Well, not sure of where to go for our honeymoon - we never wanted to be the manali or shimla at the first place - we kept looking for options 8 years back. How the man had asked his girl (then) - I think I like travelling - do you like to travel? - The girl had said - oh yeah very much!!! Never did he realize that the wife (later) doesn't only like but is ready to pack the bag - any day! Oh, how much he regrets for asking this question for he could never rest from there on... it has always been packing n unpacking.
Anyways, the wife had heard about Goa and Kerela - supposedly beautiful - but not many people had visited as traveller (not 8 yrs back - at least Kerela) - Ah, the love for the wife and he decided for a long trip (1st March to 17th March 2001) from Goa to KanyaKumari via Kerela :-) He had told the wife, all for you but you fall sick a single day and we are back - that is another story that the husband wasted one precious day when we could have covered some place because he fell sick - oh how I regret of not leaving him there and coming back :-0
The modes were train, plane and taxi or as available. We started in Mumbai Rajdhani and took a 40 min flight from Mumbai to Goa and both were awe-struck the moment they landed there... In Goa, Fun is in the air - I have been there repeatedly but the feeling is always the same - total fun and chill out ... Anyways we landed up in the VVIP suits of a Sarkari guest house (thanks to the pa-in-law) which was nice and located at a place far from the popular beaches but at a quiet stretch - near Bambolim beach to be precise (btw the Bambolim resort was under construction then). We chose local transport as our mode of commuting here - two wheelers are quite popular but Surender wasn't very keen as he didn't want to go too adventurous on the first trip two-gether. So we landed up there with a nice caretaker who could cook on request - nice and mild home cooked food. We decided to discover on own own, took details from the cook and waited at the deserted bus stop for a bus to Dona Paula and Majorda beach. The first day and after a nice meal of Masala prawn and rice we decided to do some water scooter ride at Dona Paula - I wasn't really scared but Surender was after a couple of beer and he shouted as you do in schools - Hey Sunita, don't be scared (he was as he had taken the ride first) buck up hold on tight and don't be scared - he was shouting and waving and more scared than me... I found it kinda funny - what could just a couple of beer do :))) Oh yes, and how could I forget the 'Bihari' (apologies) lad whom we had asked to click a photo and he said 'Shure' and then he said 'ready' and 'yees, laugh pleeje' and along with pushing the shutter-bug button he too bent his knees and you know what could have happened to the photo... so everytime we click a photo - we say 'laugh pleeje' or something else that I'd cover in Darjeeling trip... Alright, the next 4 days were full of fun when we travelled in the local buses to reach different beaches, temples, churches and museum which houses Asia's longest sculpted Mira bai statue laid on floor. The only draw back, the buses stop plying from 8 pm onwards so if you are stuck and lucky to get an auto then you are at their mercy so they could charge any amount. But as I said in Goa 'Fun is in the air' - you turn insane when you are there... running, eating, drinking on the beaches... the sea always call you - for me, don't ask me to come out of water - who really cares for the tan. After 4 days of fun it was time to move on so we decided to take a tour guide to some places that we couldn't cover and the driver - an AIR employee - who would just mark his attendance and then drive a taxi - took us around and then dropped us at the Margao Railway station for a train to Cochin... our next destination...
Anyways, the wife had heard about Goa and Kerela - supposedly beautiful - but not many people had visited as traveller (not 8 yrs back - at least Kerela) - Ah, the love for the wife and he decided for a long trip (1st March to 17th March 2001) from Goa to KanyaKumari via Kerela :-) He had told the wife, all for you but you fall sick a single day and we are back - that is another story that the husband wasted one precious day when we could have covered some place because he fell sick - oh how I regret of not leaving him there and coming back :-0
The modes were train, plane and taxi or as available. We started in Mumbai Rajdhani and took a 40 min flight from Mumbai to Goa and both were awe-struck the moment they landed there... In Goa, Fun is in the air - I have been there repeatedly but the feeling is always the same - total fun and chill out ... Anyways we landed up in the VVIP suits of a Sarkari guest house (thanks to the pa-in-law) which was nice and located at a place far from the popular beaches but at a quiet stretch - near Bambolim beach to be precise (btw the Bambolim resort was under construction then). We chose local transport as our mode of commuting here - two wheelers are quite popular but Surender wasn't very keen as he didn't want to go too adventurous on the first trip two-gether. So we landed up there with a nice caretaker who could cook on request - nice and mild home cooked food. We decided to discover on own own, took details from the cook and waited at the deserted bus stop for a bus to Dona Paula and Majorda beach. The first day and after a nice meal of Masala prawn and rice we decided to do some water scooter ride at Dona Paula - I wasn't really scared but Surender was after a couple of beer and he shouted as you do in schools - Hey Sunita, don't be scared (he was as he had taken the ride first) buck up hold on tight and don't be scared - he was shouting and waving and more scared than me... I found it kinda funny - what could just a couple of beer do :))) Oh yes, and how could I forget the 'Bihari' (apologies) lad whom we had asked to click a photo and he said 'Shure' and then he said 'ready' and 'yees, laugh pleeje' and along with pushing the shutter-bug button he too bent his knees and you know what could have happened to the photo... so everytime we click a photo - we say 'laugh pleeje' or something else that I'd cover in Darjeeling trip... Alright, the next 4 days were full of fun when we travelled in the local buses to reach different beaches, temples, churches and museum which houses Asia's longest sculpted Mira bai statue laid on floor. The only draw back, the buses stop plying from 8 pm onwards so if you are stuck and lucky to get an auto then you are at their mercy so they could charge any amount. But as I said in Goa 'Fun is in the air' - you turn insane when you are there... running, eating, drinking on the beaches... the sea always call you - for me, don't ask me to come out of water - who really cares for the tan. After 4 days of fun it was time to move on so we decided to take a tour guide to some places that we couldn't cover and the driver - an AIR employee - who would just mark his attendance and then drive a taxi - took us around and then dropped us at the Margao Railway station for a train to Cochin... our next destination...
I liked this one & ain't in the least bored reading till the end... Goa has always been my favorite destination as well; have visited it twice - once in Dec & once in April - and found it equally charming both the times! Would love to see some pics added, however basic & amateur :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Malo. Sure, I'll put the photos - just that I don't have the photos from that trip - remember the good ol' roll cameras :) but I do have from my last couple to trips to goa when we switched over to the digital world - but to come to that post I'll perhaps have to write around 100 (if followed date wise) so don't know when will I again come back writing about Goa - meanwhile, you can have a glimpse of the last trip on facebook. Keep reading!
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky maam. ;)
ReplyDeleteGoa is one place which I have not yet visited. Whenever I read or hear from you about Goa repeatedly, I wish I should travel to the place soon.
Best Regards,
Indian Columbus
http://indiancolumbus.blogspot.com/