Yab Yum Dome Home

A perfect color purple.  The bathroom floor is painted navy with "waves" up to white on sides.  A ceiling fan at top of dome keeps it cool.

A Visit to the Shire, Yab Yum

  

William Morris fans know that WM is credited with inventing the modern fantasy fiction genre and, further, that J.R.R. Tolkien credited Morris with the inspiration for The Lord of the Rings.  In Goa, I have found The Shire, also known as YabYum Resort, where creativity, fantasy, and DIY is the order of the day!   Below is our hobbit house, with pics of a few other of the domes scattered around the palm tree glade just off the beach.  From the outside it is hard to imagine these abodes being anything other than dark and confining --- instead, next post, they are too cute for school.

Yoga is big in Goa and twice daily classes are given in the Yoga "studio" near the beach.  Breakfast included and served to your door at time of your choice.  $50/night for this slice of goofy paradise.....

Fishing at Dusk, Ashwem Beach, Goa

Grace

thanks for sharing anne....happy thanksgiving all.....

William Morris Unbound

The incredible Morris scholar Tony Pinkney, author of the blog William Morris Unbound, has recently released a book William Morris: The Blog which brings together many of his essays written over the last few years.  Unfailingly, Tony has shown us how William Morris remains relevant today, especially within the realms of politics and society.  Tony, if we were in an English pub (no doubt quaint) I would raise a pint to your success, then ask what you thought Morris would say about the Occupy Movement spreading around the globe.  I can't help but think he would be on the front lines.

Beach near Mandrem, Goa

These guys were so cool, looking completely bad-ass in their lifeguard kit that practically glowed in the late afternoon sun.  Could they match their surroundings any better!?  I'm sure they thought they had the best job in the world.

Form follows function -- all the tables and pillows/chairs arrayed in tiers facing west.

DIY tent house for the super handy

You may remember Al Moudira from last year --- the amazing hotel near the Valley of the Kings where nearly everything was crafted out of local materials or by local artisans (here and here).  Elsewhere is a bit like that...the kind of place that makes you want to find your own little plot of paradise somewhere -- mountains, beach, lake, backyard -- and build your own love shack.  Here are a few details to inspire you....

The tent has painted canvas walls that appear to be stretched on framing built with 2x4s.  The four walls butt up against a poured/painted concrete pad that has a 5" rim (that you can see on right of pic above) and that continues outside to make the "patio".  The tent top sits on the main column (three logs tied together) and is held in place with guylines.  I imagine some people could make the tent roof (here stiff canvas lined with printed cotton) but I suspect you can buy these somewhere too.  The bed has mosquito netting curtains that are attached with thin coated wire stretched between little eye hooks.

Curtain rods made from bamboo.  When "closed" they are weighted down against breezes by rod across bottom.  Lashed bamboos window "mullions".

Bamboo bathroom mirror with shower in background.  Shower is made of two floor to ceiling finished planks of roughhewn wood with a shower head and two small taps.

 Clay sconces similar to those at Al Moudira.

 Shower has a small, hot water on demand tank that is tucked in corner behind plank.  These are ubiquitous in India where showers seem to be the only fixture with hot water.

sink of rough hewn wood, matting, and stone.

A simple lounger -- nice touch are the 1x1" stiles set diamond-style on front and back.

Some more ideas here and here.

A weekend spent Elsewhere....

After a hot dusty week of work we headed to the beaches of north Goa for a little exploration and R&R.  We stayed at a magical (and hidden) little resort on a spit of land near the town of Mandrem.  (The clue is in the post title.)  The food was as amazing as the place and if I told you what it cost the extra airfare to get to India might start to seem like a bargain.

The hotel "lobby"

dining al fresco

Our little slice of heaven on Otter Creek

On the other side, over the dunes, the Arabian Sea

 Tomorrow, a walk up the beach.....

Evening walk, fishermen of Dona Paula

Putting the day's catch on ice.  In the morning the fisherwomen will carry the baskets of fish door to door selling fish to the locals.  It is mostly mackerel.

cricket on the beach

Velha "Old" Goa World Heritage Site

Velha Goa was founded in the 15th century and till the 17th century was one of the largest most cosmopolitan cities in the world, larger than London or Paris.  This Portuguese colonial city was also a beachhead for Catholicism in Asia.  St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits, arrived in 1542 and proceeded to agressively proselytize over much of Asia.  A year after he died in China his body was brought back to Goa where it now resides (next pic) in a silver casket in the Basilica of Bom Jesus.  You can see the shriveled body through the gold encircled windows.  Every few years the local archbishop brings him down to ground level for a while so the devoted, and curious, can get a closer look.

capiz shell shutters

some more nice wall painting that survived the whitewash

Where to start? Goa

It is very different and overwhelming.  My son and I are living in a dusty town that, maybe, sees a few non-Indian/white people come through for the seaside view each day.  Foreigners on extended stays in India must register with the government; for us, at the police station in nearby capital city, Panaji.  The registration office is piled so high with paper in/on every cupboard, corner, counter and desktop that it seems like a movie set (can this be real?).  Please fill out forms in triplicate and attach multiple copies of this, that, and the other.  To stay at a hotel for one night next weekend we will need to provide multiple copies of passport, visas, and 4 passport photos each to the hotel staff for government purposes.  India puts "red tape" into perspective....

Tomorrow...a world heritage site and the very famous person who is not buried in Goa.