Go Goa Gone

My hubby and I had a two-day vacation in Goa. Goa is the California of India. It is the land where foreigners come to party and have fun, sun bathe on the white sand beaches, swim and surf in the deep blue sea.

(L to R) Drinks at Arambol Beach, Pretty huts on Mandrem beach, people surfing and doing water sports at Vagator beach

What I loved in Goa were the Mandrem, Vagator and Palolem beaches. All of these were white sand beaches. The fine sand slipped through my fingers when I held it.  The sea was blue and clear, and the touch of water on my skin was refreshing. These beaches were not at all crowded.

At Mandrem Beach. A brown carpet was laid down for us.

View of Vagator Beach from Thalassa Restaurant

At Palolem Beach

I liked concept of hiring a bike or car and going around. My hubby and I did not have to depend on anybody. We roamed around North and South Goa with the aid of GPS on our phones. We drove along the narrow roads lined with green fields on either side. We saw sparkling creeks, surrounded by dense vegetation. We smelled the sea in the air as we approached the beaches.

I loved the food at Thalassa Restaurant and Martin’s corner. The sea food and the cocktails were delicious and were at affordable prices when compared to Bangalore.

                                                  King Prawns at Thalassa Restaurant

Sunset at Aguada jail

What I did not like in Goa was the Calangute Beach. It was completely commercial. I felt breathless in the torrent of humanity at Calangute. I also hated Britto’s restaurant, which is located on Baga Beach. Everybody who goes to Goa visits this restaurant as though it is some kind of ritual but it is not worth it. The place is completely overrated. We ordered mutton chops and it was way too spicy and greasy.

I did not like the non-stop party culture in Goa. It was fun for a couple of hours but after sometime I started feeling bad for the locals. Almost everybody will be on high all the time. Few of the locals were rude; we got shouted at while crossing the road. The guy did not even have patience to slow down. I did not understand why people were in such a great hurry. I also hated the narrow two-way lanes of Goa which made driving a bit of pain.

There were a lot of foreigners in Goa. I realized that beauty of nature along with the booze makes a few foreigners do crazy things.

At Vagator beach, we saw a buffalo enjoying the serenity of the sea. It sat facing the sea, observing the gentle waves. Its dark skin shined in the sun. May be the buffalo wanted to soak up the sunlight in the cold winter. The pesky foreigners did not allow the buffalo to enjoy its beach time. One foreigner tried to place a green cap on the buffalo from an arm’s length whereas the other foreigner got ready to take the picture. I felt bad for the buffaloes in Goa. They have to deal with these troublesome foreigners who disrupt their privacy.

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