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I have never been attracted by the sea, sand and surf. Perhaps that is why Goa never appealed to me. Every time I thought of a holiday, I loved to think about high- rise mountains, pine scented air, tranquility, and simplicity. Goa, I thought is modern trendy and crowded. Not for me I thought.
I always thought of walking in the clouds in Gangtok or exploring barren yet beautiful land of Leh. On the distant horizon, I wondered about Land of Thunder—Bhutan. Coming from a hilly area, I was fascinated by the magnanimity of snow clad mountain peaks, serpentine roads, dhabas, and mountain streams. I could easily associate with these things.
Sea was a distant thing for me. It held no special attraction. Yet, one fine afternoon in February I with a friend was aboard Spice Jet to Goa. The reason - Manali, Musoorie, Shimla, Nainital- same old story - I didn’t want to repeat and was really looking for a break from the obvious. Two and a half hours later I was walking on the hot tarmac at Dabolim Airport.
Outside the airport, there was usual scene. Many taxi drivers and tour representatives were standing holding placards to receive the guests. I found mine on a white sheet in bold Arial type and confirmed if the guy is from the same place (Sea Pearl) where I’ve done booking. On re-confirming, he asked me to wait and he vanished to get his taxi.
The scene outside the airport was not very different what one is accustomed to any other airport in the country. Taxi drivers and touts wanting a slice of your spending in Goa. They promise excellent tours and recommend attractive places to stay but don’t come up attractive prices.
Some Gyan for the first time traveller
If you are traveling to Goa for the first time, request your hotel to send a taxi. If you want to travel on your own, there is a pre-paid taxi booth just outside the airport. It has a huge board with name of the places and taxi fare written. Pretty simple. I think. However, I insist you ask your hotel to pick you up from the Airport, as many of the hotels are located a bit off the road. Most of them are near beaches, so it becomes bit difficult to access them on your own unless you have some idea about the location.
The journey to Candolim
10 minutes later, an Omni Van stopped in front and I was on the road to Candolim. Omni vans are the commonly used mode of transport in Goa. Once I crossed the bridge over the Mandovi, I exclaimed – um it’s really beautiful. The Mandovi was on the left and there were coconut trees lining the shores. The ships sailing on the river made a picture postcard view. As we sped to Candolim, Goa felt like a quaint village minus the touristy tag. Along the way, there was no trace of it being a hugely popular tourist destination. It was so calm and simple.
My opinion of it being crowded and touristy was just a misconception (perhaps February is not the touristy season). On the contrary, it was like connecting to village life. As the Sun prepared to leave for the day I found people stopping cycles and bikes just to catch a football match on the roadside football ground. It made a pretty sight, similar to one, I had experienced long back.
The view from the balcony
The first thing I did after checking in was to get the view outside. A palm tree barely hundred meters was leaning on the left; beyond that there were three ships on the Arabian Sea lined and the yellow light emanating and kissing the waters beneath. I leaned over the balcony and patted my self for taking the wise decision of coming to Goa and choosing a room with a view.
The beach
I hate getting up early on a holiday. Yes, unless I’m
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