Dear Readers,
In my opinion, Goa is one of the most postponed trips, especially for the engineering bunch. I am glad how it turned out to be a reunion with my girlfriends. I have tried to bring my trip alive through this blog, though if you are in a rush and just want to know the itinerary, you may read this.
We were sitting at the Artjuna Garden Café, on a round table by the side of a huge counter where the waiters dressed in a blue t-shirt and bermuda pants were roaming with delicacies and luring drinks in their trays. I was relaxing with my girlfriends with a glass of Rosewater Gin in my hand (you can avoid ordering this one) and having a very interesting discussion. On the left side of us, there were two groups of friends, ordering food more than they can eat in this life and on the right one couple. So the argument was, Who would you come with for the first time to Goa- friends or your better half? Though the answer was easy in my head, we actually had a tie on our table.
Day 1:
We all met at the Goa airport at 1:30 AM and headed straight to South Goa. The taxi driver was in a party mood and was hitting on Punjabi songs while we all were trying to catch up with all the newest updates of our life. The car stopped at 4:00 AM at Palolem beach where we had booked our stay for the first two days. It was raining when we reached and we could hear only two sounds - waves and rain. We could see small bubbles everywhere on the seashore, glistening in the fading moonlight, appearing and disappearing and it all seemed so musical until dogs started barking. Drenched by the rain, while hoping for a clear sky tomorrow, we went to sleep in our wooden cabins.
I woke up at 8:30 AM to see if it is still raining outside. And damn!! I opened the door of my room and all I could see was waves after waves till a very long stretch. The weather was beautiful, clear blue sky above and tameless sea below. We had our breakfast at the beachside, ordered coolers, and spend the entire day playing at the beach. I did not know until then that I have the potential of staying in water for 5 hours without caring much about tanning or see-through garms. I found South Goa much better than the North. It's so much less crowded, cleaner, and peaceful. We planned to go to Silent Noise at the end of the day but weekdays came in our way, so it still remains on my bucket list. But this is one of the benchmarks for the headphones party, 3 channels and 3 DJs make you a party animal. So with luck on our back, as an alternate, we went to Cafe Del Mar, which had very fun and loving hosts. It has good seating, with white drapes and yellow lights, and waves touching your feet while we enjoyed our exquisite dinner.
Day 2:
On the next sunny morning, we headed to North Goa by taxi. On our way to North Goa, we stopped to grab lunch in Fontainhas, Viva Panjim. The narrow lanes with colorful Portuguese villas on both sides are worth visiting.
We had booked Airbnb for 2 days and had the best of our time there. We were fortunate to get a good deal for it, though this could weigh heavy on your wallet. One thing that can bother you about Goa is finding conveyance. Taxis can increase your budget for the trip. So instead, We booked scooties for two days.
Tonight was the party night. Running by the clock of girls', we had our fun while getting ready. All of us were looking stunning, draped in sexy dresses crowned with beautiful smiles. At 9 PM, we headed straight to Thalassa. This place will give you all the feels of Goa. You need a reservation for a table, but you can still walk-in if you can munch while standing. Of course, we did that!!
The place was completely lit with loud music, flashy lights and can get you in the party mood the minute you enter in. We had endless dance sessions without caring about rain. A few hours later, bottles of champagne were being wasted on the crowd. We made new friends, limited to dance-friends, and rocked the floor till it was 2:30 in the night.
Day 3:
The next day, we grabbed a quickie and left for Artjuna Café to have lunch. Wearing helmets, we drove for 10kms on narrow roads covered with coconut trees on both sides. With fed bellies, we headed straight to Arambol Beach. If you wish to enjoy waves, it is better to reach 2-3 hours before sunset as patrolling starts in the evening. This beach has grown crowded in recent years, so I didn't enjoy this one much but has a pleasing view to soothe your eyes. To wind up the day, we went to LPK near Candolim. It has a good ambience, a separate space for dining, and a four-walled area to dance. I cannot write much about the night, but I do remember ordering food and not eating at all, and some other sloshed stories for which we could have been heavily fined, but walked away with the goddess of luck. In short, I am grateful to wake up in my bed.
Day 4:
Day 4 was dedicated to complete relaxing on Baga Beach. As we walked on the streets, it was full of local shops on both sides and you can find junk jewelry, denim shorts, hats, and sexy dresses at a lot cheaper prices. Baga beach is famous for water sports, for which you need to keep cash handy. Though the water sports are for a very short duration, it is fun. You can enjoy Parasailing, Jet Ski, Kayaking and so much more. After taking a stroll on the beach, we relaxed for 4-5 hours on the Sun lounge with coolers/beers. I would recommend you to get your hair braided as it adds a lot more colors to the beautiful pictures.
Here comes the most awaited part, the sunset. As we watched the clear sky with shades of reddish-orange beautifully jelling up with the blue, the sun was steadily turning into darker shades of red. Soon, we watched it taking a dip into the sea to quench itself. The view was serene enough to make me go back and watch it one or maybe a hundred times more.
I always try to end the trip with an image that can remain stuck in my head and call me back to the same place again. I am glad that I succeeded. So, to conclude the discussion, it may seem romantic to go walk on the seashore, hand-in-hands with your loved ones, but I would any day prefer it to be with my girlfriends.
Cheers,
Jo
You can find the complete itinerary of my trip here. I have tried capturing the mesmerizing beauty of Goa at SNAPSHOTS