Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 5

Well, after loads of parasailing fun on Day 3 @ Goa and more breathtaking moments on the same Day 3 @ Goa, we were ready to bid adieu to Old Goa. On our way back, we had planned to take a walk through the streets of Panaji, visit the Our Lady Of The Immaculate Conception Church, and see some typical Goan houses!

Being New Year eve, the streets were all lit up, and the road leading to the church, in particular, was beautiful

The road leading to Our Lady Of The Immaculate Conception Church, Panaji

One of the first churches built in Goa, it was the landmark for sailors to offer thanks for a safe anchoring. It was initially built in 1541 and later re-built in 1619.

The bell we see and hear today at this church was brought from the belfry tower of the St Augustine Complex of Old Goa in 1871. Apparently, it is the second largest bell in the world!

The church is truly beautiful at night.

The Christmas crib in front of the church...

The God family

View from the Church

After sitting around on the benches built on the pavement in the centre of the road, for about 10 mins, we set off for a walk to see Goan houses. While most of them resembles the houses back home in Kerala — with their red soil roof tiles and open verandahs and pretty houses with coconut trees in the yards — we did get to see some very typical Goan homes too…

A Goan home...

A Goan home...

A Goan home...

A Goan home...

A Goan home...and my fav of the lot

A Goan home...

After we had enough of Goan houses, we set off for another drive down the road connecting the Mandovi Bridge to the Miramar Beach. Pretty pretty buildings, clean clean pavements and a smooth smooth road!

On the way back, we stopped to see some really beautiful cruise ships floating on the Mandovi.

The wide, wide, really wide walkway that runs in between the road and the river

Them cruise boats and ships on the Mandovi...

The Casino Carnival -- the best there was on the Mandovi from where we stood

Well, that was a New Year eve well spent and enjoyed: but it wasn’t over yet. We had one more thing to celebrate — the brother’s birthday. Well, he has a birthday that the whole world celebrates along with us and him on 31 December

We planned to dine at Martin’s Corner, a restaurant located in Betal Bhim, off Colva — and made famous by the media, and by the stars that include the Bachchans, Sachin Tendulkar, Lucky Ali, Bipasha and John… The husband had seen the place reviewed on TV and had to HAD to go there I called up to reserve seats, and was told there’d be no entry for Pumbaa. There! That was the end of my appreciation for the place. Stupid, stupid Martin. What Goan is he, if he can’t accept a friendly Lab inside? Bah!!

Anyways, we went, bought food, bought a cake too — and went back to one place where Pumbaa HAD entry: the apartment

“]

We cut the cake... [I was so sorry we had to actually CUT such a lovely looking cake!

...hogged on all the typically Goan food Martin sent home...

…and sat around for another hour or so chit-chatting and reliving Goa and the lights and sights around, and went off to sleep. We were due to start our return journey the next morning.

We packed, gave away the cash and the keys to the apartment owner, and set off to Bangalore.

Bangalore to Goa is about 580km (about 9 hours), and we hoped to be home in about 11 hours, considering Pumbaa breaks

The way back to Bangalore was simply amazing!! Awesome views and awesome roads!

A shepherd with his friends on a sugarcane field...

The roads...

The countryside...

The 'thadaakam's...

and the roads again!

With roads like this, Pumbaa being a non-fussy darling and us going at super fast speed, we were sure we’d actually be able to make it n 9 hours!

Pumbaa in the car (sorry about such a badly done collage -- but this is the third time I'm "saving draft" and losing all the individually uploaded pics, I'm so fed up!)

But well, 2011 had other plans for us! By about 6p.m., we were short of fuel in the car. We were on the lookout for petrol bunks, but there were few! And of the very few there were, NONE accepted credit cards! We were shocked! We went on for quite a while and finally HAD to stop and fill petrol, in spite of not accepting cards! We filled about 5litres, and after dropping Pumbaa, me and the husband there, my dad and bro went to find an ATM centre. They found none for a long time; and the one that they found had a faulty machine. It was pathetic!

On the way from Kerala to Goa, there were ATMs and petrol stations that accepted cards ALL THE WAY till we left Kerala. Here, none. Not a single ATM for miles and miles. We were actually stranded on the highway for about an hour and half: till they finally found one, took cash and came back to fill the rest of the petrol and pay for it

We reached back home at about 1 a.m.!!!

Anyways, excluding the drives both ways, we had an awesome trip Such a fab time, that we’ve decided Goa is THE place we’ll settle in I’m so not done with Goa: it’s one place i’d love to go back to, again and again. And, again!

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 4

On the way back from Old Goa on Day 2 @ Goa, we had spotted what looked like some ruins atop a hillside to our left. The brother had rented a bike and rode alongside the car, giving more room in the car for Pumbaa to spread his legs

He told us to go on to Panaji, and said he’ll ride up the hill, take a look and be back. He clicked a few snaps, showed it to me and I was in despair that we had missed it! And my face had this downward curve which the husband, as always, decided to twist upward

And thus, to our new list for Day 3 @ Goa—which was planned to be a foot tour of the Panaji city post parasailing at Colva Beach and a dinner at Martin’s Corner to celebrate the brother’s birthday—was added The Ruins of St Augustine Complex, Old Goa.

So now, this in itself would be a whole part of the travellogue, because it was so stunning a place, I personally think it was the very highlight of our trip! Er er…actually, I’m a little confused between giving “The Highlight Of The Trip” award to parasailing or the ruins

Anyway, though the husband commented in passing the previous night that we’d go see the ruins the next day, I neither took it seriously, nor remembered it by next morning. So, when we suddenly took a detour on our way to Panaji to a direction that a board screamed out “Old Goa”, I was surprised.

The oh-so-sexy road to Holy Hill, Old Goa

And when I saw the towering, ominous looking, in-ruins belfry of god-knows-what, surprise turned to pure AWE! I almost threw off the mobile phone, grabbed the camera and jumped off the car!

Heavenly rays throwing light up on God's once-up-on-a-time abode

Oh my God. Don’t you think this is an amazing sight!? The sky was an amazing blue, with the bright clouds covering up a sun struggling to come out! And nothing else in the frame…not even a bird, but just a 46-metre-high colossal belfry tower of a church built 408 years ago! Yes, a full four-hundred-and-eight years ago!

This massive tower, the St Augustine’s tower, is one of the four towers that once stood at the site—the only remaining part of what was once one of Goa’s largest building—the Augustinian Monastery.

The 46 metere high belfry tower

Friars of the Augustinian Order arrived in Goa in 1572 and built a small convent on Holy Hill. The convent had three storeys, with two really huge stone staircases that led upstairs. The convent had two cloisters, many corridors, pillars, galleries and halls with numerous rooms, a refractory, guesthouse and a spacious infirmary. It also had vast dormitories, numerous cells and other structures (all of which are now in ruins).

View of the complex from the entry gate.

Interiors of the church...

The convent was later enlarged, in 1602, to become a complex–one that housed this colossal belfry tower, eight chapels, four altars and the extensive convent. The tower faces the east and was built of laterite, like most parts of the complex, and formed part of the Church of St Augustine.

One of the eight chapels

The altar...now the occasional seat of the lone guard

The building was completed between 1597 and 1602. Though the name of the designer of this magnificent piece of construction is not known, he is thought to have been Italian. And when it was completed in 1602, the grand Nossa Senhora da Graca Church was worthy of recognition for being one of the three great Augustinian churches in the Iberian world—the other two being the Basilica of the Escorial in Spain and the St Vincente de Fora in Lisbon.

The tower...and the church interiors

On entering the church, one gets a glimpse of a regal, grand retable of the high altar—with its large gilt tabernacle safeguarded within an arch, through a screen of arched piers. Vestiges of these piers supported a spacious choir which easily could have accommodated a large number of Augustinian monks; most of these vestiges were visible until recently.

One of the many inscriptions on the walls...

One more...and this time, a little more elaborate and wonderful!

Inscriptions on the floor...

The repressive policies of the Portuguese government resulted in the eviction of many religious orders from Goa…which led to its abandonment in 1835. The church fell into neglect and the vault collapsed in 1842, accelerating the church’s demise! The body of the church was soon destroyed as per government orders, but the facade remained intact.

The very, very, verrrrry pretty wall carvings

A slab of fine carving

The convent area

Another chapel, only a bit more complete that the rest

A partially cordoned off area...

The dilapidated interiors...

That's dad on the phone...does that put the size of the place in perspective?

Now if THAT didn't, this should! They on the right bottom corner are my dad, mom, husband and Pumbaa

The tower’s huge bell was moved initially to Fort Aguada and later, in 1871, to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Panjim: where it still tolls!!! The facade and half of the tower fell in 1931 and more parts gave way in 1938.

The nave of the Church now stare up at the sky, from where God probably looks down fondly at his long-ago royal abode! The nape is open to the sky, under whose dilapidated yet lovely arches, local folk sometimes gather for a talk.

We stood around too…for almost an hour and half. Just walking around the place took us way back in time. And we murmured over and over again, “This place is just out of this world!”. As the day wore on, and dusk approached, the place grew more ominous, more quiet, more chilling. Thrilling nevertheless.

Ruins of St Augustine Complex, Holy Hill, Old Goa.I have only one word for it. Magnificent.

.

P.S. That I was watching the movie Day After Tomorrow as I was typing this out, did NOT help much, except add to the ominosity

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 3

Disclaimer: I drafted this post a day after I published the previous one — but well, all the pics were in my brother’s camera and he left the transfer cord at his friend’s place in Kochi. I waited and waited for two weeks before I got it couriered by him. So, here the post is with the pictures…

After many things ancient in Goa—Fort Aguada and Old Goa on Day 2 @ Goa—we had decided to keep aside Day 3 @ Goa for the modern And on top of the list for the day was parasailing!

A few weeks prior to the vacation—after making the list I forgot to take along—I happened to read a blog called Passion For Road Trips. The author, Subu (who i recently discovered is a much-admired and much-respected friend of my friend!! — small world, huh!?), had been on a recent trip to Goa and had a fab travellogue put up on his blog. From my research for the list, and reading through this blog, I had made up my mind to go for parasailing, scooterboat ride and something called a banana ride.

But after spending all that time at the Colva Beach on Day 1 @ Goa, I had decided that the scooterboat ride was too bumpy for my already bummed spine; and that the banana ride was not all that interesting—except that at one point of time, you’ll be toppled over into the sea and then have to climb back on to the banana-shaped floater which is pulled into the sea and back to the beach by another boat.

But parasailing…it looked awesome, exciting and was sure set the adrenaline soaring. The day we went to Colva Beach, we were approached by guides who offered to take us parasailing for Rs 800 per couple. We bargained, saying it wouldn’t be more than Rs 150 Finally, they brought it down to Rs 500 per couple, but we still did not give in: the main reason being that I’d come to the beach in a skirt

Anyways, 31 December in Goa—for that matter, at any place—is a costly affair…and parasailing was no different Once again, we were at Colva Beach, bargaining with guides who refused to reduce it even by a penny beyond Rs 800. The final one who came to us quoted Rs 800 as well…and to him I said in a voice filled with despair and disappointment “it was 600 when we came yesterday…this is unfair”, blah blah. When he saw me sulking, he relented and agreed for Rs 600. I was then chided for having blurted out 600 instead of 500 (or even 400!)…but well, I just wanted to parasail, no matter what In fact, I’d still have gone ahead and done it even if they stuck to Rs 800!

So, we finally agreed for Rs 600 and waited in queue to be the next for sail! The rides were coming to an end for the mid-day break and we were the last ones in queue.

As the couple in front was strapped, buckled and then sailed away, a million butterflies came to life in my tummy and I had second thoughts! The parachute went up to such a terrifying height…there was the sea below…and I didn’t even know to swim—as if it would help at all. Was I still sure I wanted to go in? I turned around to look at the husband and ask if we should back out…he wasn’t very interested in it in the first place.

:) Almost about to parasail!

But alas…when I did turn around to ask, there were two guides on both sides, strapping a life jacket and buckling it up, strapping us both together on to another buckle, the other end of which was fastened to the boat—and before I could say “hey”, we were moving! At 12.45 pm, on a sunny scorching New Year’s eve-noon, we were parasailing!

Up above the world so high... -- pic courtesy: my bro

Almost about to land -- pic courtesy: my bro

A parachute -- a pic I took

It was one of the best things I’ve done in life. The take off was as smooth as one could imagine it to be…there was no air rushing up against or out of me…and the feeling of being in flight, like a bird, was spellbinding. I really and honestly CANNOT describe it. To have to do it to know it.

And the sight! Oh my god, the sight from up there cannot be described! Perhaps if I were a poet, I could have done some justice. But well, I honestly think (and I repeat!) if you really want to know, you must try it someday!

As we sailed up, I began howling like how we do on one of those giant wheels at the theme parks. But I stopped it as soon as I started it: because it was so calm, it was soooo calm and smooth, I realised there was no NEED to howl or scream or even break the silence. All we both did then was gush…. “Oh, wow…look how…” “Ah…this is just…” “Awww…how small those people…”

The vast expanse of the sea beneath, the endless blue sky above, and a wonderful, wonderful sight of the shore, with palm trees lining one side and the virgin white beach seeming to be covered with people the size of mere ants!

Oh my god. I’m still getting goose bumps as I write this! The husband, who had to literally be begged to join for the adventure, was the one who perhaps loved it more that I did! He was glad he did it; it was thaaaaat good. (See, this is why you should TRY things out, darling! )

Again, being one of the last ones in queue, we had a pretty much shorter ride than the ones who went before us…we seemed to have gone up and touched back ground in a matter of 30 seconds. But it was worth every penny we spent!

Happy, content and satisfied of having had a wonderful trip so far, we headed back home to change, have lunch and head to Panaji!

I had no clue that an awesome sight awaited me—one that would leave me as breathless as this one did. Day 3 @ Goa had just begun!

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 2

Please note: photograph overdoseload. Please wait for the pics to load completely

After a lovely time at Colva Beach on Day 1 @ Goa, we were up and about early on Day 2. Old Goa and Fort Aguada were on the new list…and I thought if we could finish them off a bit early, there would be enough time to squeeze in a beach visit too

But alas, lil’ Pumbaa had his own plans. All that beach sand he ate up last evening had to be shat out, didn’t it!? Oh my gosh. The room was a mess. It did not stink, it did not even look ewww. It was just beach sand, but in a shade of brown than the plain white sand we saw at the beach So, while I sweated out the cleaning process, Pumbaa now beach-sand free, strolled royally out on the terrace

We’d bragged soooo much about the charm of Goa to Mom, that she seemed a tad disappointed in Madgaon. Though she agreed it was Kerala-like and was nice enough, she did not get the “Goan” feel yet. I could only console her with “Just wait till we reach Panaji and Old Goa and Fort Aguada and all, Amma…you’ll love it!” Well, she began loving it even as we began approaching Panaji

The Fatorda Circle, Fatorda, Madgaon

Road to Panaji

An iron ore barge steaming on over the Zuari River while 2- and 4-wheelers line the Zuari Bridge. If only an aircraft passed through the frame then!

The Mandovi Bridge over the Mandovi River, viewed from the road to Old Goa

So we drove on, crossed the Mandovi Bridge and drove on towards Old Goa.

Old Goa, constructed  originally by the Bijapur Sultans in 15th Century A.D. served as the capital of Portuguese India. In 18th Century, malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city, and it was then abandoned by the Viceroy, who moved to Pangim (now, Panjim/Panaji).This abandoned Goa then came to be known as “Old Goa”. All that remains of Old Goa are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The road to Old Goa is beautiful, though narrow. For quite a distance, the Mandovi river flows along with us on the left, giving us typical rivery views…

The road to Old Goa

Dredgers, barges and ferrys on the Mandovi River, seen from the road to Old Goa

Like all tourists to Old Goa, we also went first to the Basilica of Bom Jesus. Over 400 years old, this is one of the oldest churches, not just in Goa, but in India. The marble is inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is simple.

The crowds that thronged the Basilica of Bom Jesus

Basilica of Bom Jesus

The main altar at the Basilica of Bom Jesus

The whole back wall, and the facade, is designed with numerous carving of pillars and friezes, all gild in pure gold. Above the altar and tabernacle stands a giant statue of St Ignatius of Loyola in priestly vestments, nearly three metres high. His gaze is fixed on the medallion containing the holy letters IHS, the first letters of the Holy Name of Jesus. Above the monogram of Jesus is the holy trinity—the father, son and the holy spirit.

On the left of the main altar

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Basilica holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, a pioneering Roman Catholic Missionary who was influential in the spreading and upkeep of Catholicism in India. Hi relics are kept in a silver casket, elevated inside the  Basilica and are brought to ground level when the Archbishop of Goa e Damão decides so. It is usually done every ten years. The last time that happened was in 2004, and was open to public for a whole month.

The silver casket holding the body of St Francis Xavier

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica, in celebration of Christmas

Also within the Basilica

Also within the Basilica

The majestic trees within the campus of the Basilica of Bom Jesus

The archways that say a thousand tales (pic courtesy: Jaya, my best friend)

The Basilica of Bom Jesus...the side facing the Church of St Assissi

On the other side of the Basilica is the Church of St Francis of Assisi built in 1661.Here’s some info on the church, as seen on the plaque beside it.

“The three tier facade have octagonal towers on each side and in the central niche there is a statue of St Michael. The main entrance is decorated with circular pilasters and rosette band. The central nave is barrel-vaulted while the crossing is rib-vaulted which supports the choir. The internal buttress walls, separating the chapels and supporting the gallery on top, have frescoes showing floral designs. Above the tabernacle in the main altar is a large statue of St Francis of Assisi and Jesus on the cross, statues of St Peter and St Paul are seen below. The adjoining walls of nave retain painted panels depicting scenes from the life of St Francis of Assisi.”

The Church of St Francis of Assisi, built in 1661

The Church of St Francis of Assisi, built in 1661

Another much visited site is the Se Cathedral, the oldest and most celebrated religious building in Goa and one of the largest churches in Asia. We did not go in there Pumbaa would be made to wait outside all these places, and I really didn’t think that was fair to him

By now, Mom had changed her opinion. Goa was definitely beautiful and lovely, and Old Goa, especially so! We stopped for ice creams, licked them clean and then was ready to head to our next destination: Fort Aguada.

On the way, we also decided to stop over at Mapusa, near Calangute. Mapusa, also pronounced Mapsa by the locals, is the main market town in northern Goa.

An interesting idea for a "wedding car"! Caught on cam on the way to Mapusa.

The road from Panaji to Mapusa

The reason we went to Mapusa was to see the house where the husband stayed at while he was with SBI. We always used to say we must buy that house and the fields on both sides, demolish it and build our dream house right there It was a lovely place.

This time however, we were disappointed to see the surroundings heaped with trash

We also dropped in at Shama Medicals, to see the owner Uzma, a dear friend in Goa. We also met her daughter, who is super cute After a 10-minute chat and a few clicks, we were on our way to Fort Aguada.

Fort Aguada.

The water tank and the lighthouse at Fort Aguada

Constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas, this magnificent  piece of architecture also served as a reference point for vessels coming from Europe at that time. it was once the grandstand of 79 cannons, with a moat around the fort that  protected it.

The view from the fort. So pristine!

Standing on the beach, south of Candolim, at the shore of the Mandovi river, the fort was once home to a freshwater spring that provided water to the ship inmates who used to stop by.

Another sea view

Aguada means water…and that’s how the fort got its name. Crews of passing ships would often stop by to replenish their fresh water stock.

The fort also houses a 4-storey Portuguese lighthouse that is the oldest of its kind in Asia: built in 1864.

The lighthouse at Fort Aguada

The Aguada prison is also close by, and is still functional, used by the Goan Police.

The sprawling bungalow of a diamond merchant, Jimmy Kardeka, where many Bollywood films were apparently shot. Constructed on one side of the hill without disturbing the natural geographical incline, the bungalow is estimated to be about 70 crore INR (as sourced from the web and from the blog Passion for Road Trips). I initially thought it was the Vivanta by Taj till I read his blog!

Father, Son and the Aguada Fort

We walked all around Fort Aguada and both dad and mom loved the place too. Dad had come here long back, sometime during the late 70s…but he definitely had no memories of seeing the lighthouse there We took a lot many more pics and then as the closing time fast approached (5.30 pm) and the sun began its descend, we also filed out. Pumbaa was tired (and refused to walk anymore, which explains why he’s in the Father’s hands ) and hungry, and we decided to stop at a fancy restaurant we’d spotted on the way to the Fort, to fuel up.

Sweet Chilli.

Sweet Chilli

A garden-style Goan restaurant, made to resemble a beach shack, this is a fab place to hang out. Yummy food, totally affordable rates and a most pleasing ambiance. And it being the Xmas season, it was all beautifully lit up too

The best part was the acceptance of Pumbaa without hesitation, and my heart immediately warmed to the place

Pumbaa after his fill...at Sweet Chilli

The reception-cum-bar...and the friendly waiter who even played with Pumbaa

The walkway into the restaurant

After a sumptuous dinner, we all filed back into the car and drove back to Panaji. We also decided to take a quick tour of Panaji City, for the parents’ sake. And it was only 7.00 by then. Ample time for a city drive before heading back to Madgaon.

We drove right from one end of Panaji to the other…and finally ended up near Miramar Beach. The husband could not quite miss the shine in my eyes, and we stopped over for some nice beach time

We alighted opposite the Club Tennis sports facility centre and walked to the Miramar beach.

Clube Tennis De Gaspar Dias

The Miramar Circle...as I call it

Beach volleyball

It was a breezy, cool, lovely night, and we spotted a few guys enjoying beach volleyball. We enjoyed at the beach for another half hour and then went back to Madgaon, to sleep away the tiredness and better savour the day through possible dolby digital colour dreams

Our Day 3 @ Goa, also the bro’s birthday, was to be spent mostly at the beach and in Panjim/Panaji city.

Goa :) so aah! – a travellogue: part 1

Goa has always been a much-loved place—for both the husband and for me. He used to work there, for SBI Life Insurance during 2006-07, and I’ve been there with my best friend and bro then. And we all had had such an amazing time!So, the love for Goa has always been unconditional. I’ve seen the place in sunshine, drizzles, rains and heavy rains And it’s always been unbelievably WOW.

So, every time we plan a trip, the first option that I put forward is Goa. But it would never happen, and would always get postponed to “some other time”. Till December 2010: and for that, I owe all thanks to Pumbaa. If it weren’t for him, we’d have spent it at Delhi instead (we settled for Goa since it was a place we could drive up to, taking Pumbaa along ). And Goa on a New Year Eve had been my dream! So, the mere thought was exciting.

The 4-day Goa plan, like always, was jinxed initially. We tried a lot of hotels/resorts/home stays.

• If there were rooms available, they wouldn’t allow pets.
• If pets were allowed, there were no rooms.
• And if there were rooms and they allowed pets, then it was way over budget

The cheapest we could find was Rs 5500 a day for a single room (which meant Rs 11000 a day for the 5 of us!)—and they wouldn’t allow pets. I had slipped into despair and was almost giving up when the husband’s ex-colleague told us he rents out his 2BHK flat at Margao/Madgaon, the cultural capital of Goa, for Rs 3500 a day. Whoooopiiieee! An entire flat for just Rs 3500 a day was like an impossible deal! So, the excitement that had dwindled down came back with double the force!

28 dawned early for us: we were up and about by 4.30am…and waved our goodbyes by 5.30am. Pumbaa, once again, took advantage of the space benefit and promptly snored off. He seemed to realise the luxury would be on offer only for an hour or so We stopped at Guruvayur, picked up dad and mom, and were on our way to GO AAAAHHH !!!!!!!

KTDC's Motel Aaram...where we stopped for lunch

Now, one mistake you should ALWAYS avoid during a trip—especially a road trip—is miscalculation of time and distances For some reason, we all seemed to silently agree that Kochi-Goa is equivalent to B’lore-Kochi. So, another 14 hours, at the max, thought we. And expected to reach Goa by about 8.00 – 9.00pm. Boy, were we wrong!

Kochi to Goa by road is about 850km! Plus add Pumbaa-breaks, food breaks, bio breaks   The roads were terrible till we enteredTamil Nadu…and returned back to the terribleness as soon as we left Tamil Nadu

The NH 17—the 7th longest highway in India with 1,296 km—connects Edapally (Kochi) to Panvel (Mumbai) and passes through almost all of nature’s topographical thrills: hills, forests, rivers, and streams generally flowing westwards towards Arabian sea. Most of the region has the never-tire-of-scenery coconut trees dotted paddy fields and arecanut gardens. But the road makes up for all this wonder, by being horrid: it’s uneven with bumps, curves, steep rises and narrow paths. And being a region with heavy rainfall, the potholes are omnipresent!

The NH 17

And well, we decided to go to Goa direct from Kochi instead of coming back to Bangalore, for two reasons: 1) it was simply the most sensible thing to do …and 2) the route in famous for its beauty as it touches the Arabian sea at Thalassery (Kerala), and at Maravanthe (Karnataka) where it runs in between the sea and the river…like these, for instance:

A shot of the Arabian Sea that ran parallel to the NH...between Thalassery and Mahe (where I got out for a click, and Pumbaa for a pee )

NH 17, with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Sauparnika River on the other...at Maravanthe (pic courtesy: Wikipedia)

In spite of all this, to catch this amazing scene in the pic above, we still took this road. But   our miscalculation, we’d reached these points post 7.30pm! We had no clue where there was sea or where the river

Narrow roads and the lorry traffic ensured we go at a relatively low pace, for a highway! And by the time we could actually pick up speed, we had reached one of the WORST roads we’ve experienced in life. And there were ABSOLUTELY NO sign boards warning us of dug up roads ahead! The first time, we almost flew! And from there on, we went at a snail’s pace for another hour.

Long story short: we reached Madgaon/Margao–our place of stay–at about 2.00am! Tired, sleepy and still feeling all bumpy! I don’t remember anyone getting freshened up or anything. Even Pumbaa decided to cut the frolic and hit bed

Day 1 @ Goa dawned late and we all were rather lazy. By about 12pm, we were ready to leave. But, to where?

“Ah, I know! I’ve made a complete list of all the places I want to visit. Let me find that out.”, said I, and rummaged through all my bags. Typically Priya, I’d forgotten to take the list, apparently. I cursed out loud and tried to access the internet through the husband’s mobile phone. No internet connectivity. I grumbled a few swears and was downed in despair.

Anyways, once it was apparent we were “listless” and didn’t know where to go, we headed out to the nearest beach from Madgaon, the Colva Beach. 4 km west pf Margao, Colva is a lovely beach with about 20 km of palm fringed virgin white sands! Being the new year season, it was brimming with people and activities.

Couples parasailing at Colva Beach

Guarding the life of the beach...the people

Just an interesting something...

Pumbaa and the Sea

The lovely Colva Beach

Pumbaa had a lovely time at the beach. He couldn’t, for the life of him figure out why the water kept coming at him (and he kept running away) and why it kept running away when he chased it . As always, he revelled in all the “ooh”s and “cho chweet”s and “oh-so-cute”s from the other beach lovers He seemed to think he’d never get another chance like that, and ate up quite a bit of the beach sand!

I had decided I must go parasailing, and kept bargaining for a good rate. but well, it being the peak season, they refused to bring it down beyond 500 per couple. Plus, I was wearing a top and skirt, and didn’t want to end up worse that Raima Sen in the movie Honeymoon Travels So, I gave up the idea for the day, willing myself to return the next day.

We left the beach and headed home by about 7pm, shopped for dinner and reached home exhilarated. Beaches do that to me The apartment was a huge one, with two huge bedrooms, a living room, a huge kitchen, one small open balcony, a bigger, closed balcony and an amazing terrace area! (Had meant to click pics, but at that moment, the cam settings gave me trouble and by the time I sorted it out, I forgot what I’d intended to do! It was only after reaching Bangalore that I realised I did not have a single pic of the place )

I did another round of searching-for-the-list, but was unsuccessful. We decided to go to the nearest internet cafe and figure out. But its Goa, folks. People don’t stay “at work” for longer than necessary…and everything closes by 7—especially during this season of rejoicing. They’d rather be home, and spend quality time with family and “spirit”, than watch someone trying to search ‘places to visit” in Goa

And of course, having been to Goa multiple times, and the husband having lived there for close to a year, it wasn’t like we didn’t know the place well…but my non-existent list had many beaches to be visited!

Anyways, “listless” still, we decided to go to Old Goa and Fort Aguada on Day 2 @ Goa.