Spending the Year End 2019: A Goan Vacation
The flow of the pen, to a certain degree is dictated by the depth and gravity of the events that are being described. What does it mean? That’s a question you are surely going to ask. And me, the writer will say: Consider a solo motorcycle ride cutting through the great Indian outdoors or getting stuck in an overnight blizzard in the lap of the high Himalayas vis-à-vis an airplane journey to the warm sea beaches during winter or drive to a hill station where soft snow falls through the night, as we listen to the crackle of the firewood in the confines of a warm home.
The former events are emotionally and physically much different from the later. They are in touch with nature, at its mercy and sometimes even testing your breaking point. And that is why, I probably can detail a few incidents over other in all these years.
Similarly, the motorcycle ride versus a car, as Robert Pirsig’s writes in the philosophical treatise, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:
“You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness.”
So, why did I write so much? Its an excuse – and really it is – because I seriously don’t have anything to write about this vacation to Goa where we did spend 5 days – but all we did was breakfast + dip in sea + lunch + dip in sea + rest in the evening + dinner and then go to sleep.
Hence, if you are looking for literature, don’t look any further because all you will see below is a narration of events and pictures of food.
Following is the schedule that we followed:
30-Dec-2019: Calcutta to Goa morning flight. Stay Overnight at Chalston Beach Resort, Calangute, North Goa
31-Dec-2019: Stay in North Goa
01-Jan-2020: Stay in North Goa
02-Jan-2020: Travel to South Goa. Stay at Beleza by the beach, Colva.
03-Jan-2020: Stay in South Goa.
04-Jan-2020: Check out and fly back. End of trip.
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30-Dec-2019
We had been travelling to the hills of North Bengal and Sikkim for quite sometime during the Christmas/New Year period. And whereas there are places still remaining to be discovered, we felt that for a change, lets go somewhere, a little distance off. We hovered over Himachal – Uttarakhand for quite some time, until my wife popped up Goa.
Now, all of us know that Goa during the New Year period is expensive. Hence adequate financial planning is required to make things a reality. With the flights tickets booked, we next booked the hotels directly by making advance payments.
And finally on a cold December morning (the 2019/20 winter had been long and intense in Calcutta) we were finally on an airplane to Goa. Indigo flies a direct flight, once daily and it takes 3 hours to reach Goa.We exited the airport around 3.15 PM and took a cab. Outside, it was quite hot. And reached our hotel in North Goa by 5 PM. There was a huge traffic jam near the Zuari bridge.
We freshened up and ordered for some tea and sandwiches after which we headed to the beach and spent till the sunset. Goa, being West, the sun sets much later – around an hour and a half later than Calcutta.
The night, we headed to the open air restaurant, where the cool see breeze was blowing directly from the Arabian sea. And we had a long meal. The day was quite a long one and we slept off quite soon.
31-Dec-2019
The Christmas – New Year time is when son’s school remains closed and also taking leaves is easy for both of us. Also, it’s a nice time to think of that the entire year finally “concludes” from most aspects during this period and that makes the break even more valued. On the 31st we spent the entire day at the beach sipping coconut water and having a nice lunch. Calangute was specially quite crowded – but we enjoy the crowd and feel quite energized 😊. Many people, many activities and so on and so forth.
The weather was cool in the mornings and evenings with hot afternoons.
That night the resort arranged for a gala dinner. But we missed the casual vibe of the restaurant on the usual days. Decorated chairs and lighting were set up on the lawn facing the sea – but the sea breeze was missing too. Food and drinks were limited to the buffet.
Then there were the fireworks off course and that was quite a treat to the eyes!
01-Jan-2020
We hired an i10 for the next 4 days that we were in Goa costing Rs 1600 per day. The initial interest was Thar, but those were 2800 per day – way too much for 4 days. After searching team bhp we shortlisted some spots in North Goa: The Anjuna Flea Market, Chapora Fort and have lunch at Brittos etc.
We started 11ish in the morning. And after visiting the Flea Market and Chapora fort, we had a long lunch at Brittos. Tried Goan fish curry with rice, son had fish and chips. The taste of the food and quantity was great – but prices were on the higher side.
We returned to the hotel around 4.30 PM and headed straight to the beach. As the sun was going down, the air was getting quite cooler and so we came back to the room, cleaned up and took a short nap.
In the evening, we again headed to the open restaurant and spent a couple of hours.
This was also our final evening in North Goa and the plan was to drive to South Goa the next day.
02-Jan-2020
After the buffet breakfast, we checked out.
The 1.3 lacs km done i10 was quite peppy on the highways. We had planned to see the Fort Aguada, Basilica of Bom Jesus, The Church at Panaji, Fontainhas – as most of them were on the way. Also, I could relate to the map as we moved from Calangute to Candolim to Panaji and then onwards to South Goa. We faced a terrible jam at Zuari Bridge yet again. And finally reached our resort Beleza around 3 in the afternoon. Ordered for a pizza lunch.
The resort was located near to the Colva beach and we walked to the beach late in the afternoon. Unlike Calangute, the crowd was minimal and mostly foreigner. We enjoyed a nice sunset and then spent the the time till dinner in the balcony.
03-Jan-2020
This was the day, again we spent almost entirely on the beach. We had lunch at a local shack, Mickey’s, very near to the resort – food was great, though overpriced. In the evening we went to the Colva market to buy some stuff for friends and family. Shot some sunset photos. And returned to Mickeys yet again for dinner. And then went off to sleep.
04-Jan-2020
Like all good things that have to come to an end, this holiday too was getting over. All of us were sad. We checked out around 10 AM from the resort, handed over the vehicle to the rental company and then flew back to Calcutta.