To describe Goa, I would need to borrow a couple of lines from Amir Khusro, The great medieval poet "Agar Firdaus Bar Rooh-e Zameen ast, Hameen ast, Hameen ast, O!Hameen ast (If there be a paradise on earth, this is it, this is it and nothing but this!). These lines have been carved for immortality at the walls of Diwan-e-Khas at the redfort in Delhi.
Last week, we as a family went on our second trip to Goa. In true style, ITC maintains two beautiful guest houses for the use of its employees. Goa means five things to me-(1) excellent food, (2) good wine, (3) bargain-driven shopping from the flea markets and (4)lovely beaches (5) its monuments depicting a colonial past. The sea food and steaks are mouth watering that too at reasonable prices if one were to have them from the shacks located at the beaches.
As far as liquor is concerned, feni and portwine being the local specialities, the prices are so low, one would hesitate to buy drinks from any other place in India! The flea markets are awesome and every beach has a different format.An ideal place for a family to spend time and have a good life albeit for a few days during a vacation.
To remember my trips to goa, I took a tattoo each on each of my arms symbolic of my children’s names. Its painful but beautiful. my friends ask me if it is painful-then why take it? all I say-NO PAIN, NO GAIN :-)
Each beach seems to have a personality of its own. For example calangute beach has more stores than any other place. Anjuna has its flea markets where one can pick up beautiful stuff at ridiculously low prices. Its beach is safe and one can pick-up rounded sones in different hues. these stones have been shaped by thousands of years of pounding by the sea. Baga beach has smaller pools formed naturally where children can enjoy the water safely. cant describe all the beaches as it would take a lot of space.
One should not forget to visit Goa’s monuments especially the ones in Old Goa or Velaha Goa. Se Cathedral, St. Catherine’s Church, Christian Art Museum and many more of such monuments remind us how imperialism was advanced with the help of religion.
All I can say-VIVA LA GOA!!!!!!!!!