Livin’ the High Life in Goa

Mike – Let me just say that the legends are true. Goa is paradise. Miles and miles of white sand beaches, a gentle break, an abundance of freshly caught seafood; those are some of the many things that make Goa heaven on earth.

There are the odd group of touts pestering you to buy their goods. It’s easy to dismiss them, that is, until you actually take a look at what they’re selling… It’s unbelievable, their goods aren’t junk! I was impressed, I must say.

We opted to go to South Goa, because it’s renowned for its tranquility and laid-back atmosphere. This is in contrast to the North, which is famous to backpackers for it’s rave scenes and availability of mind and mood altering substances. After Mumbai, all we could think of was quiet.

We arrive at the beach of Colva, and decided we’ll take a walk southwards until we find some kind of accommodation. All along the beach are cabanas, beach shacks, and cottages with varying levels of cleanliness. About 2.5 kilometres from the entrance to the beach we stopped at a group of cottages that had their own adjoining bar/restaurant. Private bathroom, A/C, and king size bed… wait for it… 1,000 rupees (roughly 22 dollars on a night). Sold.

At times it felt like our own private beach.

Alongside the many beach accommodations are the restaurants. Each of the restaurants had arrangements where a fishing boat (if they didn’t have their own) would depart every morning to make a catch for the day. So, basically, the menu was dependent on how good the catch was. At one place, the waitress brought out three plates of uncooked fish fare so we could make an “informed decision”. Curse our un-hungry stomachs as it would’ve been curry shark, beri-beri pomfret, lemon tiger prawns… We opted for the jumbo prawns, and they were delightful.

Teg – Our time at Goa was amazing. A lot cooler than Mumbai had been since we were there during a time of mini monsoon-like storms and winds at night. Plus, here, where many other non-Indians are living/visiting, shorts and bathing suits are not condoned. Wearing shorts and a tank top in 30 degree weather was nice lol.

Besides the incredibly warm Arabian Sea, the clearest picture of this place that will forever stick with me is the amount of dogs and cows wandering along the beach, that itself is thickly fringed by beautiful coconut palm trees. It was everything your typical tropical beach would provide, with a little bark and moo on the side.