By Ausmita
I am non an adventurous somebody but from fourth dimension to fourth dimension I similar to challenge myself, pace exterior my comfort zone together with produce something I receive got never done before. Like receive got a solo trip to a identify I receive got never been to before. All through my adult life, I receive got oftentimes consciously avoided going to Goa for vacations but because I idea it to live a tourist infested, over-exposed destination. Whenever my friends planned that Goa trip, I would pace inward together with manoeuvre it elsewhere. At other times, fate intervened together with spared me the ennui of visiting tried-and-tested-Goa. The solely affair that could tempt me to see Goa was peradventure the chance to go past times the famous Konkan Railway, touted to live 1 of the most scenic prepare routes inward Republic of Republic of India together with an applied scientific discipline marvel inward itself.
Hence, before this calendar month amongst my regular go partner travelling for operate together with me amongst some spare fourth dimension on my hands, I decided to go to Goa solo together with abide by out for myself, what the whole brouhaha was all about.
I booked the go together with the stay. Read upward on what to consider inward Goa, where to consume together with made a mental map of all that I wanted to lucifer into my iv days inward Goa. But every bit the trip drew closer, I started having serious misgivings virtually this whole solo go thingy. I was actually skeptical if I would live able to relish on my ain on a solo trip to Goa. I mean, having dejeuner or going on a drive on your ain in 1 lawsuit inward a patch is ever a welcome relief but imagine doing that for iv days at a stretch! But I had made the bookings together with told friends together with identify unit of measurement together with it was also like shooting fish in a barrel to dorsum out now. So begrudgingly, off I went to Goa non actually expecting to receive got much fun.
Day 1: Two’s company, 1 is glum
For the offset 2 days I had booked myself inward a backpacker’s hostel inward Calangute, North Goa precisely because I hoped to come across other solo travellers together with squad amongst them together with instruct around. The hostel was tucked into a rundown neighbourhood off Calangute Beach amongst real very basic rooms together with amenities. I took that every bit a sign to pass to a greater extent than fourth dimension exterior the room. I decided to walk to Calangute Beach. The Sun was virtually to laid together with although I had been warned virtually Calangute, zilch could laid me for the enormous body of body of water of human population that striking me on Calangute Beach. It was similar all my worst nightmares virtually Goa had come upward true. Add to that pesky shack owners, tattoo artists, H2O sports people together with shady masseurs who seem real interested inward knowing who I was travelling with. At offset I was amused past times their persistent questions but shortly I got irritated together with decided to walk to the neighboring Baga where the crowd is supposed to live slightly better.
Thankfully at Baga, no 1 bothered me amongst pesky questions. I happily lounged inward 1 of the many beach shacks, soaking inward the music together with neon lights all around together with sipping away to glory. But it started to instruct ho-hum soon. I was trying difficult to pretend that I was enjoying inward my ain happy niggling oasis but the peals of laughter together with chatter emanating from the groups around made me miss my friends together with my regular go partner. It was soundless early on level but after a while, I decided to telephone phone it a twenty-four hours together with caput dorsum to the hostel glumly.
On entering the room, I realized that 2 novel girls had arrived after I left for the beach together with had occupied the upper bunks inward my room. They were cousins, portion of a huge articulation identify unit of measurement living inward Delhi, on their offset trip to the sunshine solid reason every bit well. Seemed similar they had teamed upward amongst some other boarder at the hostel, a software engineer from Hyderabad travelling solo together with they were all heading out for the evening. One of the girls asked me if I would similar to bring together them together with I jumped upward together with said yes. I was elated at the prospect of existence able to pass the level amongst some boyfriend travellers than remain inward the drab hostel room together with sulk. That nighttime I had a overnice fourth dimension chatting together with dancing amongst my novel flora friends.
Day 2: Comfort inward Numbers
Next twenty-four hours the iv of us hired a machine together with went around the churches inward Old Goa, Dona Paola together with chased the Sun every bit it dipped into the Arabian Sea. It was adept to live out amongst friends, to laugh, pose for groupies together with beak over virtually each other’s previous trips, jobs together with families dorsum home. Since I had booked the hostel for solely 2 days, I would receive got to banking concern check out the side past times side day. Given the rundown status of the property, at the fourth dimension of checking in, I had precisely wanted to chop-chop instruct done amongst the offset 2 days together with motility on to a amend identify for the final two. But I was inward 2 minds now. Leaving the hostel would hateful proverb goodbye to my novel friends together with I did non desire to instruct dorsum to existence lone together with piteous again. That level nosotros headed to a pop shack. The identify was hosting a trance political party together with was packed amongst revellers eating, drinking, smoking together with dancing the nighttime away. Looking around I realized that at that spot was non an inch of Goa hither or inward most of what I had seen inward the past times 2 days. Goa had left a long fourth dimension agone together with had instead been replaced past times noisy tourists looking to instruct high together with shack owners from the Northern portion of Republic of Republic of India or Russian Federation serving pizza, chicken fried rice together with blasphemous Goan nutrient along amongst imported spirits. My friends seemed to receive got a adept fourth dimension but I was getting restless. Surely, at that spot is to a greater extent than to Goa than smoking up, drinking together with endless partying.
Day 3: Unsure but Solo
Next day, I decided that it was fourth dimension to bid goodbye to my novel friends together with caput out on my ain to abide by some existent Goa fifty-fifty though it meant risking existence lone together with miserable.
I left the hostel, took a coach to Panjim together with checked into a abode remain inward Fontainhas, an old Latin quarter inward the city. Painted inward brilliant xanthous together with overlooking the white St. Sebastian Chapel amongst a minor loma inward the backdrop, the homestay amongst oyster shell windows was existence run past times a Goanese woman nurture - boy duo. I felt correct at home. After some adept residue together with a quick chat amongst the lady of the house, I laid out to consider Fort Reis Magos inward Verem, across the Mandovi.
Originally a bastion of the Adil Shahi dynasty together with afterward of the Portuguese, it had fallen into disuse together with disrepair before existence restored a few years ago. It is at in 1 lawsuit opened upward to world both every bit a historical together with cultural centre. I was peculiarly interested when I heard that some of Mario Miranda’s operate (famous for his caricatures on everyday life together with the mural inward Café Mondegar, Bombay ) is displayed inward Reis Magos. Even though it was almost like shooting fish in a barrel afternoon together with the fort closes around sunset, I decided to give it a shot. From Panjim Jetty I boarded 1 of those enormous bluish ferries along amongst the horde of portion goers, their bikes, cars et all returning abode after work. The setting Sun had turned the waters of the Mandovi to gilt but all around us the floating casinos of Goa were soundless looked lethargic. On the other side, I boarded a crowded mini coach to receive got me to Verem Market together with from at that spot I followed the route along the river. It was getting black all around together with I realized that I had likely missed the run a endangerment to consider Mario Miranda’s illustrations. Nevertheless, it was adept to consider a non-touristy side of Goa together with go similar a local. I spent some fourth dimension along the river, watched the lights inward the casinos come upward live every bit a river cruise boat decked upward amongst fairy lights sailed past times blasting some pop Goan songs. On the agency back, I stopped over at Ritz Classic, a pop body of body of water nutrient eating seat inward Panjim together with feasted on some delicious Goan prawn curry together with rice. Since Christmas was around the corner, street corners together with churchyards had come upward live amongst lights, fireworks, trip the low-cal fantastic performances past times local kids together with pop upward bands playing Christmas carols on saxophone together with violin. The cheer inward the air was contagious.
Day 4: Solo together with loving it!
The side past times side day, after spending sometime exploring the winding streets, colourful houses together with fine art shops selling porcelain figurines together with manus painted tiles inward Fontainhas, I laid out for Chandor a sleepy hamlet inward the pump of Goa known for the opulent houses of Goa’s old landowners.
An hr together with a half, a cycle taxi together with 2 coach rides afterward I arrived inward Chandor. Since I was the solely touristy looking somebody inward the whole coach (courtesy the straw lid together with the big photographic television camera bag), every bit shortly every bit I asked for the ticket to Chandor, the conductor had looked at me together with exclaimed, “Bada ghar dekhne ja rahi ho? Braganca House close the Church?” Before dropping me off at Chandor, he pointed to a longish 2 storey theatre across the route surrounded past times an overgrown garden. The iv hundred yr old theatre amongst 2 wings housing 2 offshoots of the same family: the Menezes-Braganza together with the Menezes Pereira is a museum inward itself. Words volition non produce judge to its grandeur; therefore I volition encompass it separately inward a photograph blog.
It was Mrs. Aurea Menezes Periera who told me together with gave me directions to the other theatre inward Chandor that is opened upward to public, the Fernandes House. So after thanking her, I laid out towards the Fernandes theatre on foot. It was mid afternoon. I crossed the route together with walked past times the church. In the schoolhouse the world behind the church, kids were practising march-past. I walked farther past times Chandor social society to border of the hamlet but soundless no sight of Fernandes House. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 niggling ahead, I saw a adult woman who appeared to live waiting for a bus/ pickup together with decided to reconfirm the directions amongst her. She was indeed waiting for a coach to Madgao. She confirmed that I was on the correct path but volition receive got to walk some other 15 minutes. Famished inward the hot sun, I enquired if I could hire an auto rickshaw to instruct there. She laughed together with said at that spot are no autos available hither for hire but offered to halt 1 of the passing bikes together with asking them to drib me at the Fernandes House. I was also exhausted to decline. As she tried to moving ridge downward a cycle for me, she kept asking me diverse questions. Where are yous from? So yous are a tourist huh? You came hither lone all the agency from Mumbai? Have yous had lunch? She also kept repeating almost apologetically that inward instance her coach comes inward the meantime, she volition receive got to instruct out fifty-fifty if she is unable to flag downward a cycle for me past times then. Unlike the pesky shack owners inward Calangute, her questions had a tinge of trouble organisation that actually touched me. At long last, she was able to flag downward a bike. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 immature man child who patently was her milkman. Grudgingly, he agreed to drib me at the Fernandes House. The Fernandes House looked to a greater extent than fourth dimension worn than the Braganca house. All the windows on the lower flooring were closed. I was virtually to plough around after several bells together with knocks on the door went unanswered, when all of a abrupt a human popped his caput out of 1 of the upper flooring windows together with asked me to wait. He was the matriarch Mrs. Sara Fernandes’ son. The Fernandes theatre is almost 500 years old together with although crumbling had real intriguing stories attached to it.
The side past times side day, I took the Konkan Railway dorsum to Mumbai. The route was scenic indeed. We passed through several tunnels, chugged over hills , ravines and. Alas, I could non click whatsoever adept pictures through the dusty windows of air-conditioning three tier. Next time, I volition brand it a shout out for to go past times 2nd class. Yes at that spot volition live a side past times side fourth dimension every bit at that spot is so much that Goa has to offering that 1 trip is indeed non enough. Cheers!
Author Bio: Ausmita together with her husband, Praneet are avid travelers. But amongst operate together with life oftentimes playing spoilsport amongst their go plans, they devised a cunningly elementary operate around - Weekend Trips. WanderfulWeekendz is a living chronicle of their weekend sojourns. For to a greater extent than weekend sojourns off the beaten track, read together with follow their Blog and Facebook Page.
*****
Have yous ever ventured out Solo amongst doubts together with enjoyed the trip nevertheless? Please produce portion your sense inward the comments!
Author Bio: Ausmita together with her husband, Praneet are avid travelers. But amongst operate together with life oftentimes playing spoilsport amongst their go plans, they devised a cunningly elementary operate around - Weekend Trips. WanderfulWeekendz is a living chronicle of their weekend sojourns. For to a greater extent than weekend sojourns off the beaten track, read together with follow their Blog and Facebook Page.
*****
Have yous ever ventured out Solo amongst doubts together with enjoyed the trip nevertheless? Please produce portion your sense inward the comments!