Goa 2024

– Day 00 –

I reached Ernakulam South Railway Station well ahead of time. With great difficulty, I pulled out my trolly from the back of the Uber. Life had been like this for the past month. Since that viral fever. Recurring joint pains. Every day a different joint. I was starting to wonder if it was wise to be doing a Goa trip in this condition. Anyways, plans were made and the pain wasn’t severe enough to be confined to a bed. Besides I really needed this trip, a chance to loosen up, relax, and think straight. The mental pain from idling on this long weekend would far exceed the minor (but inconvenient) joint pains I was dealing with.

I was about to enter my bogey when Radhika’s message popped up in our Goa group – Radhul was down with a fever, and both of them wouldn’t be able to make it. Of late such last-minute dropouts have become frequent in our trips. It was Pillechan during the Pune trip. Felt a little bad thinking it was Radhika who had made the WhatsApp group and started the discussions. Anyways, such things happen, we can plan all we want, but there’s still so much out of our control. 

I was riding the Duronto that night a super fast train going from Ernakulam to Mumbai stopping only at a handful of stations. The ETA at Madgoan was 10:30 AM, a comfortable time that I can usually manage without an alarm, yet I punched in one for 10:00 AM and drifted to sleep.

– Day 01 –

I woke up at 5 in the morning feeling too cold from the train AC. Luckily the pains had subsided and no new joints had started crying. I put on a sweatshirt and went to sleep again hoping to punch in more sleep hours before reaching Madgaon. I woke up again around 8 as the pantry staff came with a lavish breakfast. There were three kids in my coupe: Judas, Joshua and Hanabie. I can’t say I have met a Judas before nor a Hanabie. The kids were quite irritable at first but then as I started observing their conversations got interesting. I sat in the upper berth and thought a lot about brushing my teeth. In the end the hunger took over and I decided to brush afterwards. 

Reached Madgaon at around 10:30 AM. The rest of the gang were still on their way. Joann on a bus. Richie, Govind, and Pro in a car. Joann was supposed to reach by 8:30 but was running late. We decided to meet somewhere near her drop-off point at Panjim. A random search for cafes in Panjim led me to Caravela Cafe and Bristo.  It was a cafe only in name. Right from the start I was bombarded with questions like ‘How long will I be here’, ‘When is your friend coming’ etc. I wasn’t getting the right vibe and the staff was making it all too well known that they didn’t want me there. In the end, I canceled my order and started a cafe hunt through the streets of Panjim. It was then that I realized I was walking through the Fontainhas, a popular heritage street lined with colored houses in Indo-Portuguese architecture. The iconic Josephs bar was a few hundred meters away but it was too early to open. After searching for my options, I went into ‘Larder and Folk’, a small neighborhood cafe. I started with a mocha as I opened up “The Fellowship of the Ring”. Joann took another hour to reach Panjim and was having trouble with her internet connection. Luckily the bus stand was nearby and she was able to join me in the cafe without much trouble. We ordered more food and were fully stuffed by the time we decided to make a move to our stay in Anjuna (further north). We walked a while through the Fontainhas (which was beginning to look really beautiful) as I answered Joann’s doubts about Goa’s history. We stopped at Josheph’s bar only to find it closed, so decided to book a cab. Though no Uber or Ola, Goa has a local cab aggregator called ‘Goa Miles’. It was not the most intuitive user experience, but it got the job done. 

There was some issue with our location pinpoint and the driver left us at a spot maybe 200ms from the stay. We were a bit cross at the driver about this but after walking halfway we realized the road was too narrow for the car anyway. After a brief walk, we reached our place and got the key from a number-locked box just outside the door. Joann was very impressed with the self-check-in system for some reason. The place seemed neat and accurate to the photos we saw on airbnb. We continued our history discussion for a while before deciding to get some office work done before the others joined. At about 5:30, we decided to walk to Anjuna for the sunset. No sooner were we out, than we got word that the others have reached. And thus the pack was complete and we headed to Anjuna for the sunset. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about Anjuna but the views were good, there were shacks all through the coast and a big flea market just outside the beach. We had a quick stroll through the beach as we watched the sun set. We went back to our stay soon afterward. The car gang was thoroughly tired and needed rest. 

We waited for everyone to freshen up before deciding on the day’s plans. Purple Martini was nearby and we had heard much about it from our pre-trip reels-research. The cover charges kept us on the fence and we debated whether we should go to such a costly place on the first day. After much back and forth, we decided to head out walking in Purple Martini’s direction and see our options. We explored the alternate options on the way but weren’t quite impressed with anything. In the end, we decided to open our purses to Purple Martini. It was a rather costly place even by Bangalore standards. The atmosphere however was quite lively and the beach view was very serene. The food was good and the music lively. There was no dance floor as such, but people were dancing around the DJ. The menu rates held us back from ordering a second drink. Yet I think we had quite a good time that night. On our way back we took a small diversion and walked through the beach. The tides were up and much of the coast we saw evening were now under water. As we joined back on the main road, we were greeted by a herd of cows feasting on a garbage dump and blocking our path. We navigated through them with a little bit of difficulty and got back to our place before calling it a night.

– Day 02 –

I woke up around 8:00 on Day 2. Everyone were still fast asleep. Our stay had a cute little kitchen with an induction stove and few essential utensils. I checked my phone and was surprised to see instamart available here. I ordered some eggs, tea leaves, sugar, butter, salt, pepper, milk and started cooking an omelette. This was a first – Cooking breakfast on a trip. Anyways, I got to it and made an omelette for myself. I made some coffee as well and saved the tea supplies for Richie. Richie was the official tea connoisseur of the group. I thought about waking up the others, but then again I didn’t wanted this to be that sort of a trip where we are hurrying everyday to see places. The plan was always for a relaxed chill trip, so I went back to get a couple of hours in. I woke up a little while later to find Govind still fast asleep. It seemed like the car ride took a bigger toll than expected. We slowly got ready one by one. By this time the power went away taking the ACs, induction stove and all hope’s for Richie’s chai. We still had the fans, so it wasn’t horrible. Charging phones was a task though. Then it occurred to me that we probably had a power cut at night too. I had woken up in the middle of then night thinking Govind turned off the AC. I checked with the owners and figured out some maintenance work was going on in the area. A bit unhappy with the power situation we started the day by going out in search of tea. We found a small little pull cart with some hot ginger chai. We got back to our place and changed before leaving for our first destination for the day: Vinayak Restaurant. 

Vinayak restaurant was famous for their Fish Thalis. By the time we reached, a crowd was already waiting outside the entrance. We added our names to the list and waited for half an hour before getting in. We ordered a Thali each with some additional starters. The food was totally worth the hype. White rice coupled with rawa fried Kingfish and a host of other small dishes made a delicious treat. The rates were quite reasonable and the ambience quite pleasant. We were done with food and walking back to the car when I suggested we go Parra road next. And we did the most cringe worthy thing one can do in Goa, we went to Parra road blocked the traffic and took photos. Of course there were a lot of others all around us embarrassing themselves as they tried shooting reels. As overhyped as Parra Road is, I ended up liking it. There’s a little something to that place.

We debated on where to head next. Our original plan to head to one of the south beaches for sunset didn’t seem practical anymore. We thought of going to Ashvem beach further north but ended up going to Vagator which was nearby. I guess it was a good call as we did end up having a good time there. Sandwiched between cliffs the beach had good spots for viewing the sunset as well as taking a dip. I wish we came prepared to go in the water, but that had to wait another day. 

After taking our sweet time at the beach and doing a bit of shopping we got back to our place. Joann was down with some motion sickness from all the travelling and retreated for the day. The rest of us got ready and went out in search of dinner. It was by mere chance that we stumbled upon a nearby restaurant, Fittoor. I guess it was a new place, we couldn’t find it in the maps. They had a really good atmosphere with live music and some dancers. We started with some starters, a couple of mains and ended up trying a full red snapper. Our request for a brownie with chocolate ice cream was denied though. We were informed that brownie can only be served with vanilla. Anyways, we parcelled a biryani for Joann and headed back to our place. By then Joann was back in full energy complaining how hungry she is. We sat talking for a while and made plans to go south the next day before slowly drifting off to sleep and ending day2 on a happy note. 

– Day 03 –

Day3 started pretty optimistically. I was up before everyone as usual. Pro had been talking about going early morning to the beach ever since we planned the Goa trip. So I woke up Pro and we headed to Anjuna beach for a morning stroll. The beach was quite pleasant when we reached there. There were only a handful of people strolling along the coast. The shacks were all closed and the morning breeze was refreshing. I was hoping to have a quick dip in the water but as soon as I got my feet in realised that the water was too sandy to take a dip. We settled with a beach walk and got back to our place. I took a bath and slowly started waking up the others. The power issue was solved and the induction was working all right. So I started making omelets for everyone. Richie was up soon enough and made tea for all of us. With breakfast and tea done, I have to say the place started feeling more and more like a home. 

The plan for the day was South Goa. Staying in the north and touring south Goa is a logistical nightmare but we did it anyway. We decided to first head to Panjim for lunch. Ritz Classic was our pick for the day. We reached there before 1:00 PM and avoided the afternoon rush. We stuck to the default option of Fish Thali while Richie went for some fried rice and chicken. In an effort to diversify, we also ordered some squid rings. The Thali was abundant. Me and Joann ended up wasting a ton while Pro and Govind went for extra rice. 

We were filled to the brim when we resumed our southward journey. Govind handed over the keys to Joann and decided to ride shotgun as the driving instructor. The rest of us settled down in the backseat and slowly drifted to sleep as we came to terms with the heavy lunch. An hours’ journey got us to our first destination in the south – The Betul Fort. It was a fort only in name. The structure seemed more like an outpost. Built by the Marathas at some point in time, it had a singular cannon pointing towards Betul Beach (A sea-river intersection point). The access point to the fort was a small road just wide enough for a single car and this was the case for much of South Goa. Small, quiet, laid-back destinations.

We decided to resume our journey southward. It was day3 and we were yet to get into the water. Cabo De Rama seemed like the most viable option nearby and so it was there that we headed. Cabo De Rama (which translates to Cape of Ram) was a cliff beach. A picturesque cliff was overlooking a rather quiet beach with a feeble crowd. Upon Richie’s suggestion, we stopped at a beach-facing cafe on the cliff just for the views and had some cold coffee to chill us up. We then headed down to the beach through a makeshift path. It was certainly one of the better beaches I have seen. The sand was white and the water had this cool aqua tint. There were no changing facilities or shacks or shops on the coast. I guess that was the reason for the small crowds. Or is it the other way around? 

We finally went into the water – me, Richie, and Joann while Pro and Govind settled for a stroll along the coast and cliffs. The water was comfortably chill and we had a good time jumping along with the waves and practicing what swimming we knew. We dried ourselves the best we could and headed back to dump the remaining sand in Govind’s car. A rain was settling in as we left the beach. Our first stop on return was a nearby petrol pump where we got a chance to change properly. Apparently, everyone stopping at the pump came with the same intention. After a brief pitstop at a tea-stall, we resumed our northern journey back home. We killed time by playing Ashwamedham (Guess who with famous personalities?) and stopped for dinner only once we reached Anjuna. After a quick dinner, we reached back to our stay and decided to go partying at Tito’s. I was quite tired by then and didn’t have the energy for a party but decided to push myself as it was our last day.

After taking my second bath for the day and freshening up, we got ready and left for Baga for Tito’s lane where Club Titos was situated. By then it was already midnight but apparently such concepts didn’t apply at Titos. The area was bustling with vehicles and tourists. Some people were leaving after partying hard all night. While others like us were on our way to just get started. I wasn’t quite enjoying the vibe. There were far too many tourists and every pub had their staff outside canvassing people to get in. We decided to stick to our original plan and headed to Club Titos. The infrastructure at Club Titos was pretty shaky. They had unpainted walls, areas draped in tarp, poor furniture, and a hostile billing system. There was still a lot going on with a DJ playing Bollywood tunes, dancers on benches, a fire dancer spitting fire etc. But I don’t know, wasn’t quite impressed and found the vibe only passable. I could imagine countless places in Bangalore where I would feel a lot more excited. Nonetheless, a few shots in, we were dancing to the Bollywood tunes and having a decent enough time. Things became interesting when the DJ changed and a 90s jam started. As the ‘Honey Singh’ hits made way for ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’, I felt much more comfortable. The songs continued till 3:00 in the morning and then they finally decided to call it a night. 

It was a long day, a bit tiring but quite eventful. It was past four in the morning when we got back home. I made sure to message our hosts asking to push the checkout time before finally going to sleep 🙂

– Day 04 –

Though sleep-deprived I woke up at 9, a reasonably respectable time after sleeping at 4. The original checkout time of 10 was pushed to 11. My first order of business was to go knock on all doors. I started on the omelets with what eggs we had remaining. People started waking up one by one still half asleep. With much difficulty, we pushed our lazy bodies to get ready and start packing. The cleaning staff were punctual and reached at exactly 11:00. It took us yet another hour before we finally got ready to leave. We bid farewell to the bnb that had become our home during the last few days. Apart from a few minor issues, the stay was very much what we hoped for. Today’s order of business was to make the long trip back home. Me, Govind, and Pro were to drive from Goa to Bangalore. Meanwhile, Richie and Joann were staying back for a few more days. It was a 13-hour long drive and the initial parts of the journey were through quiet towns. We decided to have a lavish lunch before starting off. Artjuna cafe, which was quite famous was nearby and that’s where we headed. 

The place had a laid-back, hippie vibe to it. There were Artists selling off their works in the hallway, an open bakery, and wide spacious tables. The rates however were reasonable. We had the most delicious plain cheesecake from the bakery as we waited for a seat. Once we had our seats, we ordered aplenty. Joann was having a tough time finishing her sandwich and had already started offering it up. Pro, who usually doesn’t prefer cafes was pleasantly happy to find they had a fish Thali on the menu. One thing worth mentioning is Arjuna Cafe doesn’t have any meat products. It’s veg + fish + egg. A peculiar combination. As we were done with our food, a group of foreigners (probably a band) was setting up the mics and speakers for what seemed like an afternoon performance. This was one of those cafes where you could just sit and spend hours. 

We got out, said our goodbyes, and handed a shopping list to Richie-Joann who would be returning via flight in a couple of days before starting off on our own journey. The shortest route from North Goa to Bangalore was to head further north into Maharashtra and then cut to northern Karnataka in Belgaum and then head south to Bangalore via Dharwad – Haveri – Hubbuli – Davanagere – Chitradurga and Tumkuru. And that’s how we went for the most part. We took some diversions toward the later part of the journey as we reached Bangalore but otherwise, we mostly stuck to the route. The drive was quite peaceful and uneventful. The three of us took turns driving. I got in some much-needed sleep as well. It was around 3:00 in the morning when we finally got back home. It was a trip well done. But there were still things to be done – photos to be shared, stories to be written, and of course a lot of sand to be cleaned. 

But these were troubles for another day. At the moment, I went to bed a bit tired but immensely satisfied with the past few days 🙂