THE BEGINNING
"Oyye Sidd woh dekh tera jahaj, Tab kitna chota tha....ab toh aur bhi Bada ho gaya hai" These are some of the words from a dialogue in the movie Dil Chahta Hai..We three friends (Soham, Sanskar and me) decided to find our own Jahaj and that too in GOA... :)
Soham, Sanskar and me were having a late night discussion as to how we need to get out of our daily grind and have some fun. We were of the opinion that this may be the last bachelor trip that we may do together. As soon as the GOA plan was spoken of we jumped into planning for it.
Getting the GOA plan going was rather a cake walk. We had 3 options to travel in, a State Transport Bus, More Baba ka Ritz or Kulkarni kaka ka Van. Except for Sanskar, Soham and me disliked the option of traveling to GOA in a Van. We even thought of taking the Ritz but that too was shot down effectively by my parents. So state transport bus it was for a while until Sanskar uttered the word "Scorpio'. Sanskar's brother-in-law was out of town hence the vehicle was serviced and parked and ready to be driven. A muscle SUV vehicle parked in a building is so boring for the SUV too. Sometimes i feel we have to drive and behave with a car the way it is meant for. A SUV is definitely one which needs to be roughed up in the right manner. It is said 'ask and its shall be delivered' now thats what happened with us. We inquired for it and we were able to get the 'Scorpio' for the GOA trip. Individually we had planned to put in about 10K each. This was like working with a shoe string budget for GOA. But we had to manage it at all cost, after all it was a much awaited break that we were looking forward too. The Canon 500D, The Mahindra Scorpio, The 3 buddies....4th one via Whatsapp in Singapore. :D Bags were packed, and the wild hogs were on their way to GOA.
A little lie to my parents that we will start in the morning...Yippee Kai Yae readers.....We were on our way to GOA....The characters, The 3 Musketeers....Marathe....More and the Kulkarni.....3 different and unique personalities. Risk taker, the explorer and curiosity bug along with the Mathematician. The Goa plan had our engines revved up as this trip was pending for years and it had taken pain staking years to finally get it on track.
When you start a journey in a car that you are not familiar with, always make sure that you know where the buttons are located and what happens when you press it. Since the journey was long, we need to fill sufficient fuel for the car to make it. We decided to fill fuel at the very beginning. OK great now we are at the Gas Station with the cash in hand and the Gas station attendant ready to fill in the Diesel. Wait , which button dude??? 3 of us were in a fix as we didnt know which button to press to open the tank. The Gas station attendant also looked at us in suspicion , as if we had stolen the vehicle. Finally we found the button and filled in the required amount. That was our Mazel Tov moment !
There were 2 drivers for this trip. Sanskar and me, we decided to change after every 150 to 200 kms. Soham was like the rally co-driver who would help us with water and snacks items. Atleast he didnt feel that he was just a passenger. Sanskar was the first one to drive the vehicle till we crossed Satara. We stopped just few kilometers ahead of Satara as we were desperately seeking a tea break as the 3 of us were sleepy. It was my turn then and I was speaking to myself, 'dude this is a SUV and not a small car', 'check the mirrors well before you overtake a vehicle'. It was an awesome experience for the first 20 mins when you adjust to the vehicle responses to your driving style. After the initial ice breaker with the car it was a smooth ride. We decided to stick to the National Highway and not enter KOLHAPUR as the road was undriveable.
Before Nipani (Karnataka) Soham and me had a smoke, we talked about how we can reach Goa within the stipulated time. By morning 6am we had reached Nipani. We stopped and started with the trip pictures. We took pictures on the Highway and also tried clicking the picture of the 3 of us using a blown out Tyre piece that we found on the road. Sanskar took over the driving responsibilities as i had driven through the night. We took a detour towards Gokak, we intented to go to Jamkhandi, via Rabkavi and Mahalinpur (Thankgod I know the names).
A morning view of the country site can be so funny. Dunniya Jab Potty karne jaati hai toh rang birange auzaar liye jaati hai. You guys missed the site...not of people shitting...but the kinda colored vessels they used for water to clean-up after you have done the business.....Rainbow colors were less I guess....but we saw variety....and all of the same type and shape. Unbelievable, site it was. An old timer who was almost on the last mile of his life walking with the help of walker too had a colorful toiletry and that too hanging by his walker......hahahahahahaha :D
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| Used a broken piece of tyre to click a selfie |
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| Zen Pose by Soham |
DAY 1
There is something special about Karnataka. Whenever you ask people for direction all point in one direction, straight. Soham had a line for this kinda behaviour.' No matter what we ask them, they believe that all roads lead us to GOD.' Saare Raaste Bhagwan ki taraf jaate hain. So we were searching for a hill top temple in a plateau region. We arrived at the temple in the morning in an absolutely rustic village that wakes up early but the atmosphere and people make you feel you have gone back in time.
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| Highway pic - just ahead of Kolhapur |
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| Morning Scene @ Nipani |
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| Dew Drops and Sunrays |
Morning Scenes at Nipani
As soon as our vehicle stopped, people started starring at us like we were aliens who had landed from an outer planet. We walked to a Shani temple. We saw a priest approaching us, black in color with all white ash applied on his body . We inquired with him about the history of the temple and he made us walk for like 100 meters to some stupid place which we instantly felt was the wrong place. We were at the wrong place and the wrong village by miles. We were like 70 kms off target. At that time Google Maps had not evolved and we had Blackberry phones with tiny screens. With the help of some phone calls and hand gesture understanding we were on our way to the correct destination. It took us innumerable turns and hand gestures to people to finally reach the place.
The place was known as Jamkhandi. There is a famous temple there atop a hill which is famous for making all your wishes come true for one thing only and that was the wish of a house. One has to visit the temple and then utilize the rocks available within the temple vicinity to build a rock house.
We bachelors intended to build our own houses. We placed few rocks around the temple premises and finished with our prayers and finally started to move towards Nipani as we wanted to travel through the Amboli ghat before night. We had lunch at some place in between. Lunch was 'Dry Bhel' and tea.What more can you expect in the inner most villages in India. When we reached the National highway we were astonished and confused at the same time. From Nipani the distance to GOA on th marker was 310kms....bonkers man that cant be true we said to ourselves. We continued towards Ajara MIDC which was few clicks away and there we saw a board of GOA 150kms. That was like the Karnataka govt playing prank on travelers. Be aware of these boards.
A Break at Ajara MIDC
At Ajara MIDC we took a break for few minutes as it was a long and tiring drive. Soham helped us by cleaning the windshield. This act made him realize that he can be useful to the drivers of the SUV. Sanskar took the responsibility of driving through the ghats. At Ajara MIDC it had started raining consistently and till we reached Sawantwadi it was raining heavily. Once you start driving through the ghat it is nearly impossible to overtake another vehicle. A Mahindra XUV 500 driver was getting irritated driving behind a Mahindra Scorpio. We all cracked a joke " Baap Baap hota hai aur beta beta" Referring to Mahindra Scorpio as the 'Baap'.
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| The frustrated XUV 500 finally overtaking us |
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| Going Through Amboli Ghat |
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| Amboli Waterfall |
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| Greeted by kids while entering GOA |
We reached GOA about 6.30 pm in the evening, we were skeptical about how the place will be, but our expectation were matched with what we had perceived. It was an awesome accommodation. Calangute Residency is a GTDC accommodation. The place that we got for the price that we paid was worth much more. The accommodation was sea facing at the beach itself.
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| Way to the room |
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| Sipping on some tea |
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| Me with Soham with Sanskar Clicking |
GUYS NIGHT OUT
It was the first night in Goa and we 3 dudes were looking to have some serious fun. Food was on our mind. Soham had visited some good places prior and wanted us to join in. "INFANTARIA" was the place that he took us too. Live Jazz music was being played along with an guitar player who also was the singer. The entertainers told us that it was the first time that they had come together to present some lively music.
Since food and drinks were on our minds. We had some awesome offers. We started with Goa's famous Kings Beer. I had never tasted such an awesome beer. The restaurant owner told us that Kings Beer now a days is very rare and its only produced and consumed in Goa. He made a starling gesture saying that Travelers like Kings Beer more than any other brands of beers. Always go for the taste and not the brand. That was the suggestion given to us. We started with chicken appetizers along with fresh kalamari. Sanskar and me had never tasted a Squid deliciously in our lives, but that preparation was awesome. Soham as usual had ham, he wants new tastes and new experiences all the time. Sanskar was the only non drinker amongst us. He got himself a Mocktail and me, Soham were sipping on beer. Since the music being played was outstanding, the place started filling up. The Jazz player and the singer too got in their groove and entertained the crowd.
After having food and some drinks we carried on and drove to some of the famous clubs in Goa. Tittos and Mambos. But we did not go in the club as we were 3 dudes with no females and that too in Goa (hahahahahaha). We drove to places nearby and witnessed some real night life that is hard to imagine in a Metropolitan city. Goa and the beaches are like cocktails, you never know when it hits you. It takes some time to adjust and really go with the flow here. Every person has various shades of character and personality triads. I can assure you that i really got to see a really different Abhijit.
It was Mandar Pitres Bday. He is the one who made this trip possible. It was his Scorpio vehicle that made this trip a memorable one. We dialed his number in US and spoke to him. Wished him and rather thanked him for lending us his vehicle. It was late night and it started raining. We 3 dudes decided to call it a day and go back to our crib and take some rest.
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| Kings Beer for me and Blue Lagoon non acholic for Sanskar |
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| Some Jazz being played |
DAY 2
Woke up
late in the morning and decided to go to Panaji for some food. Wrong
option!!! We had to park the vehicle miles away in the city and walk all
over to find a descent joint to have food. Goa is beautiful. We visited
the Famous Church in Goa which is seen in most of the Indian movies.
Also got a chance to visit some rustic Goan allies with old structures
with Portuguese designs. After all Goa was a Portuguese Colonial State,
until it was run over by the Indian Govt in 1960's to unite with the Indian mainland.
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| Names of some of the houses in Panjim |
We went to a few shops as Soham wanted to buy some gifts for himself and his fiance. The store name was Sosas'. There Soham got some complement for his Big Bali, a traditional ornament wore by Kokani Brahmins similar to a ear stud.
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| Image from Sosa store |
Well we walked all around the central Panaji town. All cops in Goa are super fit, looks like its the effect of the movie Singham :)
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| Our Lady of Immaculate Church |
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| Roaming through Panjim |
Finally after roaming for 3 hrs in the intense heat and humidity we found a very traditional place Anandashram to eat food. We ordered for some great fish thali's which was something made in heaven. The thali had fried fish, fresh kalamari and some great curries with rice. Mouth watering it was. After a bad day in Panaji (because of the roaming) we were raring to visit the well known beaches around. We first drove to Dona Paula of all places. It was not interesting part of our journey apart from the discussions that the movie Singham was shot there :)
Post the visit to Dona Paula where we didnt stay long, we decided to visit, Anjuna Beach. Anjuna Beach has a lot of hippies around and a small flea market around the beach. This beach is unsual and is not like the other beaches. We checked out the local market to see if there was anything interesting to buy, but there wasnt. We also checked out a small make shift music shop where Soham wanted to buy the Buddha Trans music. He looked interested in buying, but in the end gave up on the idea. We took interesting snaps here.
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| A beach view |
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| A Typical Rainy Afternoon |
We then visited the Vagator Beach and walked along the beach and bought some corn to enjoy the late afternoon or rather shall i say a hot and humid afternoon with no sign of rain around.
Enjoying the corn on the beach and there were first signs of rains around. We sat on the benches atop the Vagator beach and enjoyed the short drizzle.
It was evening and the mood was setting in, on our way back from Vagator we stopped at a very unusual bar named the Mango Tree. This bar was built in such a way that you could enjoy your drinks along the side of the road.
Sanskar had decided that he would not drink as he didnt drink ever :) So we had a friend who would drive us back to the hotel even if got drunk. Soham and me ordered a few drinks. Soham was working with his cousin brother at that in Pune full time to set-up a restaurant and was aware of few drinks that were exclusively made. He went upto the bar man and had a small conversation on the possible cocktail combinations. Soham convinced the barman to try a combination known as Katle-Aaam, it was a cocktail of Vodka, Mazza Mango drink and Tabasco Chilli sauce. It was interesting for the barman and he too liked the combination.
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| @ A Bar on the beach |
A incident to remember for me @ Mango Tree
We three had spend about 3 hours at Mango Tree bar and were sober enough to talk about life and future plans. Two tables beside us were seated a group of 3 girls who were also enjoying their moment. We were in general observing them for a while, suddenly one of them started crying for some reason. We guys started laughing knowing that the girl has had a couple extra drink and is now emotional on some topic. I wanted to go talk to them and wish them. In the meanwhile Soham and Sanskar paid the bill and were ready at the car in case my good intentions of wishing the women didnt go as per plan.
I was about to speak and inquire as to if the women were alright as one of them was crying, one of them quickly said to me that all is fine and there is nothing to worry. I said them that i just need to say one thing that they all looked great as a group and i complimented each of them for their looks wished them well and walked off the bar. When i looked at them before getting in the car, the expression on their face was that of being stunned. They didnt know how to react, but i just wanted to say good things and move on with my friends which i did.
My friends too congratulated me on speaking up. Its hard to speak up to girls and that too in a public place adds to the difficulty. But i had passed the test with flying colors. We friends had a giggle about it and we moved on into the night.
Tattoos
When in Goa, do what the Goans do. Eat, Drink, Sleep and Repeat and yes dont forget about the Tattoos. Well its not a mandate that one should get a Tattoo done and not everyone is of the opinion that Tattoo is a must have, but i wanted one and Soham wanted to have one as well along with repainting his old tattoo. So we entered Moksh Tattoo late at night. Sanskar wanted to be a spectator and wanted to help us to choose a correct Tattoo. It was my first Tattoo and i didnt think twice and got one done. Soham got an engraving done of initials of his and his fiancee. We ended our day at Tito's for a luxurious dinner and ordered some fresh prawns curry with steamed rice, which we didnt enjoy as much.
We drove around a bit and closed our very long day.....
Day 3 - Final day in Goa
We woke up late in the morning as we were hit by the hangover. We had to check out by 12pm so we decided to leave the hotel in a hurry. We decided to visit the local market and buy ourselves some souvenir and voila we landed in a nearby shop that made some custom T-Shirts as per requirement.
We decided to get 4 Black TShirts with our name, year and place we visited stitched on our T-Shirts.
We bargained with the owner for the price and he agreed to do the custom T-Shirt.
We ran into a local hookah store where we bought a piece to carry with us back to Pune.
In the end....
On our return journey we bought some souvenirs for our families and friends like Bebinca and some port wine. It was a short but fulfilling journey and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Driving on our way back we stopped at a lake near Amboli Ghat and took some of our final tour pics.
It was a fulfilling journey for us. We enjoyed every bit of fun we did together. It was a journey of a life time which we would remember and talk about for years to come. Friends are a great assets that one possesses. Any time spent with friends makes your life meaningful and worth living. Such journeys add new dimensions and meaning to your life. These experiences and journeys bring fulfillment and contentment. So long my friends for sharing such experiences in our lifetime. Stay hungry, Keep traveling, Keep making friends and last but not the least enjoy your life to the fullest.
Things to keep in mind:
1) Start early if you intend to visit various locations
2) Bargain, even though you must be well funded
3) Keep in mind where you and plan your rides and drives accordingly
4) Avoid going to beach areas alone
5) Avoid foreign scammers but if you find genuine people do interact
6) Avoid behaving like a typical tourist
7) Carry good swimwears on beaches and avoid showcasing your inners
8) Avoid staring at foreign tourists :)
9) Always lock your cars and click pic of the area you park in
10) If you have taken cars/bike on hire, click pic of the number plate
11) Always carry correct vehicle docs
12) Please dont drink and drive.
Abhijit More
Pune
