This is a bit late, but I wanted to share some party photos from the Goa period of my trip.

I spent New Year's Eve in Arambol, Goa. Many drive to Anjuna for the BIG Trance party at hilltop, but I felt like being in a more intimate environment, with firends rather than strangers, and with funky music, rather than electronic (I later heard from about 40 people, that the Hilltop party was a disater of drunk and shamelessly groping Indian men). Arambol has a wonderful new beach club called Liquid Sky, which is run by a lovely group of Belgians, playing funky music, doing the club for the first season, but doing it beautifully! They had not planned on having a NY party, but a few of us just turned up, and it just sort of developed into a wonderful night, which lasted till midday the next day. The photos below were shot during one of those perfect travel moments, at around 8 in the morning, on the beach, with my Burning Man buddy, Germanic Julia, Lovely Kate from UK, and Khaled, one of the owners of Liquid Sky, who is a man of great character, from Belgium. (View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image, View image).

The trance scene in Goa is not what it was 10 years ago, mainly due to local objections and police crackdowns. Despite the restrictions, much Baksheesh is paid to ensure that the police turn a blind eye, and the parties are still one of the major attractions for many of the people who come to Goa around Christmas and New Year. The events usually last all day and all night, the daytime being much more fun, because it's not completely dark and creepy, and you can see who you are dancing with, or shouting at, above the drone of the incessant electronic beats. The music is not the best, but various drugs are available to help make the music seem wonderful.

Most of the parties take place in Anjuna, and many at a club called "Hilltop" which is, weirdly, at the bottom of a hill. The palm trees are painted in psychadelic colors, and are amazing, when in the right state of mind. View image, View image, View image

For 10 years there were no beach parties in Goa at all. Police "agreement" being limited to official outdoor clubs. Then the local Russian mafia became the new tough guys controlling the party and drug scene. Tough because they actually have guns, and this helped them muscle into the otherwise closed business. While I was in Arambol, the Russians decided to throw a beach party, and they must have paid the right people, because it did not get closed down.

The photos are not completely representative of a normal Goa party: first of all the beach is unusual, and then most of the guest are Russians, who take their party clothes very seriously, if perhaps a little behind the times... but they make for wonderful images!
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