The Goa Diary
This post is exclusively dedicated to my fellow Goa pirates. It might be a long, boring and arduous read for many. But my sole purpose is to etch the wonderful moments, the verdant landscape and the lissome sea in words. Something to bloom me during my gloom 70s.
Friday: It all began with the Mumbai darshan. Though the bus began its journey on time, the ridiculous policy of picking every passenger from every nook and corner of Mumbai ensured that I endured every possible city pothole. Montu and Intekhab boarded at 5.30 pm instead of 4 pm, while Vijay, Amrita and Richa could finally enjoy the cool confines at 8.30 instead of 5 pm. The camaraderie had begun.
Saturday: The tropical paradise seemed far away with the bus goddamn 6 hours late. A sense of euphoria crept in on alighting the bus - we are finally there. Met Aniket there after almost an year. A local bus ferried us to Benaulim with narrow streets and lush greenery greeting us along the way. The cottages were ornately designed with a Portuguese flavour and the itch to get into our rooms lingered. Soon, the Bangalore gang joined us in the form of Anup, Kruthi, Ram, Harsha and Akhila and boy, wasn't it a joy for me to see these chums after a drought of 1.5 years. Be it the loitering in the pool or the lunch/dinner at Pedro's - the beachside shack - it was all about revisiting memories, forming new friendships coupled with a lot of anecdotes. I still remember the twilight at the beach - the waves lashing our urban feet.
Sunday: The day began with the treatment of a feverish Harsha, who recovered in no time. After a relaxed breakfast (included beer of course) at Pedro's, the pirates finally got to rent their mean machines: bikes. It was all merry after that. Life is exciting at 70 km/hr. A short jaunt to Mobor beach and a ferry ride across a backwater later, the Cap-de-Rama loomed in the horizon. Its a fort with its ramparts overlooking the confluence of the sea and a river. The clincher was that we were alone there; far away from the madding crowd. An hour left for dusk, we reached Palolem, probably the best beach I have ever seen. The waves were perfect for a non-swimmer like me and I found it immensely tough to get out of the sweet yet salty sea. The rain made its presence soon after; the pièce de résistance; an experience to behold; an experience of tasting the sea and the heavens together. The exultation of meeting Ankur and Paritosh at the beach shack cannot be explained in words. We all had given up on them joining us. That made us 14 in all. A 2 hour ride and the night was spent at the Benaulim beach under the canopy of the moon, drinking Old Monk - a favorite with the pirates.
Monday: The morning began with a stupendous jog on the beach with Ram. After a brunch at Colva's, we headed off to North Goa. The initial pit-stop was at Fort Aguada - a prison at the edge of Mandovi river. A gigantic lighthouse and the luscious view was too captivating for the eye. At the adjoining Sinquerim beach, a dilapidated ship lay in ruins and the pirates did itch to get onto it and scoot it away. Some wonderful snaps there by yours truly gives me enough confidence to pursue photography further. A few miles ahead, Calangute was at its touristy best. A day before, 6 IT guys lost their lives there, which meant my phone never stopped ringing. A decision to stay over at Vagator further in the North was a great one, because we ended up finding a dream resort for peanuts. Rakesh joined us there taking the number to 15. The night was spent by the poolside, intermittently mixed with old songs, philosophy, jokes, stars etc.
Tuesday: Vande Mataram! The rocky beach with the monsoon winds early in the morning made the perfect setting. A snap to remember: an inscription of our names on the sand. The rains and the poolside games made the entire experience exhilarating. After the final group snap sessions, the pirates packed up and left for Benaulim. The lovable bikes were returned and the Mumbai - Bangalore gangs parted ways thereafter. Bade sad goodbyes with a promise to have more trips. The bus journey back was the least tiresome - the chatting never stopped. All through the night.
Wednesday: It had to end. It did end. I was back in office at 2 pm. And dozing off in my seat in full view of everyone. Coffee saved my life. But no antidote can get me out of the Goa fever.
"Absolute Hights" thats what we have coined the trip as. It will jostle our minds till no one knows when!
Friday: It all began with the Mumbai darshan. Though the bus began its journey on time, the ridiculous policy of picking every passenger from every nook and corner of Mumbai ensured that I endured every possible city pothole. Montu and Intekhab boarded at 5.30 pm instead of 4 pm, while Vijay, Amrita and Richa could finally enjoy the cool confines at 8.30 instead of 5 pm. The camaraderie had begun.
Saturday: The tropical paradise seemed far away with the bus goddamn 6 hours late. A sense of euphoria crept in on alighting the bus - we are finally there. Met Aniket there after almost an year. A local bus ferried us to Benaulim with narrow streets and lush greenery greeting us along the way. The cottages were ornately designed with a Portuguese flavour and the itch to get into our rooms lingered. Soon, the Bangalore gang joined us in the form of Anup, Kruthi, Ram, Harsha and Akhila and boy, wasn't it a joy for me to see these chums after a drought of 1.5 years. Be it the loitering in the pool or the lunch/dinner at Pedro's - the beachside shack - it was all about revisiting memories, forming new friendships coupled with a lot of anecdotes. I still remember the twilight at the beach - the waves lashing our urban feet.
Sunday: The day began with the treatment of a feverish Harsha, who recovered in no time. After a relaxed breakfast (included beer of course) at Pedro's, the pirates finally got to rent their mean machines: bikes. It was all merry after that. Life is exciting at 70 km/hr. A short jaunt to Mobor beach and a ferry ride across a backwater later, the Cap-de-Rama loomed in the horizon. Its a fort with its ramparts overlooking the confluence of the sea and a river. The clincher was that we were alone there; far away from the madding crowd. An hour left for dusk, we reached Palolem, probably the best beach I have ever seen. The waves were perfect for a non-swimmer like me and I found it immensely tough to get out of the sweet yet salty sea. The rain made its presence soon after; the pièce de résistance; an experience to behold; an experience of tasting the sea and the heavens together. The exultation of meeting Ankur and Paritosh at the beach shack cannot be explained in words. We all had given up on them joining us. That made us 14 in all. A 2 hour ride and the night was spent at the Benaulim beach under the canopy of the moon, drinking Old Monk - a favorite with the pirates.
Monday: The morning began with a stupendous jog on the beach with Ram. After a brunch at Colva's, we headed off to North Goa. The initial pit-stop was at Fort Aguada - a prison at the edge of Mandovi river. A gigantic lighthouse and the luscious view was too captivating for the eye. At the adjoining Sinquerim beach, a dilapidated ship lay in ruins and the pirates did itch to get onto it and scoot it away. Some wonderful snaps there by yours truly gives me enough confidence to pursue photography further. A few miles ahead, Calangute was at its touristy best. A day before, 6 IT guys lost their lives there, which meant my phone never stopped ringing. A decision to stay over at Vagator further in the North was a great one, because we ended up finding a dream resort for peanuts. Rakesh joined us there taking the number to 15. The night was spent by the poolside, intermittently mixed with old songs, philosophy, jokes, stars etc.
Tuesday: Vande Mataram! The rocky beach with the monsoon winds early in the morning made the perfect setting. A snap to remember: an inscription of our names on the sand. The rains and the poolside games made the entire experience exhilarating. After the final group snap sessions, the pirates packed up and left for Benaulim. The lovable bikes were returned and the Mumbai - Bangalore gangs parted ways thereafter. Bade sad goodbyes with a promise to have more trips. The bus journey back was the least tiresome - the chatting never stopped. All through the night.
Wednesday: It had to end. It did end. I was back in office at 2 pm. And dozing off in my seat in full view of everyone. Coffee saved my life. But no antidote can get me out of the Goa fever.
"Absolute Hights" thats what we have coined the trip as. It will jostle our minds till no one knows when!
posted by Tejas at 9:25 AM
1 Comments:
wow!!..seems like you had rockin time!!...GOA rocks..no place in this world can match its aura!!
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