BACK TO THE BAY

WE TOOK MY FIRST SLEEPER BUS FROM GOA TO BOMBAY LAST NIGHT, A 12 HOUR JOURNEY INTO THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS BUMPING ALONG THE ROCKIEST, ROUGHEST ROADS. CURLED UP IN A TINY CAPSULET LIKE KITTENS, KATIE AND I WOKE TO HARDLY ANYONE LEFT ON THE BUS, NONE OF WHICH COULD SPEAK ENGLISH, HOORAY! WE WERE DUMPED ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDED BY 10 OR SO RICKSHAWS. AFTER SOME ILL COMMUNICATION WE WERE LED TO A TAXI BY A SIBERIAN MONK WHO SPOKE FLUENT HINDI AND LIVES IN THE JUNGLE WITH PANTHERS! ARRIVING BACK AT LISA'S HAVEN NEAR THE TAJ PALACE WE FINALLY CAN REST, WHAT A HOMECOMING! HERE SHE HAND MAKES HER SOON TO BE RELEASED GODDESS RANGE OF NATURAL BODY SCRUBS. MADE FROM ROCK SALTS, APRICOT OIL, COCONUT AND A RANGE OF NATURAL ESSENCES SHE PUTS THE LOVE & SHANTI INTO EACH DELECTABLE JAR. HAND MADE AND SEALED WITH A KISS. FROM HERE WE'RE TAKEN TO THE FOUR SEASONS FOR WHAT BECAME THE MOST INDULGENT AFTERNOON OF OUR LIVES. AFTER LIVING IT UP AS HIPPIES WE MORPHED FROM BOHOS TO LUXING PRINCESSES INFUSING IN OIL MASSAGES, PEPPERMINT MISTED SHOWERS, SAUNAS AND JET SPAS!

DINING ON OYSTERS, PASSIONFRUIT MARTINIS AND DEVILISHLY DELICIOUS CUPCAKES TO FEASTING ON THE FLOOR FED BY OUR FAVOURITE NEPALESE COOK, MOTHER MUMBAI EMBRACES US!

FAREWELL FAIRYBUBBLE

 

 

LAST NIGHT IN THE ARAMBUBBLE !!! NOSTALGIC, REFLECTIVE, PEACEFUL AND SENTIMENTAL ALL AT ONCE. OUR HOME FOR THE PAST WEEKS HAS BEEN A HAVEN OF COCONUTS AND CAPPUCCINOS, FAMILIAR FACES, SUNSETS, DISCO STARS, INSPIRATION, BOHEMIAN NIGHTS AND SO MUCH MAGIC AND MYSTIQUE... MUCH HAS BEEN LOVED AND LEARNT IN THIS SPECIAL PLACE ! TOMORROW WE BRAVE THE 12 HOUR JOURNEY IN A SLEEPER BUS INTO MUMBAI. BRACING MYSELF. LOVE TO OUR FRENCH OPERA SINGING FLATMATE PIERRE MICHEL, LOVE TO AKIRA AND JIMMY OUR SOUL FAIRIES, LOVE TO OUR LITTLE CANOPY BED AND LITTLE INDIAN HOME, OUR BEACHES AND FELLOW BOHEMIANS. ALWAYS IN MY HEART!

KUNDALINI HIGH

WE SAT AROUND 'BUBBA' THE GODFATHER OF ARAMBOL. AN OLD HIPPY NOMAD WHO DRAWS A CROWD WHEREVER HE ROAMS. TO BE INVITED TO BUBBA'S TABLE IS A KIND OF INITIATION INTO THE SCENE. HE ORDERS A BLACK TEA WITH A HIT OF HONEYBEE AND COMMENCES THE ART OF PACKING THE CHILLUM. "I'LL GIVE YOU A LIFT TO THE NEXT DIMENSION "AND OFFERS IT TO ME FROM HIS OWN HANDS. MY FIRST CHILLUM HAND FED BY THE GODFATHER!

THE SOUNDTRACK TO THIS RITUAL IS KUNDALINI AIRPORT, LIVE AT BUDDHA VILLAGE. PERCUSSIAN FUSED TOGETHER WITH ELECTRIC SITAR, DIDJEREEDOO, HARMONICA, BELLS AND DRUMS. TONIGHT'S 2 MAN FORMATION WITH FRENCH VOCALIST AND DRUMMER FROM RAJASTHAN WAS TANTRIC. THE CHANTING VOCALS AND TRIBAL BEAT OF THE BONGO ARE EUPHORIC. LET THE RHYTHM LIFT YOU TO THE NEXT DIMENSION.....

CRYSTALLIZED

TODAY I LEARNT HOW TO MAKE NETTED CRYSTAL NECK PIECES BY SHARAD AKA 'AUTUMN' IN HINDI, A CRYSTAL MERCHANT FROM AGRA. HE COMES TO GOA TO SELL FOR THE SEASON BEFORE MAKING THE PILGRIMAGE BACK HOME. WE SAT IN HIS TINY SHOP WEAVING NETS WHILE CHATTING AWAY PEACEFULLY, IT WAS LIKE MEDITATION. THE BENEFITS OF DOING SOMETHING THAT TAKES TIME TO CREATE IS POWERFUL. HAVING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL CRAFTED BY YOUR OWN HANDS IS SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I THEN MET ECUADORIAN MATTEO FROM MANGO TREE WHO TRAVELS THROUGH SOUTH AMERICA SELLING NECKPIECES HAND CRAFTED, HIS LIFE TRAVELING IN HIS BACK PACK. I'M OFFICIALLY A CRYSTAL GYPSY QUEEN ! 

MAGIC CIRCLE

THE MOST DELECTABLE CHOCOLATE MOUTHGASM CAN BE EXPERIENCED AT MAGIC PARK, A LITTLE GARDEN CAFE WHERE HIPPIES AND CREATIVES CONVERGE. THESE CHOCOLATE NUTTY DELIGHTS CERTAINLY PUT THE MAGIC INTO THE PARK! JUST ACROSS THE COCONUT PLANTATIONS CONGREGATES THE FAMOUS DRUMMING CIRCLE, A GATHERING OF HIPPIES, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS, HULA HOOPERS, DREAD LOCKS AND BOHEMIAN BABIES. THE BEAT GROWS AS THE SUN SETS. A VISUAL SPECTACULAR WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THE SUN SET AND MOON RISE AT THE SAME TIME! THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC REALLY HAPPENS........

GODDESSES OF INSPIRATION !

A SHOUT OUT TO MY FELLOW INDIA INSPIRED TRAVELERS, AKIRA GARTON AKA 'STARDUST' AND MISS KATIE STONE. WE FIRST MET IN BALI, AND IN INDIA WE REUNITE! THESE SASSY LADIES ARE MY INSPO, LOVE AND LIFE HERE IN GOA.. LIVING, DREAMING, LAUGHING, PLAYING, CREATING, FROM DAYLIGHT INTO SUNSET, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THESE GOAN GODDESSES! X

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BOHEMIAN WARRIORS

BEHIND THE SCENES FROM OUR COLLABORATION WITH UKRANIAN PHOTOGRAPHER VIKTORIIA, SHOT ON LOCATION IN THE ARAMBUBBLE. SET AMONGST SHIPWRECKS AND COCONUT TREES WE ARRIVED AT THE LAUGHING BUDDHA BEACH HUT TO MEET OUR PHOTOGRAPHER AND HER ASSISTANT/ART DIRECTOR/HUSBAND (!!) INTRIGUINGLY THEY WORKED SEAMLESSLY TOGETHER TO CREATE PARADISE LOVED UP IN CROCHET. THE CREW SHIFTED TO SWEET LAKE TO CATCH THE AFTERNOON LIGHT AFTER TRAVERSING ACROSS THE SANDS. CHANNELLING BOHEMIAN HIPPY, NAVAJO WARRIOR INTO AMAZONIAN GODDESS, THE STORY UNFOLDED AS THE DAY TURNED INTO SUNSET. OUR SECOND SHOOT FOR CHURRIS B'KINIS FEATURING EAR PIECE MADE FROM BRAZILIAN GOLD GRASS AND MACRAME HEAD PIECES BY JOBO!