Documenting my travels around the state – Part 1

It’s not that the number of corona cases are on the decline in Goa, however, I do venture out after taking all the necessary precautions of wearing a mask at all times(even at a beach) and carrying a hand sanitizer with me. I would like to document these outings in order to cherish the experiences as well as provide insights into some places to visit when in Goa.

So here goes my list.

17^th Jan 2020

Arambol Beach

I remember visiting this beach in an impromptu fashion to escape a lousy family gathering as a child. We were not dressed in beach-friendly clothes and to make matters worse, my cousin insisted we trek to a pristine location which housed a beautiful virgin lake. I still remember the visual like it was yesterday albeit it wasn’t. My memory dates back to 2000 and cut back to today, I could not believe what I witnessed. The so called lake now has a name – Sweet water lake. Also, the secluded treacherous route that we undertook then to make it to the lake is now well lined with a cemented road which is flanked by restaurants and shopping stalls. To make matters worse, the lake is dirty with a foul smell emanating from it, the surrounding areas housing shacks like sprouting mushrooms during monsoons with littered single-use plastic strewn in all around. Needless to mention, I was utterly disappointed.

On our way back, we halted at one of the shacks to catch our breath from all the walking. I casually mentioned my disappointment to the owner who happened to be a fellow Goan. He mentioned the rapid commercialization was a cause of worry as he has witnessed the beach deteriorate over the course of time. Nonetheless, there is not much that can be done to salvage the situation.

24^th Jan 2020

Babazin at Reis Magos

A casual dining restaurant that is situated on the banks of the river Mandovi, just a couple of kilometres from the majestic Reis Magos fort. Do visit this fort if time permits as it houses a lovely gallery with the choicest works of the world-renowned cartoonist Mario Miranda. The view from the fort is a pristine sight, especially at sunset.

So coming back to the restaurant, the view is what makes me return to this place often. The food is primarily seafood-focussed and we had a lovely meal comprising of Rechado prawns, masala rava fried mussels and Chanaak(white snapper). My parents ordered a paneer cafreal & mushroom xacuti along with some butter garlic poie which took an eternity to arrive & tasted lousy signaling that veg food is definitely not the restaurant’s forte. Neel ran around and dived into the artificial sand which was laid around our tables making sand castles and occasionally grabbing heaps of it and tossing it into the river. We had to keep a constant eye on him however, he had a good time.

25^thJan 2020

Saukhyam Organic Store, Porvorim & IFFI Lighting at Miramar

Mom insisted she wanted to visit this store as she had heard a lot about it ever since the well-known nutritionist Luke Coutinho had tied up with this brand. I would say this is a one stop shop for everything organic – right from food products to nutrition, cosmetics, clothes, cooking ware and even liquid dishwashers. Although my only purchase was a carton of almond milk, I was marooned checking out each product with much interest. For the one who wishes to leave a softer carbon footprint, a shift to organic living is the way forward.

Thereafter we drove along the Atal Sethu bridge to the promenade along the river Mandovi (the other side of Reis Magos) in order to view the lighting & art decorations in place to mark the conclusion of the annual event – International Film Festival of India which happens in Goa. This year it was a hybrid festival – part of the movies being showcased online an the rest offline. The fervour was evidently much lesser compared to the previous years. However, it was a pleasant sight to drive along the highway until Miramar.

26^th Jan 2020

Ashwem Beach

I woke up earlier than usual and decided I will not spend the last of my four days of leisure doing the usual. Instead, I sprang out of bed at 7.30am and cajoled my mom to wake up so that we could drive off to a distant beach. I was greeted to this thought by a pleasantly surprised father and four equally excited indie dogs at the entrance of my gate. They’ve never seen me prance around in my verandah this early and hence assumed I was hovering around with a hidden treat in my hand.

After a quick brekkie of ragi flakes with almond milk & some black coffee, we headed to the road. The maps took us through Siolim in order to reach Ashvem. On first thoughts, the beach did appear to be a bit crowded for 9.30 am on a holiday. However, once we walked across to the end of the beach there were hardly any bystanders.

There was a shallow water body which was created as a result of the water from a lake + the sea water which may have collected during high tides I presume. This provided a safe haven for some of the kids to carelessly frolic in the water with no worries of being sworn away by the sea.

We too hovered around for a while & took some mindless photos against a tiny boat and some mangrove plantations in the vicinity. On our return, we stopped at a shack named “Black Horse” which seemed to be decent but surprisingly wasn’t inundated with any tourists. We indulged in a humble cheese omelette with a poie and a cup of hot ginger tea to go with the morning sun & the soothing sounds of the waves. We took a moment to relax on the beach beds and admire the migratory birds trying to catch some fish for their suppa and even spotted a tiny Kingfisher!

All in all, it was a nice way to spend our morning whiling away at a not so crowded beach.