Travelogue - A trip to Goa
It started years ago when we, "The Mumbai Indians" (everyone used to refer to our gang of five by this name during our college days), were watching the movie "Dil Chahta hai" that we decided to take a trip to Goa. The planning was full on, some of us even started shopping :p. We introduced this plan to our parents and as it often happens, we couldn't convince them for the trip. Finally, we had to give up the plan.
Although it’s been years since we left college, we are still very much in touch; every year, we meet up during December vacations and make it a point to hang out in Marine drive. So, on one such occasion, we decided to take a break from our dull,monotonous lives - as you know, too much of work or studies is bound to make one bored to the hilt. We wanted to do something different, something entirely different and amazing. We decided to replan our old trip, this time everything was perfectly set - tickets, accommodation, and the destination. We had a tough time getting the dates for the trip, as the five of us were settled in different parts of the world and everyone’s leave had to coincide. Finally, somehow we were able to fix the dates. However, one person from our gang could not make it for the trip. This time, we were lucky enough to easily convince our parents; by the way, I’m still surprised how they got convinced!
We had arranged our stay near “Baga beach”. The first day of our trip started with Old Goa. From North Goa, we drove straight to Old Goa via Panaji, where all the magnificent churches are located. The route from Baga to Old Goa is really beautiful, with the Mandovi river to your left. We were fortunate enough to reach Goa at the time of Exposition of Relics of St. Francis Xavier 2014 in the Basillica of Bom Jesus, a spectacular church built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. After a long wait of 2.5 hours, we finally got to see the body. It’s a miracle that St. Xavier’s body didn’t disintegrate even after being buried three times in three different countries. We then headed to Panaji where we had a typical Konkani lunch. After the visit to panaji church, we took the road to the enigmatic Dona Paula beach, where we had a splendid evening.
The second day of our trip started with Calangute beach - the road near the beach is crowded with tourists and various shops selling everything; from fancy beachwear and goan handicrafts, to readymade yummy seafood, tattoo shops, and lots more. Then we headed to Aguada Fort, a Portuguese fort now protected by the Archaeological Society of India. We had a fabulous time at the fort, thanks to the long photo sessions.Our cab driver was literally shouting at us asking how someone could spend 3 hrs at that fort. This was partly because he had to go for another trip. By evening, we returned to Calangute beach, spent hours gazing at the sea and the resplendent evening sky. I don't know whether it was the beautiful ambience or the feeling of being reunited with our best friends, we could forget all the worries in our life and was feeling on top of the world. I just love the song “Aaj mein upar aasman niche, aaj mein aage zamaana hai pichhe”, as it actually captures the spirit of the moment.
And thus the Goa trip came to an end. For those who think that Goa is not safe for girls, I must say, “Goa is actually safe until you visit safe places” and to all those who badly want a change in life, please do visit Goa once at least in your lifetime.
