What is better than to start the day with a good deed. We bid goodbye to our razzmatazz car & opted for a bike as our ride for Panaji. The beautiful city of Panaji has a history of 174 years. Not many know that the city was relocated painstakingly from Old Goa, the former capital, as it fell to ruins.
We checked into Hotel Grande Delmon, a definite recommendation for those who want to spend a day in Panaji & can do away with a ‘balcony with a view’. The hotel is located right in the heart of the city & provides easy access to the places of interest.
Remember: Sunscreen is your best pal in the scorching Goan sun. Be sure to take along a good one or you might end up red like a lobster!
Our first stop was the famous Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church popularly known as the Panaji church. The morning sun reflects off the magnificent white facade giving it an almost blinding glow. Built upon the hillside, it is adorned by the distinguished flight of zig zaging stairs and has been the backdrop of many Bollywood movies.(Remember ‘Josh’?). The church is built in Portuguese-baroque style with an intricate main altar graced by Mother Mary while the two side altars are flamboyantly gold plated.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
After soaking in the soothing calm of the church we headed out to the quaint french quarters of Fontainhas. Time stands still in these streets lined with Portuguese style buildings. The myriad colours sing of a bygone era of elegance. Your eyes meet blue, ochre, crimson, orange, pink – buildings in a whole palette of colours. Beautifully crafted railings adorn the balconies while the windows are laced in white. The pinks & reds of Bougainvillea, Clemantis & cardinal vines climbing on bright yellow walls & training from Victorian lamp posts paint a feast for the eyes. Many of these houses have been converted into hotels & restaurants. It is heartwarming to see these gems of history preserved with immaculate care.
The narrow cobbled streets snake around leading you to timeless treasures tucked in corners, waiting to be discovered. Our grumbling stomachs lead us to such a treasure- Viva Panjim, a hundred and fifty three year old rustic Portuguese building converted into a hotel. Come here to experience how it was to dine in the Portuguese era. Whether you choose a table in the dim romantic interiors of the hall with walls lined with the D’souza family ( the owners of this wonderful house) memorabilia & wooden shelves holding sparkling crystal wares or sit out in the pretty patio, mouth watering Portuguese & Goan delicacies will take your taste buds on a trip. Do try the chicken xacuti, cafreal , kingfish steak & Goan prawns curry. Their pork vindaloo & sorpotel is hall of fames worthy. Wait, do not leave without satisfying your sweet tooth with the classic bebinca- a moist layered cake which is a Goan specialty.
Viva Panjim
With our hunger satiated, we headed onto Aguada Fort for a slice of history. Its a beautiful 20 KM ride from Panaji to Aguada. Aguada is a seventeenth century Portuguese fort overlooking the blue waters of the Arabian sea. It derives its name from the fresh water spring that gave the fort a constant supply of water, ‘Agua’ in Portuguese means water and ‘Aguada’ a place where water is collected. The dominant feature of this once impregnable fort is the four storied massive lighthouse which is the oldest of its kind in Asia. As you walk along the fort walls you will find people busy posing for the cameras & trying to capture the beauty in a frame. But no camera can do justice to the waves crashing onto the fort walls with skirts of froth,the never ending sea , the ships sailing at the hazy horizon seeming to enter a different world beyond the veil of mist & the glorious evening sun. They demand to be looked at & lived in.
The imposing lighthouse
View from the fort
The fort closes at 5:30 PM so make sure to time your visit accordingly. Make sure to visit the St. Lawrence church which is next to the fort. It is amusing to know that this church was strategically placed near the fort to prevent enemies firing the Portuguese bastions from close quarters.
We decided to take a detour & followed the road down the church. This road less traveled was quite deserted & lead us to the Aguada Jail! We found a few fellow dare devils here. The jail is part of the fort structure but is off limits to the public as it is in use & houses goons you don’t want to mess with. But wanderers are always rewarded. The view of the ocean from here is breath taking. You can enjoy a sea spray when the huge waves crash onto the rocks lining the shore.The sea is quite rough here & it is strongly advised not to get onto the slippery rocks.
The fortunate find
Ecstatic with the find we set back to Panaji. About 10 mins into the ride we found few bikes take a detour from the road. Riding high on our success at the first detour we decided to put caution to the air & tag along. Voila! we were rewarded again & with such a sight which eyes can behold but words can never describe. We had chanced upon a part of the fort which trails along the Sinquerium beach & extends an arm into the sea. The sun was going down into the swelling sea.
The Aguada extending into the sea
As you stand leaning to the fort wall,the inches thick brick wall is the only thing between you and the heaving sea. As the evening commences the tide gets higher & the waves mightier. As you stand there marveling at the sights before you, you realize how small a speck are you against the mighty nature.
Sunset at Sinquerium
With my newfound enlightenment we finally head back to the hotel for a much needed rest. But a traveller knows no rest. We ended up with our party shoes on, riding to Baga beach. Baga is a good long ride from Panaji. We met up with a beautiful beach lined with glittering shacks blasting out Bollywood music & a big crowd. Forget about serenity & soul searching. This is were Goa ( & a considerable part of India & well yeah the few russians) goes crazy. After spending some time dancing with the waves we checked into a pub called Mambos. It is a pretty good place with a decent dance floor. If you are a gang of girls who happen to be at Baga on a Wednesday. Then you are in for a treat. Wednesday nights are ladies night & all the senoritas are in for free unlimited drinks! Couples although have to pay around 3000 INR.
After dancing away the night we make way to the hotel in the chilling dark,spearing the wind along the empty roads,putting our trusts into the GPS.
It was a day well lived.
Stay tuned for day 3 which will be spent in the charms of Old Goa.
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