A paradise called Goa

I made my first trip to Goa when I was 29. Too late, some might debate. But I wondered why I never made any effort to go there. Every time I skim through my holiday pictures of Goa, I want to be magically transported there. After hearing a lot about their beaches, shacks, the architecture et al, I wanted to go there simply to try and comprehend what the 'Goa buzz' was all about (my husband was making his sixth trip and he wasn't bored one bit.) Eventually, when things materialised, I was kicked. And once I landed, there it was… an idyllic paradise called Goa.

It was November, but there was no dearth of sunshine. The first time we took our vehicle out to explore - I zipped pass through narrow lanes, enclosed by palms, only to see a different side of Goa at every stop. In fact, it was at that moment I fell in love with the sunshine state. During the day, we soaked in the sun. And in the evenings, it was the chilly wind that kissed me, every time we sat on the golden sands. Goa, for me, was like meditation - it gave me the much-needed calm to my mind and soul, post the disastrous year that I had. Whenever we sat in the beach, my mind was still. Well, which place can do that to you?

Since it was my first trip, I did all the touristy stuff -  Fort Aguada, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Chapora Fort, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Anjuna beach, Baga, Calungute - you name it and we have been there. And I enjoyed every bit of my travel sojourn, walking miles together, getting free vitamin D, having too much aqua, drinking all the local beverages, savoring every dish and capturing every view that I wanted to take away home with.

The only time I didn't take a photo was in Anjuna. It was Wednesday and there was flea. We haggled with almost every other vendor to buy a piece of Goa (and Djembe), which led itself to the glorious Anjuna beach. My husband said that the sunset here is a sight to behold. And as we waited, I saw the picturesque glorious sun, spreading its light into the sparkling blue waters. At this moment, somehow, I didn’t hurry up to take my camera as this view was truly magical. I could hear a faint sound of George Michael’s hits playing in the background, families and couples quietly enjoying the sun and sand. Everything was perfect around me, and so was the sunset, in all its splendor. I fail to fathom why sunsets are underrated (The other sunset that’s still afresh in my memory was in Marine Drive, Mumbai).

Since my husband was making his umpteenth trip, we also decided to explore a side of Goa, which he hasn’t seen. My sister suggested I visit Mario Mirranda’s gallery. Goa has an artistic side and is known for its painted tiles. We first went to the store in Panjim. We loved his works and even bought a couple of paintings. We wanted to check out his other store in Porvorim, where architect Gerard De Cunha works out of. And once we landed at the store, it was love at first sight. The entire place was done up so beautifully. We bought a couple of more paintings, which adorns our living room now.

The best part of Goa is that there's something for everybody. If you are the partying sorts, there's North Goa. If you want a quieter ambiance albeit with beaches, South Goa is the place to head to. And the place offers a lot for the adventure junkies (I took a water sport for the first time), then there's the cultural side in Panjim, a smell of the past in Vasco and so on. Goa is your medicine for any ailment.  

We went back to the airport with extra luggage. But that’s OK. After all, we took a piece of Goa with us. And right there at the airport, I made a promise to myself – that I will do an annual visit to the sunshine state. It shook me up, rejuvenated me and made me fall in love with beaches a tad more than I already have.

Cheers 

P.S: Not to miss, Goa has a vibrant food scene... a haven for seafood lovers... be it north Goa or South Goa, don’t forget to head to all the Goa faves when you’re there.