Susegad Goa

It was a hot Sunday afternoon, I was lying down on the sofa and watching some crazy dubbed movie on television where the hero kicked 2 hefty guys in the air, knocked out many more on the way, sent a few flying left, right and center and walked back in slow motion....

Then all of a sudden I find myself lying on a brightly lit beach with a straw hat covering my face from the rays of the coastal sun, the light breeze in the humid air caressing my body in a cooling way, the sound of the waves gliding across the sandy shore soothing my ears, the smell of fried mackerel in recheado masala tempted me to walk down to the nearby shack to grab a fish and some chilled beer. As soon as I got up from my lazy horizontal position I saw Mr. Pinto sitting at the shack counter with his huge belly covered by the over-sized floral half sleeved shirt accompanied by a white "i 'heart' Goa" bermuda shorts waving at me. I smiled and got up to proceed towards the shack, I slipped and fell and kept going down like a free falling skydiver. I was scared and sweating profusely, suddenly 'Thud' came the sound, I had hit rock bottom which felt cold on my skin, I opened my eyes only to find the same hero on screen with the huge moustache still walking back in slow motion to the 2 guys stuck in mid air and pushed them like soft dolls hanging around in a baby shop.

Oh my!, it was such a relief as it was only a dream and i had fallen on the cold granite floor from the sofa. But wait, where was i before that scary free fall?

The sea, the beaches, chilled beer, coconut trees, music, yummy cuisine, intoxicating fenni, the hippies and the colorful markets filled my mind.

Gouri said 'lets go', even before i uttered 'Go..A' and the coming Tuesday at 3pm we were on the Yeshwantpur-Madgao express all excited.

[There are other trains from Bangalore but we prefer this one because of its timing. It leaves Bangalore at 3.30pm and reaches Madgao at 6pm]

As the train crossed Londa and entered castle rock we were all eyes on our left and were spellbound by the beauty of the milky waters splashing down from a height lit by the lovely moonlight.

[Don't miss the hot and yummy uppit/upma and idli at Londa, and be awake to witness the amazingly beautiful Dudhsagar. Trekking at Dudhsagar and admiring the falls from its head to toe with the railway track like a belt around its waist is an unforgettable experience]

After a couple of railway chai we were in Goa with high spirits. We took a taxi from Madgao to Colva and checked-in into one of the many hotels/resorts around the beach.

[prepaid taxis are easily available outside railway station at Madgao or you can share the open air buses with the locals for experiencing Goa. Apart from the low, medium, high and very high budget hotels, a little effort may reward you with a very low cost high on hospitality homely stays with the always cheerful Goan family and remember google search may not help you with this]

After a nice cold shower and good breakfast of omelette-pav we were ready to explore 'Goa' once again. This beautiful land with its sea, river and mangroves entices you back again and again. We took an Activa on rent and started our journey towards Panaji where we roamed the streets of the capital city and felt one with the place on seeing the very familiar Church at the center of the city. We had a delicious seafood meal cooked in authentic Goan style at Ritz Classic and drove back to our room. The next couple of days and nights were spent exploring the interiors of Goa on the Activa enjoying chilled beer with fish, crab, prawns, lobster in true Goan style.

[2 wheelers are a very good option for traveling around especially Activa which may cost you just around 150 per day, but you can also get a bullet or even a gypsy if you want to]

"When in Rome be a Roman, when in Goa be a Goan!!!"

The best thing about Goa is the freedom one gets to experience, its unique cuisine which is a mix of Konkani and Portuguese culture and off course the beer. Four full days was spent roaming around in bermuda shorts, a loose tee and the sunglasses, eating fresh seafood with beer or just lying down on the beach watching the sunset or jump around in the waves to our hearts content.

If one afternoon was spent pampering our taste buds with the best seafood at Martin's Corner in Salcette then the other was spent para-sailing and biking in Baga. If one night we ended up at a nightclub at 9.30 pm with not a single soul around another night we were in a crowded cruise all lit up with dance and music. By the way on enquiry at the night club we got to know 'In Goa party starts late (night) and ends early (morning)', so we planned to return back after a couple of hours but ended up having beer and saucy spicy red snapper at a nearby restaurant with some interesting Goan friends.

The good time at Goa was nearing to an end, and as we silently sat on the beach in Majorda watching the sunset and sulking at the thought of leaving this lovely place, we saw a couple sway to the tunes of Goa and slowly disappear with the setting sun, Gouri smiled and said 'Hoyth!!!'.

As we boarded the train at Madgao station we looked back and promised to return soon.

 Some more images here