying there as well — makes a spontaneous and bold decision: she adopts a puppy. Just like that. A small, scruffy Goa street dog now has a new owner.

The only complication? She and her friend are planning to continue traveling to Nepal. Traveling across borders with a newly adopted puppy in South Asia is, to put it mildly, not the easiest logistical challenge.

Still, the decision reflects something about the place. Goa has a way of loosening plans, softening schedules, and encouraging impulses.

The last sunset in Goa feels warmer somehow. Tomorrow, Mumbai awaits.