VISIT TO GOA

Goa is a small state in the south western side of India bordering Maharashtra in the North, Karnataka in the South and East and the Arabian Sea in the West. In the 16th century a small fleet of Portuguese army defeated the then local ruler Sultan of Bijapur. and formed a Portuguese Colony.

The Colonization of the subcontinent, started.

Today Goa is a great tourist attraction, aided by the state government which has exempted several items from taxes and declared gambling as legal in the state.

Accompanied by our Manager, Gopakumar, a trusted co traveler, I made a three nights and four day’s trip to goa. This article deals with our experiences in goa. Our travel schedule Was

All were Indigo flights. Only the Trichy Bangalore sector was in an 80 seater air craft which flew at 14000 feet. Boeing aircraft was there for the three other sectors.  We took wheel chair assistance on the insistence of my son Muthu. Car to car. It was very useful.

We checked into Nazri resort in Baga Beach area at about 18.30 hrs. on 27.10.24. We started by about 09.00 hrs. Sitting in air conditioning for over nine hours without much of activity was tire some. Of course we covered nearly 1400 kms.

Nazri resort is located amidst a busy shopping Centre. After checking in I retired in the hotel. Gopakumar went out along with local guide,

The Portuguese rule left a lasting impact on the goanese life style. In their architecture, culture, language, cuisine and religion. They introduced western architecture which blended with the local and created a unique style. Christianity was introduced by them and it created a cultural fusion. On the language front Konkani Portuguese developed by the thrust of Portuguese to the local Konkani.

In the cuisine they introduced Potatoes, Tomatoes and chili pepper which is still part of goanese cuisine. For religion Roman Catholic was thrust. As a result, the Portuguese ran deep into the fabric of Goanese life.

They encouraged marriages between the Portuguese settlers with the local goanese natives.

Geographically Panaji the capital of goa falls at15.5N and 73.8E

The rivers Tapi, Narmada, Sindu, Poorna and Sabarmati fall in the Arabian sea. Our guide said that the sea water is not that salty near goa.

The attractions of goa could be summarized as: -

The Churches and the architecture.The Casinos

The Beaches,

The Shops and,

The Eating places,

We explored all these.

On 28.10.24 we went to old goa to see the most important church of Goa, The St. Xavier Church. Popularly known as Bom Jesus basilica. It was constructed by the Portuguese in the 17th century.

It holds the mortal remains of the renowned saint St. Francis Xavier and a couple of other famous priests. Bon Jesus means, Infant Jesus, to whom the basilica is dedicated.

It is a Pilgrimage Centre and is recognized by UNESCO as one of the world heritage sites The magnificent edifice stands as a superb example of Baroque architecture in Goa. Opposite to the basilica is a well-constructed museum.

There are several other churches.

While returning from old goa we stopped at Panaji, the largest urban agglomeration in Goa. Mondovi river passes through Panaji. Life revolves around that. Goa is one state in India where gambling is legal. On the river constructed are the well-known Casinos, in the shape of a ship.

They are known as floating casinos. Entry fee may be around.    Rs.2000/- on Monday to Thursday and Rs.3000/- on Friday to Sunday. Non alcoholic food, all you can eat, is free.

Big Daddy and Casino Pride are famous.

Also cruises are organized in Panaji. Lunch cruises and dinner cruises are there. Prices are reasonable.

On 29th we went to the Fort and Light house. The Portuguese constructed this in the 17th century in the Centurion beach overlooking the Arabian Sea. It is also called as Condolim fort.

There is yet another fort known as Lower Fort. The lower Aguada fort is a nice view point. Aguada beach is a clean beach. Taj has a resort in that area.

While returning we saw the Calangute beach. It is one of the cleanest beaches in goa. A view of the stretch is amazing. It is a huge seven kilometer sweep of sand located 15 kms away from Panaji.

The time was around 11 am. The humidity was so high that Gopakumar felt giddy. We drove through Marpusa and reached the hotel by 11.30 am. I took rest in the hotel and Gopakumar went round shopping. Our idea was to buy some electronic items like Power bank, MP3 player etc. We could not locate any shop nearby selling such items. Only dresses and liquor was available. Dresses were bought.

In the evening we went to see the sunset in Baga beach which is just five minutes’ drive from the hotel. Goa’s western coast is the Arabian sea which provides for plenty of beaches. The coast line is about 300 Kms. Baga beach offers a perfect balance of relaxation and entertainment with its golden sands and perfectly safe water.

It is famous for its beachside bars and night clubs. During the day the expansive stretch of sand is energetic, offering numerous option of water sports.

After seeing the sunset and water sports we sat comfortably in a seaside Restaurant. You can sit there and inhale hookah for Rs. 800/-. Hookah is heating or vaporizing tobacco and then smoking. Some use hashish or opium. Drinks and food are also available. We were sitting there till the lights were put on. Under lights Baga beach is simply fantastic. The brilliant beauty was unforgettable.

After 8 pm the crowd swells up. Before that we drove back to the hotel.

The food in Nazri resort was uniformly good. I was using the room service. They served in great style. All food was covered with Aluminum foil. They used cling wrap wherever necessary. Tomato sauce, Sugar, Salt and pepper were profusely supplied in sachets.

I was eating in the comfort of the room whereas Gopakumar, a dependable lieutenant, went to the Poolside restaurant where they served complimentary breakfast. He was experimenting outside eateries for lunch and dinner. It is learnt the food he took was cheap and good.

Our room near the pool was good. It is in C block and is costlier than the room in A block. The pool was quite big and well maintained.

On 30th we had to report at the airport at 1100 hrs. We reached the airport ahead of time. Got a wheel chair outside the airport. Entered the airport finished all the formalities and reached the boarding gate at about 11.00 hrs. and waited. The flight took off and landed on time.

We did not get the wheel chair at the aircraft in Hyderabad. The airhostess and the other staff around tried their best. They succeeded only in making a complaint. As the layover time was less we did not wait too long. We took the bus and reached the terminal where we got a wheel chair with the help of a security.

Hyderabad Trichy flight was late by 10 minutes. We landed at Trichy almost on time, collected our luggage and got into our car and reached home by 19.00hrs after a lapse of 82 hours.

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