Thursday, September 14, 2017

Crazy Goa Story!


Before starting the post I would like to tell you something, I would never recommend solo travel to anyone, for it spoils you to the core and gives you such a Godly feeling you'll crave for it every now and then. And it's highly addictive.

It's not that I don't want to travel with people, I am selective and I have always met some amazing people during my journeys. I have my specific people I would love to travel with. 

Goa was always beautiful just that I felt it for the first time. Love at first sight is for real but Goa was my love at third sight.

It all began a few days back, I was craving to travel and was unable to find any good trek. So, instead of compromising with any trek, I decided to pick Goa. 

I booked my hotel and flights online and was all set to leave. I booked a decent property with a private beach and other good amenities, so, I didn't bother much to go into the details of location, for I thought its Goa how remote it can be.

Day 1- Fisherman's Wharf!


The day came, I landed in Goa in evening and checked the location of my hotel. First surprise was Ola or Uber doesn't operate in Goa and second was my hotel, which was 2 hours away from the airport :P 

I was all excited, super fun it was going to be. All thanks to my Goan friend, I managed to reach my hotel at 11.30pm and on his recommendation, we tried a brilliant place for dinner on the way, a place called Fisherman's Wharf, which was absolutely amazing. :)

I don't know from where to begin, from the food to the dessert everything was mind-blowing and a special mention for the music. It was my favorite English classics playing live. Songs that literally gave me goosebumps and I was back in time. The one I can recall was 'I just called to say I love you' by Stevie Wonder. Crazily amazing. My evening couldn't have been any better. :D

After check-in at 11.30pm it was a very long walk till my big mansion like room which was quite scary and too big for a li'l girl like me :P 

I was scared to switch off the lights, but I gathered my courage and slept with an idea on my mind.

Day 2- Goan Bus Journey!


Got up late, skipped my sunrise. Roamed around for 30 minutes looking for my breakfast buffet. On the way I saw Golf course and a way to beach, it was 10am already and my breakfast was till 10.30am but I couldn't resist the temptation of checking out the beach. I ran towards it. Went near the water, sat there for 5 mins then rushed for breakfast. Quickly ate everything I could, followed by yummy desserts and rushed with my coffee to the beach. :P

Aah, I loved my first coffee at the beach! :)

The day had just began. I walked till the shoreline on the beach, sat there for quite sometime. It was a beautiful empty beach. Suddenly, I recalled I am on a marooned beach, 2 hours away from the main city and decided to do something about it.

I called up my online travel portal asking for booking cancellation for next few days for which they told me talk to the hotel reservations and all, finally, I successfully cancelled it and paid almost 70% of booking amount for just 1 day. Anyway, I was free now but the challenge was to move out of that place. 

I got ready, and at the reception I asked reception people how I can commute from there for which they told me I can hire a taxi paying exorbitant amount of money. Pheww!

Luckily, there was one guy at reception counter from Delhi, he asked me to sit for 2 mins, he helped me on how I can move from there easily without spending so much. We talked for some time and I gathered some info about Goa. From his hometown to Delhi to his hotel management to his Goan job and life at this isolated hotel to his conservative family and his happening Goa life, he had a good story to share.  

I finally, left the hotel and reached Goa in a local bus. The drive was beautifully amazing. On the way, I booked another hotel in North Goa. 

On the way to my next hotel I tried local Goan street food and visited Dona Paula which is a famous tourist spot there. In evening, I had my dinner at a famous shack named as Bottle bay at Baga beach. Quite a day it was and I absolutely loved every bit of it! :)

Day 3- Casino Day!


So, this was a day in my new hotel, I got up late and ate my lavish breakfast in huge crowded buffet at 10am. I believe people wait for 10-10.30 when it's about to get over. Anyhow, I managed to eat my food well. 

Post that I came to my room and decided to go out and explore the city, but I realised I have already explored this area last year. So, my mind convinced my heart and they both decided to sleep and chill. In evening around 4 I decided to go out and visit Sinquerim beach and post that I visited casino.

I visited casino with a friend of mine who is settled in Goa, so things were easier for me. I had someone who explained all the games to me and we even won most of the times. We recovered everything we spent for entry and earned some more. Yayy! It was a happy evening.

I loved the feel of it overall.

Day 4- The Art of Chilling!

I got up at 8am and slept at 12 midnight. Rest, I can't recall much. Time truly flies. :P

Day 5- Home Sweet Home!

My last day, I was as usual feeling Goa with more intensity as I was leaving. And by 5.30pm I was back home.

Well, along with a brilliant experience this trip was about certain realizations. I have realized that I am a mountain-person. It's not that I enjoyed beaches less. I loved it too and was super happy all this while but, I belong to the mountains.

Rupin spoilt every atom of my being and after coming back from beaches I am craving for mountains with much higher intensity. Its an unbearable longing.

Right now I am terribly missing these 5 things-

·         Night sky full of stars
·         Silence of mountains
·         Dead cold
·         Softness and purity of snow
·         A feeling of being home!

Aah! I am crazy. I was always a beach person but this change happened unknowingly without any realization and I am craving for mountains now more than ever!

Dear God, I love you. And, I know you'll handle things well in my life. Please give me patience and take care of my people. Muuaah :*

My Goa clicks (camera- Moto X play)-