Soulful Goa - where History meets Horizon

I just wrapped up a 4 day trip to Goa, my eighth trip so far to this State - 5 with friends, 2 with the family and 1 company offsite. There is something quaint about this place which pulls in lakhs of tourists every season... They come here for either some or all of these - laidback lazy days, beaches, shacks, seafood, music, drinks, casino etc. 

"Peaceful" would be an expression which my younger-self would have frowned upon, going by how some of the earlier holidays to Goa were.. But this trip (with wife & kids) was all about peace and hitting the 'pause' button !! Some may say it's getting old, some would suggest it's all about getting wiser 😜 !! So the North Goa beaches, the shack/pub hopping, the adventure sports, the discotheques, late night parties of the earlier trips were not repeated this time.... Please do read on if you want to find out how a relaxed Goa vacation could look like. 😊

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Sunsets & Strolls by the Shore

There is something theraupatic with the Goan beaches, especially the South Goa ones. We stayed at Club Mahindra Varca and every morning started with a long stroll on the beautiful Varca beach. The beaches are less crowded, the white sands and waves rolling on to the beach in a rhythm. Bliss !!!

What's more mesmerizing are the sunsets, as the sun melt into the Arabian sea, the horizon glowing orange/pink & the sky slowly fading to purple.

There were few water sports organisers and enthusiasts who ventured out, but somehow the concern of these operations being unsafe kept us away from them. Instead we played with the waves, built few sand castles & clicked lots of photos !!

Retreating monsoons dampen Diwali festivities 

What was advertised as fascinating Diwali gala event on 20th October at the resort turned out to be a dud, thanks to the untimely rains that timed itself to perfection, pouring cold water over the set stages, decorations and cancelling the Diwali party. Instead we all had to huddle into one covered space, for some delightful Indian sweets... Soon all the disappointments of the missed party lost to a plate of crispy jalebi dipped in delicious rabdi!! 😋 

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"Food is an opinion"

My daughter announced the other day sitting at a restaurant. She was apparently not very impressed with the fish curry rice, something which we liked there. She however did agree with our choice of local desserts - be it serradura, bebinca or coconut puddings. They were as yummy as they come!

While we won't call ourselves as foodies, but Roshni & me both agree that the best way to explore a city is by experiencing the local food culture .. we have been doing these for years.. Before landing to any place, we chalk out eateries offering local cuisines.. so for this trip too, we did plan out few popular joints and made it a point to weave our iterinary around the lunch/dinner choices.. and we did enjoy our choice of seafood and drinks!!! 

Every meal felt like a mini celebration - simple, flavorful and best paired with glass of feni/urrak or some nice cocktails !! Few restaurants worth mention here :

- Fisherman's Wharf, Cavelossim, I found the ambience much better & homely than the North Goa franchisees.

- Martin's Corner, Betalbatim - This was my second trip here after the last one in 2018 with friends and I loved it once again

- The Southern Deck, Benaulim - Somehow this felt bit letdown, probably the sudden rains caused the crowds to swell indoors and resultant not-so-great dinner experience. 

- FlavorBoat Varca Club Mahindra - Though not traditional Goan cuisine, we found the wood-fired pizzas comforting.

There were many more eateries in our list, but these would have to wait for future trips. 

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A Step Back in Time ...and a Long Drive

On the 3rd day of the holiday, we decided to go for a long drive up North to Old Goa & then eastward deep into the Western Ghats. 

First stop was the former capital of Portugese India - Old Goa, situated near Mandovi River. The Viceroy's Arch (built in 1599) served as the ceremonial gate for the Portuguese Viceroys as they entered their colonial capital. 

Next to the Arch, were the Church of St Cajetan and the more-popular Se Cathedral. Both Christian shrines have an history of 400 years, being built in 1600s and their tall white structures glew against the blue Goan skies. The interiors of the churches were beautiful with wooden altars, the chandeliers and high arches. 

From 1600s Old Goa, we drove further back in time to the 13th century, much much before all these Europeans reached India!! Situated deep in the Western Ghats stood the one of the oldest temples of Goa - the Tambdi Surla Kadamba Mahadev Temple. 

The drive itself was pure magical through winding roads flanked by forests and ocassional must drifting across the road, creating a mirage of sorts.

As for the temple, it was beautifully carved black basalt stone built in Kadamba-Yadava architecture style with intricate carvings of Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The temple,though small in size, had an amazing positive vibe and very well preserved. The temple vicinity was quiet, serene and situated amidst lush vegetation and flowing river Surla closeby.

That was a quick summary of our 4 day trip to Goa. We made a mental note to visit the state again for some other similar rejuvenating experiences such Diwar island, Usgalimal rock engravings etc. Though Roshni & I were keen to explore these, the kids preferred the resort activities, swimming pool and the beach, so we spent more time at Varca.

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Before I end the blog, a quick note on our commute experiences too. This trip we skipped flights and chose trains instead. The onward journey to Madgaon was an interesting experience aboard the Tejas Express Vistadome - a special train coach with panaromic glass windows, 360° rotatable seats and special observation lounge at the end, providing an unobstructed viewing area. We spent the 10+ hour enjoying the scenery 😃, food-on-board (though this was not as tasty as we hoped! 😔).

For our return, we chose the overnight Matsyagandha express which ensured we got some sleep before reaching Thane by 6 am.

We also hired a self-drive car from Madgaon train station for 4 days. There are several hiring operators and these are fairly priced too. Our Baleno automatic car came at Rs 1500 per day, which was economical and convenient. I was pleasantly happy with the good quality Goan roads too. 

That's it from me, hope I captured the essence of my 8th Goa trip. Signing off with plans to visit here again!! 

Cheers

Sunil