The Goa Chronicles - 'Day 1'

The bus to Panjim / Panaji wasn’t pleasant in the least. The bus twisted and turned through the Ghats and so did my stomach. The AC was kept at a very low temperature, apparently they sell shawls in the bus, and I had to empty my bowel every time the bus stopped. As the bus reached Panjim and I got my first view of Mandovi, all the uneasiness crept away. The view was spectacular as Panjim was visible on the opposite bank of Mandovi.

We disembarked at 10 00 AM and looked for a taxi to Hotel Campal. All the taxi drivers quoted a similar rate of Rs 100.

“
Pavan: Bhaiya, How far is Hotel Campal?
Taxi Driver: Close by. About 3-4 km.
Pavan: (surprised) why are you guys charging 100 bucks then?
Taxi Driver: Minimum rate, Sir.
“

The taxi pulled over Hotel Campal. It was an old and rustic building with wooden staircases. The rooms had an attached bathroom, double cot, Air Conditioner and Television. The facilities were splendid for the Rs 10 we had to pay per day as the room was booked by my dad through his bank. We checked in, refreshed and changed into shorts. By 11 00 AM, with a guide in my hand, we were out to discover Panjim.

Panjim has a lot of independent houses, hardly any apartments. The houses with their lawns, the architecture and the colourful walls give it a Portuguese look. Campal is situated on the western side of Panjim kissing the river Mandovi and the Arabian Sea. Mandovi empties itself into the Arabian Sea at Campal.

Children's Park, Campal, Panjim

The four of us strolled through the children’s park at Panjim to look at Mandovi. Campal has rocks on its river banks and is not safe to swim. The converging of Arabian Sea and Mandovi can lead to unpredictable tides and currents. We could spot some churches on the opposite side of Mandovi and the monsoon made the vegetation look verdure. We hiked along the rocks to Kala Academy. The jetty at Kala Academy was closed at that time and would open only in the evening.

After the taxing bus travel, our stomachs groaned for food. I took out my guide and started to cull through the pages for information on restaurants. I could find a few near Miramar Beach about 2 km away. On recommendation by a grocer we went to Foodland, a restaurant of the tourism department.

“
Pavan: One Coconut Fenny
Gautham: One cashew Fenny
Waiter: Large or Small
Both: Small
(The fenny arrived and it was literally stinking. That’s what we felt of its strong essence. )
Gautham: I am going to have it with my nose closed.
Pavan: This smells more than any drink I ever had.
Satish: It smells like a jack fruit that has been left to rot for months.
Satish apparently hates Jack Fruit. Given a choice I would have a rotten jack fruit instead of a fenny.
(Food and fenny)
Gautham: Hmm... The biryani tastes really good.
Pavan: Yup. I think it is because of the taste of fenny.
(After drinking the fenny)
Pavan: I am feeling sleepy for 30 ml of fenny
Gautham: Ya, It looks very effective.
Both: Shall we order more?
Satya: Please don’t ever order it when I am with you guys.
“

Miramar Beach - In High Spirits

After a sumptuous diet, thanks to the fenny for making the food really delicious, we walked towards Miramar beach. The tide seemed to be high and the waves too were surging towards the sandy beach. Miramar is close to Mandovi and isn’t safe for swimming near the mouth of the river. As such we entered the waters half a kilometre away.

Satish and I were the first to remove our shirts and jump into the waters of the Arabian. All I could feel at first was a burning sensation in my eyes and salty tongue. Pavan and Satya too joined in and we had fun trying to swim with the waves. By 3 00 PM we were really tired. And all I wanted to do was go back to the room and grab some sleep for an hour or so. Thanks to Satish who forgot our bag of clothes and realised only in the hotel room, I had to come back to the beach along with him once again.

At around 5 30 PM we reached the jetty at Kala Academy. We spotted some ships and the cloudy clearances provided a beautiful sight.

“
(I turned around as Pavan and Satya Mahesh were laughing their hearts out.)
Me: Why are you guys laughing?
Pavan: Arey satti gadu photo teesina tharuvatha, Smile ani annadu.
Trans – Hey Satish clicked the photo first and then said Smile.
“

Kala Academy Jetty - Satya and I

After around an hour at the jetty and some more searching in my guide, we decided on Santa Monica cruise. At Rs 100/person for a 1 hr trip on the Mandovi River and dance show on the cruise it looked pretty cheap. I had by then developed a headache maybe due to the bus travel. I couldn’t bear to sit near the speakers and watch their traditional dance. I drifted to the other side of the boat, pulled a chair and sat down watching the river Mandovi. The hoardings of Vodafone, Idea and Airtel glittered in the night. The Casino Royale cruise anchored and floating on the river water looked majestic. Soon, the last song played and drunken people were dancing on the floor that the cruise was anchored to the dock.

We had our dinner at the hotel room and hit the bed. That was it for Day1. And we had hired an Avenger and Karizma for the next two days at 350/- per day per bike.

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Legend:
We - Pavan, Satish, Gautham, Satya Mahesh
Guide - Outlook travel guide to Goa

Travellers :
Pavan, Satish - Colleagues at Daiict
Satya Mahesh - Class 10 colleague

Places Visited on Day 1:
Campal, Kala Academy, Miramar Beach, Santa Monica.