Goa - The Earth on Earth

Geography says, 71% of this earth is Water. In the remaining 29%, one-third is taken up by the Deserts. Endless Mountain ranges, vast Polar Regions, other big fresh water lakes and rivers, and miscellaneous uninhabitable terrains vie for the remaining two-thirds. Sounds like there is hardly any piece of land left to live in the earth. Isn't? But then here we are, 6 billion of us cramping ourselves in whatever little place available and thinking that we are living in earth. A Frog in a well is not nearly as naive as one. So it was a reality check for me when I found myself amidst some real piece of planet earth - full of Flora, Water, Sandy beaches and even a bit of Mountain. It’s not hard to figure out why Goa has come to symbolize the term "Holiday" for every average Indian and the world alike.I am not going to croon here about the Goa which the guide books speak about. Babbling all page about the been there - done thats is redundant. You want to know about the Partying in Baga or the flea market of Anjuna or the tranquility of Paulolem, You would be better off googling out. My Goan experience, like my predecessors has its own unique mystic charm. Here I am with what ingredients go into its making, just like the recipe of a goan fish curry. Never mind I am a vegetarian!!

1. Commuting - Unplugged: How about donning a different cap (or a helmet rather), that of a chauffeur and be the master as well? Confused..? Well, If you aren't hiring a scooter and loosing yourself in the by lanes of goan country side, you sure are missing the real charm of being here. Its cheap, gives you some unbelievable freedom to do what you want when you want and fits well with the geographical fact that Goa is compact enough to do this. By the way, don't worry about directions. There are a million signboards everywhere in the form of ever friendly locals.
2. The mythical Legends: This place is woven so closely with Indian Cinema, that the filmy legends about Goa surely fires up your imagination once you are here.. "You know... Its the Dona Paula where 'Ek Duje ke liye' was shot..."! "Anjuna is the beach where Jackie Shroff spots Urmila in 'Rangeela'.."! " 'Vagator' is the place to ponder about life just like Akash, Samir and Sidd in 'Dil Chahta Hai'.. "! And the Tamils would fondly recall the Goan diversion amidst the movie "Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal". The ever continuing romance of Indian Cinema with Goa can be found all over ...
3. The Portuguese Past: The first typical site to greet me on the drive from Airport to the city was a Hutch banner - a fisher man claiming "Dempo my favorite" while an old lady vouching for "Vasco". Goa is definitely a prominent feather in the cap of Indian diversity. You have to pay a visit to realize its stark contrast, thanks to the Portuguese who irreversibly changed its demographics - be it in the lifestyle, cuisine, architecture or the football. Some of the finest shrines of Christianity in India can be found here in a Goa. A visit to the Churches and the Cathedrals does transport you back in time while their grandeur easily matches up to that of any medieval town of continental Europe.
4. The Goans: "Calangute?" I ask; with lazy eyes he points to his right. "Aguda?" I ask; again a silent gesture by another to his left; The "one line chemistry" between the wandering tourist and the native here is so effective that it leaves high-tech-pre-planned-itinerary-from-google-maps-(elsewhere-in-the-world), obsolete. In Panaji, I was lost and was asking the route to "18th June Road" to a passer-by (what a name for a street..!!, This way you can at least name 365 streets in a town unambiguously :-P ). He wasn't sure. Another gentleman overheard us and suspended what he was doing, volunteered in and gave us the directions, except that he was talking on a roadside PCO!! I approach another, "Which way to the Beach?" .. "Rocky or Sandy..?" comes the reply.. Haven't seen such improvisations in free advice elsewhere... No doubt that the relationship here between the locals and the visitors, like any other tourist place, is Symbiotic. But it’s that ever accommodating goan spirit in the people that makes your visit lively. While on my shopping I ask the shopkeeper, what is truly goan that I can find here.. "Me.. Of course.." he smiled. He did add that, now a days goans are on the decline as they loose people both ways. More goans leaving outside and more establishments in Goa being owned by others. Sad, probably.
5. The Landscape: Goa is one of the best spots all over the world for an ideal beach holiday and rightly so. It’s not only the quantity but also the quality. Shun the popular beaches.. Find a quiet one (and there is no dearth of them in Goa), sit around, do nothing but gaze into the sea, collect some nature’s souvenir in the form of shells and pebbles from the beach, chase a crab and you will surely feel rejuvenated. There are some beautiful relics of many Forts which is a must visit as well. I would recommend viewing the Sunset from Vagator fort for a sublime experience. The country side leaves a metro dweller dwarfed. A pleasant climate (not so sultry compared with other coastal regions down south), Abundant greenery dotted by elegant churches around every corner, no mad traffic on winding and narrow roads along the Natural creeks and of course a lot of sea and beaches... Goa is not a Heaven on Earth. It’s after all, Earth on Earth !