Goa Vacation

We boarded an Indigo flight at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Dumdum</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Airport</st1laceType></st1lace> on May 17, 2009, Sunday, which took off at 11-10 am. It reached Mumbai at around 1-10 pm where most of our co-passengers de-boarded. We were scheduled to take off for <st1lace w:st="on">Goa</st1lace> in the same flight in half an hour.

The flight landed in the <st1lace w:st="on">Goa</st1lace> airport around 2-30 pm. After collecting our luggage and booking a rental car, we started from the airport for Calangute in <st1lace w:st="on">North Goa</st1lace>. We were to put up at Calangute Residency run by GTDC.

We reached our hotel around 4 pm. As we got down from the car inside the hotel premises, the magical roar of the sea reached my ears.

I intend to share my <st1lace w:st="on">Goa</st1lace> vacation with you all in short installments. Meanwhile, all of you who have visited <st1lace w:st="on">Goa</st1lace> are welcome to share your experiences.

 

After checking in at the hotel reception we freshened ourselves up and went to the Calangute beach. The sun had just set and had melted into its most magical golden hue throughout the western sky. The sea underneath looked gorgeous as the overlapping waves underneath reflected the sky above.

The sand at Calangute is thick and a bit grainy. My two most favorite feelings while visiting a seaside are those of the feet sinking into the sand and the waves gushing into the ankles. I was overjoyed as I walked into the waves.

We took some pictures of the beautiful sky and some parasailers who were enjoying themselves.

 

We had planned to spend the next day, relaxing, at Calangute itself. I had a leisurely breakfast and went out to the beach, with my towel.

I had stayed away from the sea during my last few visits to a seaside, only enjoying the heavenly touch of waves on my feet. The reason behind were two experiences of my childhood when I had drifted from my parents and had suffocated and choked onder the waves.

But this time, I had let go all fears and inhibitions. I walked into the sea, even before my family had left the hotel. I must say, bathing in the sea,after years, felt great.

 

We had booked tickets for a cruise called The Backwater Thrills for the next day.
A bus picked us up from our hotel, at around 9-15am. After picking up a big crowd of tourists from another hotel at Calangute, it took us to the Panaji Jetty.
The Santa Monica launch started the cruise at around 10 am. Everything about the cruise was beautiful. The calm and serene Mandvi river had a calm effect on everybody aboard. The dense growth of mangroves on the banks and the turns and twists of Mandvi made the cruise memorable.

The bridge of the Konkan Railways looked gorgeous from the launch. We could spot many vessels on the river that were digging iron ore from the river bed. We could often see lovely churches and beautiful mansions on the banks.

 

At around 12.30 pm we reached the main entrance of the Savoi Spice Garden. Then a jeep took us into the main gardens. The reception area was made of bamboo and had thatched roofs. It had low and high wooden benches.
The local people welcomed us by beating drums and by serving us cocum juice in little earthen glasses. We were tired and the cocum juice refreshed us wonderfully.

Then we were taken inside the Spice Garden. It was a memorable experience. There were trees having huge jackfruits and baby pineapples. We were excited to find cherry trees and betel trees.