Travelling alone through India meant freedom. In Hampi, I'd finally slowed down enough to hear my intuition and it led me to Palolem. What I didn’t know is I wasn’t just being drawn to a place - but to a person.
The bus pulled away, leaving me in the pitch-black silence of a deserted car park—like the opening scene of a backpacker horror movie.
Only two other women stepped off into the eerie darkness. Everyone else was continuing to Gokarna, a popular pilgrimage site.
I’d followed my heart, not the crowd—but now, I wasn't so sure.
As the first blush of orange touched the sky, waking birds started chirping and our path into town slowly emerged from the shadows. With our heavy backpacks pulling on our shoulders, together we plodded towards Palolem.
Step by step, I felt the first flicker of hope.
Finding Francisco
When Francisco introduced himself, I couldn’t believe it. Could this really be the man I’d come here to find? The first person I asked?
