Travel: Footloose in Goa

chillibreeze writer — Manisha Viren Singh

In half the light of dusk, an Arabian Sea looks meditatively calm. The waves bloodied by a parting Sun caress the shores softly as not to disturb their stupor. On a far distant horizon, a dhow trudges the tides towards the coast carrying day- long produce, a lone sea gull circling an amber-hued sky lets out a shrill cry breaking the trance. On the beach, bronzed bodies lie unwrapped on the satiny ground soaking the remnants of parting warmth. Further inland strains of music drift from the small shacks straddling palm- fringed boulevards.

La Dolce Vita, I mutter under my breath.

Tiptoeing past the resident, white crabs on the slippery rocks, I stand on a cliff that juts out deep in to sea leaving a faint craggy land trail behind. The view from the height is simply breathtaking.

Goa: The hippy beach destination of the East

My second day in Goa- a cocoon state straddling Arabian coastline on one side and a verdant mountain range of the Western Ghats on the other and I am already in love with life.

Goa casts an enchanting time warp. A lasting image is of tourists soaking in the warmth of languid afternoons, and the post noon hush when the whole of Goa closes down for a customary afternoon siesta, trance parties, pleasantly drunk fishermen singing in thick raspy voice and rows of bent men working on paddy fields.

Nature’s Darling

Goa is blessed with rich marine life, balmy tropical weather, rich mineral resources, and fertile earth growing paddy, coconut and cashew plantations, a plethora of rivers, thick forests, gentle natives and an exotic Indo-Portuguese heritage.

Goa’s life style, famous beaches and forts

I am all set to savor the charm of Goa. Travel in Goa is quite expensive so it is best to either hire bikes or hop on Goa State Travel and Tours operator buses and easily available Goa state buses that charge a minimal fare. Armed with a bag containing some cash, water supply for the day, snacks to munch on in between the journey and protected by the best of my trekking shoes to navigate the rocky and the sometimes-not-so-rocky terrain of Goa, I board a bus headed for North Goa, at Kadamba bus stop in Panjim, the capital of Goa. As the bus rattles ahead from the city to suburbs the landscape outside changes; the modern buildings give a way to traditional Goan cottages. Traditional houses with brightly painted windows, a porch and shingled roofs (a cock perched on top in case of a Portuguese house) rush past in a blur, sometime you catch a fleeting glimpse of bored looking women sitting in patio and watching the traffic go by, punctuated by whitewashed chapels and churches standing solitary in sprawling paddy fields.

An hour’s ride later, I am at majestic Tiracol Fort, now a Heritage Hotel overlooking the pristine beauty of Tiracol beach. Once a fort of a local King and later occupied by Portuguese in 1746, Tiracol Fort served as a base for freedom fighters during the liberation of Goa in 1961. At the north most tip of Goa, Tiracol is wild, beautiful and probably one of the few remaining virgin locations of Goa.

Following the trail down south one reaches the ruins of Chapora fort. A red laterite bastion crowns the scattered remains of Chapora Fort. It is a rough climb from Vagator side of the hill. Built by the Portuguese in 1617 on the site of an earlier Muslim structure, Chapora Fort was a check post to thwart any attacks by intruders. Once up, one could still make out from weed-infested ramparts, the head of two tunnels that once worked as supply channels for the defenders in case of a siege.

Chapora offers a fantastic view of a surging aquamarine blue sea ahead and the low tide of estuary on the right where Juari River meets the Arabian sea. You could actually see conflicting currents in estuary- of sea tides dashing towards the shore and the river flow towards the sea, and the sleepy fishing village of Chapora on the left.

Next stop is the Friday Bazaar at Mapusa Beach. The weekday market is bustling with Tibetan and Kashmiri traders, gaily-dressed Gujarati tribal women selling souvenirs, shawls, wooden carvings, coir mats, furniture and straw hats. You can also pick up fresh supplies of fish, bread, fruits, vegetables and chillies, a Portuguese gift to Goa.

I take my lunch at Vagator, tucking in delectable prawns along with local dish of fish curry and rice from one of the innumerable shacks dotting the coastline. Yummy!

Post lunch, I head for Anjuna Beach- famous amongst tourists for its full moon rave parties. However, during the day it looks like any tourist friendly busy beach.

Next day it is the rugged charms of Donna Paula, quiet and picturesque beaches at Benaulim, Baga, Candolim and Colva that vie for my attention.

Night life in Goa

I watch the sunset from a cruiser ship floating on the green waters of Mandovi. Soon the sun drowns in the horizon making the lights of Panjim City shimmer on water surface as if weaving a spell. Romance blooms in air, couples dance in close embraces enjoying the popular Konkani and Portuguese music orchestrated by a Goan band. The evening grows merrier as you roll in the sparkling bubbly in your mouth accompanied with a snack of your choice, served by the in-house bar. I opt for the earthy flavor of the local brew ‘Feni’ which is made from sap of coconut palm or from juice of cashew apples.

Hungry for more nightlife excitement I head for the MS Caravela in Panjim, said to be the only floating casino in Asia. Gyrating on seawaters of Miramar through out the night, MS Caravela offers games on Slot Machines, American Roulette, Blackjack and Pontoon from early evening to six in the morning next day.

Heritage Cities of Goa

Next day I divert my attention to Goa’s capital Panjim. Under Portugese rule till 1960, Panjim wears a strong colonial look. Areas like Fontainhas and Sao Tome, west of the Qurem River are still held by Old Portuguese residence blocks. The narrow cobbled streets, tiled buildings, shuttered windows and tiny overhanging balconies present an atmosphere more reminiscent of the Mediterranean than of India. What is today’s Secretariat building was once the palace of Adil Shah of Bijapur in the 16th Century A.D. before it was wrested by the Portuguese and converted into the Viceroy's official residence. The building has a bizarre statue of a man, almost about to strangle a woman. We are told the statue belongs to Abbe Faria, a famous hypnotist of Goa and his assistant.

My experience at the Rome of East ‘Old Goa’, now a UNESCO world heritage site, located 9 km east of the capital Panjim, was equally memorable. Earlier known as Ela and founded by Hindu Kadamba dynasty in the 12th century A.D., it remained Goa’s capital for three centuries under the consecutive rule of Muslim Bahamani sultanate, Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah and Portuguese. Famous for its opulent buildings and baroque style Churches; Old Goa has the sepia tainted associations of a multi-cultured dynasty. The Basilica of Bom Jesus (dedicated to the infant Jesus, and housing the mummy of St. Francis Xavier), Viceroy’s Arch (erected by Vasco De Gama’s great grandson and bearing the statue of great explorer), Se Cathedral and the remains of destroyed Hindu temples including Saptkoteshwar temples, Goveshwar temples, all reveal a turbulent but closed chapter of Goa’s history.

Adieu Goa!

Day Four, I am at Madgaon station to catch Thiruvananthapuram Express bound for Delhi. I bid adieu to this exotic land but with a promise to come back again.

Fascinated by India's beaches?

Visit Chalakudy near Trissur
Check out Karnataka's famous beaches
Explore the sleepy town Murud
Cross India's border to visit Sri Lanka and its famed beaches.

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