Go..Go....Goa!

Last week we returned from Goa after a great trip. It was my first to Goa and though the monsoons are not the best time to go there, it was a super trip and I suppose if we went during season, it would be an even more super trip! There is more to Goa than the sun, sand, beaches and fun, as we realized during this vacation.

As soon as we reached the Holiday Inn where we were put up by the Expat Group in Cavelossim, in the southern part of Goa, we checked in to our room and decided to go for a walk on the hotel's private beach. Happily armed with our cameras we set off. It was evening time and the sea was coming down from a high tide but still quite rough and the clouds looked threatening but far off. We walked the length of the southern side seeing the lifeguards running into the waves that came on shore, and the stray dogs and cows that hung around and a few fisher folk with their nets spread on the beach so that when the tide came in, some fish got caught into the nets. Otherwise the sea was too rough for the fishermen to be venturing into. As we neared the hotel, the threatening clouds that seemed far off, suddenly opened on to us in sheets and we ran for shelter to the Fisherman's Grill, the hotel restaurant at the beach. Just as quickly as the downpour started, in about ten minutes it was over as we waded our way back to the room! This was how the monsoon rains happened all through our one week stay.

A tour was arranged for us to see the beautiful Western Ghats in that area, really lush with dense foliage all across. The low hills seemed to burst with the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'! The area is rich in iron-ore and manganese, and we saw some of the mines. We went to the 35 acre large spice plantation - Sahakari Spice Farm - and were taken on a tour of all the lovely spices which we use in our food, clove, cardammom, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, cummin, fennel, vanilla and so many of these heady seasonings. The Goan cuisine is full of these spices which are grown in large plantations along with other cash crops of areca nuts (supaari), cashew nuts, coconuts, tropical fruit etc. The Goan toddy called 'fenni' is made from cashew nuts and they showed us the process (quite yucky!), and we were given a sample and told not to smell the stuff! Even a sip was quite potent for us!

The really nice part was Old Goa, where we saw some old Portugese style houses and architecture of the old churches was quite remarkable. The Basilica of Bom Jesus was the church in which the remains of St. Francis Xavier are still kept which are not allowed to be viewed by the public. The church interior is very ornate and the gold coated altar is like the European churches in style. The ruins of the St. Augustine Church were really impressive.

We got to see some well known beaches but mostly in the rain. The Vagator Beach is a popular beach and in the northern area of Goa with the Chapora Fort nearby. The Anjuna Beach is infamous for its rave parties and the hippie culture. Fort Aguada was worth the visit. We reached there when it shuts down for visitors and we were the last in. So very quickly, in the rain and the slush, we walked the ramparts and took photos of the old 19th century lighthouse and the new lighthouse. When the guard blew his whistle we were on the other end and came huffing and puffing to the exit, only to find that we were locked in! After shouting for a while, the guard came sheepishly from nearby and let us out! The Aguada Central Jail is close by. On the other side is the famous Calungate Beach and we saw an abandoned Russian ship off the beach which had somehow got stuck there - but made a pretty picture!

Panjim is the capital of Goa and has some beautiful houses particularly the La Marvel area - some of the rich and famous stay here. The city is a mix of new and old architectural styles, some have the more modern and parts are Portuguese style old houses. The amazing part of the Goan culture is that many have painted their homes a bright blue or pink or purple or green or yellow or orange - which should look quite dreadful but instead added to the colourful charm of the Goans! We had some good shopping on 18th June Street in Panjim and found a great Goan food restaurant in one of the alleys there - delicious!

Vasco da Gama or Mormugao is another old and big port, the place in the 15th century where Vasco da Gama landed and brought with him the Portuguese who colonized Goa, along with Daman & Diu further north in Gujarat. The largest shipyard is in Vizag but another big one is in Vasco and we saw the construction of a ship there, very interesting. Dona Paula is a picturesque landscaped garden overlooking the meeting point of the rivers Zuari and Mandovi, said to be the place where the viceroy's daughter jumped off the cliff because she couldn't marry a local fisherman.

Goan food is really original - a mix of Portuguese, Hindu and Moghul cuisines - a delight to the palate if you are a foodie! The Recheado is a Portuguese concoction of spices; the Cafreal is a mixture of spices brought to Goa by the African soldiers and sailors; the Vindaloo is the spice mix used by the Christian community for festivals; the Sorpotel is adapted from the Portuguese Sarabulho; the Chouricas are the famous smoked pork sausages of Goa....and much more! The desserts are mouthwatering and the Bebinca is coconut pancakes layered and baked in a clay oven. It is a treat to eat the freshly caught fish or prawn and lightly fried and served there and then - we so enjoyed it.

All good things come to an end and so did our holiday. It was a relaxed time. The Goans are a happy lot and quite chilled...if you want to release tensions from your life....go....go...go to Goa!