Go Goa!

Just got back after my 4-day trip to Goa. My skin is all tanned but the heart is content & the mind is full of great memories. The trip was perfect in more ways than one - the place, the weather, the company. We (Vandana, Colin, Pallab, Rudra & me) managed to do things which are different from regular touristy stuff; mainly because of Colin as Goa is his native place and he knows about all the right places there. We stayed at his cousin's apartment in Aldona - a quaint little town near Mapusa in northern Goa. Each house in the neighborhood seemed to have a story to tell.

Our first evening was spent strolling at Calangute beach and a sumptuous dinner at Souza Lobo's. The all time hit songs played by the band made us all do an impromptu dance gig with some other diners. Next day was spent at Chapora Fort (the one in movie Dil Chahta Hai) & dipping & sun-bathing at Ozran beach. Evening was spent at Baga beach & a boat ride into deep sea at sunset. The dinner was planned at the jetty in Dona Paula but unfortunately it was closed that day. But the drive through Panaji, Miramar & Dona Paula more than made up for it. So we dined at Calangute beach instead where Colin cut his birthday cake & opened a champagne bottle.

Destination for day three was Arambol beach - a beautiful beach about an hour's drive from our place. On one side of the beach was the sea (it was a little rough that day) and a small fresh water lake on the other side. The water was only 4 feet deep in the lake and lot of people were skinny-dipping in it. Dinner was again at Souza Lobo's to celebrate Colin's birthday (sans alcohol as it was a dry day in Goa :( ). This time it was another band playing and the male singer had an extremely good voice (similar to Robbie Williams') and he had an eye for our 'pretty boy' Pallab ;). We managed to find a place after midnight (St. Anthony's I think at Baga beach) which was serving alcohol and we spent hours there and left when we were extremely drunk and the place closed for the night (around 2 AM).

Day four was a touch-and-go visit to Fort Aguada and the jail from where Charles Shobraj had escaped & some shopping (wines, cashews etc). And before we realized it was time to leave. Like all good things our vacation, too, had come to an end. We spent our drive to Belgaum discussing about the next weekend get-away.

I always like places where I go as a traveller and not as a tourist. I have visited Goa as both and I am glad I was a traveller this time ...