Short escapade from the mundane routine!

Like many of you, I am a travel enthusiast. In my free time (and sometimes even while I am supremely busy) I love planning for travelling, reading travel blogs, checking out new places. You will always find a travel app open in my mobile. All the holidays are used for travelling to the seas or mountains or forests or rivers. Travelling makes me happy, rejuvenated, excited. Therefore, Covid 19 and the lock-down, no wonder, depressed me like never before! However, the only consolation was that just before the lock-down, I had traveled to one of the most famous places in India- Goa! At least I can say that my travel diary for this year is not empty.

Goa- A sea lover's paradise:

I always had an impression that Goa was a vibrant and lively place, perfect for parties and night life. Little did I know that there was a romantic and serene side to Goa as well which can compete with any off beat exotic location. I had always loved hills more than beaches but this trip made me fall in love with beaches in a totally new way. This was my first visit to South Goa.

Although I love to meticulously plan all my trips, this was different- a sudden plan made in less than a week, but I have no regrets. Perhaps, less planning at times makes the journey even more exciting. We took the hour long flight from Bangalore to Goa, in the evening, after office. The first stop was just 20 mins from the Dabolim airport to a beach called Bogmallo. We just wanted a simple place to spend the night but surprisingly the resort was beautiful and is located just on the beach. I had already started craving for sea food and we ate our dinner at the beach side restaurant and had a delicious king-fish curry. We then had a stroll exploring the hotel with the cool sea breeze touching our faces. We retired early that night only to begin the next day with more energy and excitement.

The next morning we woke up to a breathtaking view from the hotel balcony- crystal blue waters and clear blue skies- a perfect vision for the sore eyes. Just one glance at it and I was already happy high. After a hearty breakfast, we set out to explore another beach- the Cavelossim beach. The road journey was beautiful too, so much different from the office commute in Bangalore traffic! The roads were empty and everything looked so peaceful- the weather was kind too, even though it was already early March. We reached our resort in Cavelossim and after a very grand welcome, checked in and freshened up. It was already time for lunch and when we were just confused about where to eat, to our delight, we found that Fisherman's Wharf was just a few meters away. (No I didn't research about that, as I said earlier, some things are best left unplanned- thats why we have google maps for!) If you love sea food, you probably cannot miss this place- with the peppy music in the background, lovely views, courteous staff and mouth watering delicacies, we couldn't have asked for more. We ordered various types of sea food and authentic Goan dishes- Goan sausages, butter garlic prawns, fried calamari, squid chilli fry, kingfish curry and of course beer! (Oh I feel so hungry now!) After spending enormous amount of time to finish all these dishes, we went back and spent the rest of the day in the hotel. The hotel was right on the beach, so in the evening we went to the shore to catch the sunset. (I missed the sunrise because I was busy dreaming that time). The sunset was beautiful- it had the powers to soothe the most restless nerves. We stared at the sea as long as the dusk gave away to the dark night. Dinner was served at the hotel- a simple yet mouth watering preparation of sea food gravy noodles. It was meant to be a lazy and rejuvenating trip, so we did not venture out of the hotel premises- enjoying every bit of the luxury that it had to provide.

The next day was our final day in Goa and we had saved the best for the last. We headed out for Palolem through the beautiful roads of Goa. Palolem is said to be one of the best beaches in India and I soon realized why. Clear azzure skies, crystal blue waters, pretty beach huts, vibrant beachside shops- this was the dream beach vacation. We had booked our stay in a pretty beach side cottage which had the view of the Palolem beach and the sea right from the window. From the luxury of a magnificent 5 star to a small beach hut, we enjoyed the best of both worlds in one trip. We could not resist and went straight into the waters immediately after dropping our bags. The cool waters refreshed us and we were not out till we had a good amount of sun tan. Goa trip would have been incomplete without shopping from those lovely shops- I picked up a few dresses, (ignoring the grumpy husband standing beside) and a few jewelry. In the evening, we again witnessed the pretty sunset and captured the memory both in our camera and mind forever. We spent a romantic evening with a candle light dinner. It was so delightful to watch the people having fun with family and friends, leaving all stress and boredom of the mundane life aside, absorbing every bit of the calmness and tranquility.

Next day, while on our way back to airport, we visited a couple of other beaches- Agonda, Colva, Candolim, to name a few. We ate at small, unknown yet lovely cafes, savoring every bit of Goan ambience as long as it lasts. We also stopped by the very beautiful churches and spent some blissful time at the Holy Spirit Church in Margao. We also visited the Cabo De Rama fort, a lesser known fort in Canacona, which I later learnt was a place where Ram and Sita visited during their 14 year exile and thats how got its name. However what remains now are the ruins of what was once a magnificent fort. It offered great views of the Arabian sea and also has a beautiful church where locals offer their prayers. We finally reached airport and flew back to our city, feeling grateful for the beautiful life we have. Travelling does wonders to those fraying nerves and making you fall in love with life again.