A trip and a vacation are not the same thing. A vacation is relaxing and enjoyable. A trip on the other hand is usually tiring but interesting. If it is also enjoyable, all the better.

Often at some point in our trips we’ll feel like we need a vacation, so we’ll head for some travelers’ ghetto where we can relax, eat comfort food, and not worry so much about violating the social norms of whatever conservative culture we are visiting. In India the place to go are the beaches of Goa.

Colorful cottages Agonda Beach in Goa, India.

The beaches of Goa were a hot spot for international hippies for several decades following the 60s. There are several different beaches along the coast of the small state, and each has its own flavor, some catering to younger partiers, others to middle-aged yoga devotees.

Sunbathers, beach walkers and restaurants line Palolem Beach, Goa, India.

On a few of the beaches there are still old hippies wondering around, maybe living on their pensions by now. There are also the younger versions, kids with dreadlocks, tribal tattoos and outfits that appear to be made of scraps of earth-tone fabrics held together by rivets and laces.

These days, however, the most prominent demographic is Russian tourists (though there are fewer of them this year since the ruble tanked). Russian sunbathers line the beaches.

A sign on Ajuna Beach, Goa, aimed at Russian tourists.

Just an observation—young Russians, in their larval stage, are slim and sexy. Later, as they mature, not so much. They seem to fancy skimpy bathing suits, whether they still fit into them or not.

We spent about 10 days on a couple of different beaches doing very little of significance, but enjoying ourselves nonetheless. But whatever energy we had accumulated at the beach was drained during the next leg of our trip.