The Time-Turner Series || Reliving togetherness in emerald-green, rain-soaked Goa

It is Monday and it is time again for our weekly Time-Turner series. This is the series through which we focus on our lingering memories of a trip that we undertook in the past. Monsoon, regular rains, sparkling greenery, all reminded me of the trip to Goa we undertook in August 2013 immediately after our wedding. That being our "honeymoon" we were really looking forward to a romantic getaway. Some of our friends had cautioned us about visiting Goa during the monsoons. It could rain for hours together, it would be humid, the seafood shacks will be closed etc. We decided to take a risk, and what a decision it turned out to be.

The first thing we did upon reaching goa was rent a car. Since it wasn't the peak season, we got a really good deal. We got a good WagonR in Rs. 1400 per day. Though I had been driving for years, it was the first time I was driving in a city other than Delhi. I remember I was nervous at first. Roads in Goa are different from the roads in Delhi. Some of them are just a single lane running through fields. Moreover, the road was a few feet higher than the fields and it meant that we would be in trouble if another vehicle approached from the other side. We were lucky that we didn't come across any other vehicle, however someone had tied their buffalo alongside the road and the buffalo had decided to climb up and sit on the road. However, as soon as the animal saw our car approaching, it got up and jumped into the field. We were massively relieved and thankful to the buffalo for its quick thinking.

This was also the first time I drove on the "hills". It really isn't fair to call the slight incline that one needs to traverse when travelling to the Manguesh Mahalaxmi temple a "hill", but nevertheless there are curves and steep turns involved. It was thrilling and exciting, and I still look back at that drive and can remember the roadsides that appeared like green blur as we drove across.  

Our hotel was located a few minutes from the quiet and peaceful Candolim Beach. On the way to the beach was the market with some very interesting shops and quaint restaurants. We spent many an evening sitting in these restaurants, looking down at the market street below, sipping on chilled beer/feni. Walking through these streets was fun, as was the beach. It was a comparatively quiet beach and we sat there till late in the night, staring, first, at the setting sun and then at the lights from the fishing boats becoming bigger and brighter as they prepared to come home with the catch of the day.

The weather was very conducive to our first trip together. At least during the days, it never rained heavily. There were light showers and drizzles that weren't successful in keeping us indoors. It felt like a refreshing spray on our faces as we strolled together on the beach. The constant breeze rustled through the dense vegetation that lined the beach. It was like music. And we were more than happy to dance to its tunes.

This is one trip that is so full of adventure and happy memories that we wouldn't mind repeating the exact itinerary. Even though there is a huge part of Goa that we couldn't explore, we never felt the need to pack our trip with day excursions that would leave us too tired to actually enjoy the place and togetherness. And looking back, we are happy about the decisions we made back then.  

If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -

- Manage your waste well and don’t litter

- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.

- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.

- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.

- Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite