There are scant words that describe this beautiful and intriguing state of India.Her beauty lies in her beaches and the hearts of the lovely people who live here.
Goa
Liberated in 1961,Goa is one of the youngest states of India.After 450 years of Portuguese domination,the mark of the western ways remain indelible on the goan soil.There are many goans who speak Portuguese and Portuguese songs of that period are still sung today for weddings and other festive occasions.
Goa has endless beaches over-lapping each other at some point.Foreign tourists converge on these beaches during the summer and spend infinite hours working up a tan.The language spoken is Konkani though most of the people and shop owners speak English.
As with many a paradise,Goa too has its shortcomings.The infrastructure is abominable.One minute you’re driving along a smooth road,the next,you’re in the largest pothole imaginable.Electricity is inconsistent;I wouldn’t be surprised if candlelight dinners originated here!Telephones!Graham Bell would have a fit!You may be calling overseas but that doesn't stop your phone from being cross-connected with the neighbours!
Beaches
Goa is famous for its beaches for various reasons.Rave parties are the call of the weekends and sometimes even weekdays!Beer,booze and drugs flows non-stop at these parties and its common for the police to step in and put all the revelry to a stop.
One of the most famous beaches is the Calangute beach.This beach has been completely commercialized to cater to the needs and wants of the tourists.In the summer season,many of the local residents put up little shacks on the beach-front and lease it out to tourists while others set up temporary restaurants serving traditional goan food.Baga beach is adjacent to the Calangute beach and one can walk into Baga without even realizing it!
Vagator beach where one can sit atop the hill and admire the sea and its temperament.
Ozra beach is next to Vagator beach but not as easily accessible.This is also known as the nude beach as it does have foreign tourists “au naturelle” sun-bathing near the “Nudity Prohibited” sign!
Anjuna beach is what I call the “hippie beach”.Hundreds of tourists flock here in their orange hair-dos and pierced body parts.A flea market is held on this beach every Wednesday and one can get some neat bargains for silver and other assorted stuff.
One of the most beautiful beaches is the Colva Beach in the South of Goa.Its pristine white sands stretch as far as the eye can see.
Bogmalo beach is another gorgeous beach.A plus point of this beach is that there’s a five-star hotel on it.
Cities
Panjim or Panaji is the capital of Goa and the seat of political debates.The capital is also the home of a two designer wear stores by the indigenous designers Wendell Rodrigues and Savio Jon.
Mapusa is the where one can enjoy the Friday market alongside a whole mixed bag of people like the fisher folk,the NRI’s,the locals and the tourists.One should beware of pickpockets at all times!
Margao is a city in the South of Goa.It is quite famous for its shopping options,churches and some pretty good restaurants.Do pay a visit to “Martins Corner” where you can enjoy an excellent cuisine.
Vasco is another south Goan port city where the red light area is the hub of activity!The world famous explorer,Vasco De Gama,first landed in this city and is said to have given it his name.
Places to go; things to see
There is no limit to the entertainment one can enjoy in Goa.Pubs,discos,flea markets,dances and shows are perpetual.
Saturday Night Market
This market starts at five in the evening at a beach area called Arpora and goes on till eleven.Foreigners and Indians alike flock here to buy and sell their wares. Prices are sky-high but bargaining is acceptable.
Caravela
The floating casino is said to be quite popular with the nouveau riche and the industrialists.At 9 p.m. sharp,the boat leaves the dock for a lazy cruise down the Mandovi river. There is non-stop music firstly from a very talented live band of musicians and then a DJ.The entry is Rs. 3000 per head,which includes a buffet and unlimited drinks and beverages and cigarettes of all varieties.
Sunset Cruise
The state capital is famous for its cruises along the Mandovi river.The most popular one is the sunset river cruise.There are many boats/ferries offering this cruise,the most popular one being the Santa Monica offering a variety of dances and beverages.
Dona Paula
For the incurably romantic,Dona Paula is a must see. Though it has other attractions,the main feature is the statue of a lovely young lass atop a small hillock close to the jetty.Folklore tells the tale of a young girl named Paula from a rich Portuguese family who fell in love with a handsome young fisherman against her fathers wishes.One day,it is said,the young man went away to sea and never returned.Paula spent the rest of her days atop a hillock awaiting her loved one to return till one day,she herself turned into stone.
Old Goa
The Basilica of Bom Jesú lies in this antique city across the Mandovi bridge.Once every decade,the body of the patron saint of Goa,Saint Francis Xavier,is exposed for veneration to the public.The feast is on the 3rd of December and people from all over flock to the Basilica to pray and enjoy the wares put up by the folk in the church grounds. One can also find the imposing ruins of Saint Augustines church nearby.
Sculpture of Sant Mirabai
Said to be the longest laterite sculpture in India,this statue is carved into the ground and is around 10kms from the Southern city of Margao.
Also in the south of Goa,is the Shantadurga temple and Shri Bhagvati temples,the latter said to be more than five hundred years old.
The culinary delights
Though the staple diet of the goans is rice and fish,pork is also an integral part in the goan meal.
When in Goa, do not miss the famous sorpotel, vindaloo (both pork dishes),goa sausages(the first love of every goan),fish reichado(fish stuffed with a red paste of red chillies & vinegar),mussels and other assorted dishes one should not miss.
For the visitor with the sweet tooth,Goa has many unique sweet dishes to tickle the palette.Do not miss bebinca(a concoction of egg whites,flour,sugar all baked in layers),dosh(a supple mix of coconut/gram),dodhol(a divine wobbly gooey layer of jaggery stirred over a hot flame for hours and hours)and bathika(a mix of coconut,sugar,cashew seeds baked to a golden consistency that simply melts in your mouth!).
For an intoxicating evening,try the goan caju feni–a preparation mainly brewed/distilled from the abundant cashew fruits of Goa.
When to go
Though Goa is the perennial party zone,the monsoons tend to dampen the spirits and Lent lends sobriety to the gaiety.
The sweltering summer is a season where one must exercise caution as the solar rays tend to leave ones skin flaking from sunburn.
The best time of the year is the winter i.e. the months from November to February.The spirit of Christmas is in the air and the gaiety is contagious.The Christmas dance is packed with fun with live bands belting out top of the pops à la goan style.
Some of the information in my review comes from https://goa-world.net.It is very informative and gives a lot of handy hints and tips.
Thanks for reading my ramblings on this place I call home.
