Goa is every youthful heart’s calling. The Indian party paradise thrives with beautiful bustling beaches, rustic shacks, ‘you name it – we have it’ flea markets & oh yeah! a number of pubs to go footloose & get wasted. Well party tho banti hi hai but that is not all Goa has to offer.
Time to get out of your party shoes guys, as did i. ( do carry them along though)
Goa has been calling on to me for quite a long time & believe me I too have had my share of those ‘Goa plans’ which some how never happen. So i finally decided to chuck the planning part & surprise Goa.
Day One : Colva
After an overnight neck-breaking bus ride from Bangalore, I was enthralled at crossing into Goa. Although the initial sights were almost deserted landscapes, not the lush green & colonial mansions I had pictured in my mind, i was not a wee bit disappointed. It will be right to say that Goa is an emotion which overcomes you the moment you step in.
An advice to prospective travellers: please try to make transport arrangements beforehand to avoid hassles. Agents at the bus depots are waiting for your feet to touch down. They might not always be trusted. We ended up paying for a car which seemed to have been gone through a crash test. And what more, it also had an alarm system to keep you from crossing 60 kmph. The wheels would start rattling. They obviously wanted me to drive safe ha. Can’t blame ’em for it!
We were bound to Colva from Panjim. En route we got into this restaurant off the NH 66 for lunch. Boy your trip to Goa is incomplete without the Portuguese seafood thali. It is the taste of Goan seaside on a platter. From crisp fish rava fry to the creamy melt in the mouth prawns balchao every dish is mouthwatering.
With our bellies filled & pockets light (INR 600 for a fulfilling meal for two), we hit the road. Colva beach is a good 1 hour drive from Panjim. Colva greets you with streets lined with numerous restaurants & colourful stores selling trinkets, summer dresses & all other kinds of fancy wear.
Colva is your calling if you want the best of the two worlds; serenity & adventure. The beach greets you with mighty waves that crash on the sand & leave behind little gifts of pretty shells. There are a number of options to unwind. You can stretch on the cool sand sipping a drink, with the waves kissing your feet or enjoy a game of beach volleyball.
Blue are the skies above & oceans below
While Para sails & water scooters are at your service to quench your thirst for adventure, you can also hit one of the many shacks lining the beach & enjoy the sunset, watching the fishermen bring in the days catch whilst you indulge in some delicious food & drinks. All of these with a glorious ochre sky in the backdrop.
Good things come to those who bait
The setting sun still whispers a promise for tomorrow
Post sunset few of the shacks turn on their speakers & that is when you know its dinnertime!
Dinner did not meet the expectations
We dined at the Kentucky Seafood Restuarant. The ambience was pretty good but there was nothing sumptuous about the food. Foodies do head out & explore the other options.
So thats it for day one folks. Day two will be spent exploring the grandeur of panaji followed by getting footloose at ‘the baga beach’.
Stay tuned.
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