My Experiences during the YHAI Goa trek 2006-07 -- Part 2
Its 09:30 of another Delhi winter Saturday and I am listening to my favorite track - Nostalgia by Yanni, the tune which makes me feel refreshed. Trying to recollect the last day's experience at Goa. Its ot very difficult as things are as fresh as it was on 24th Dec -06.
It was 23rd evening and I was almost packed and ready to go. I had my train reservation on 25th to Kerala. I had planned the trip with 24 buffered to see how Goa celebrates Christmas. It was evening now and we, Suresh, Kiran (he is the cool Reddy garu in the earlier part, I just came to know his full name that evening), Satish, Me, Manesa and the naughty little girl Mandara, went out to check out for some restaurant at Panaji and to have some feel of the night there. We were accompanied by Nayan and Amol.
Since I was looking for an accommodation for the 24th night at Goa, I was in the lookout for a hotel room for that night. If you are looking for an accommodation during the Christmas or New year time, mind you, its almost impossible to find one and even if you find one its damn expensive. So the best option is to book in advance at some place where you get at a cheaper rate. In any case its difficult to find one below 900 to 1000 bucks. So I had asked for the help of Satej, based in Goa, whom I came to know professionally as we both work on the same project. I asked him for some help to find a room and he did as promptly and located a hotel. He was waiting for me in front of the hotel. So it was an unplanned and sudden meeting that we had. He is a very nice guy and gave me some idea about the situation. I however didn't opt for the room as it was damn expensive being luxurious.
After Satej left, I rejoined the Bangalore guys and got company for dinner. Thats one dinner that I will remember for years to come. Food was not spicy and the ambience would make me feel sick!! After dinner we were back to our base camp. Being 23:00 hrs, it was very late according to the YHAI rules, but since we had come back from higher camp, it was a bit liberal for us. We found other guys from G2 still on the ground and sharing their experiences with others. Cittu, Nayan, Nitin, Rahul, Vikas, and we joined in. After around 30 mins, we returned to our tents and slept.
24th - YHAI trek over.
I got up a bit late, around 06:30. I could see everyone getting ready as almost all of them were completing up their packing work. Had our breakfast and by 09:00 hrs people started saying goodbye and were back on their way. We checked out by around the same time. I preferred to move with Suresh and team and joined them at YHAI-Campal. Got a bed booked and was planning to go exploring Goa. Me and Kiran decided to hire a bike. Satish and Suresh joined us and did the sisters from Sydney - Manesa and Mandara. We hired 3 bikes and headed towards Baga beach. I was in a lookout for some nice monuments - fort, church or temples. We reached Baga by afternoon. We had our lunch and as I was out of YHAI, I had a couple of beer. That was a good taste of Goa :D.
We left Baga towards Aguda fort. It was constructed by the Portugese and has a big Light House. We were a bit late and couldn't enter the fort as its closed for visitors by 17:30 hrs. We wandered in and around there for another hour and then headed back to Panjim as Manesa and Mandara had to board the bus back to Bangalore in the evening. Suresh and Satish planned to return to Bangalore that evening itself and we parted, being together for almost 9 days and enjoying each other's company, after our dinner. It was real pleasure in their company. Me and Kiran headed back to the hostel and were back to bed though we both wanted to be outside to see what was happening in town on Christmas eve.
25th - times too short to touch Goa again.
Me and Kiran had some vague plans which still was unconfirmed as to how to use the remaining time we had the bike with us - 12:00 hrs. We decided to go and visit Aguada again, and this time in Details. We reached Aguada by 09:30 hrs and I again had some good time to shoot. The fort was constructed by portugese around 16th century and it was a en route reference point for vessels. It has got natural spring and water storage tanks. It has got a multi-storey light house decomissioned in 1976.
I got some good views, but that was certainly not the best time as the sun was providing too much of resources that I had to play with a bit of caution. My favorite time to shoot fort would be either early morning or late evening, when sun provides some different shades.
We left the fort around around 10:45 hrs back to Campal Youth hostel. We returned the bike by 11:30 hrs and went straight back to our hostel. Collected our rucksack and bags. My train was at 19:00 hrs as told by the Rly guys. And not to take any chances, I was planning to reach the station by 18:00 hrs. However Kiran had a lot of time to catch the train that was some time scheduled for after 21:00 hrs. So his plans included visiting one more place. We went to Panjim bus stand and had our lunch together there. Chicken biriyani was tasty and I was stomach full. After lunch, we reached the Panjim bus stand and it was time to bid good bye with the last company I had from the trek. We told each other to be in touch and we both had our orkut account.
Again I was in the Kadamba bus heading to Margao. De boarded the bus at Margao city bus stand. A very strange feeling passed through my mind of not being comfortable at with the present situation. I realised that I was certainly not done with my Goa trip and there was more to it. I felt that I wanted to stay for more time and feel Goa in its natural state.
However, due to the obvious reasons I didn't have a choice but to leave Goa for now. By this time, my calculations were going high on planning for my next visit to Goa. A lady sitting in the next seat while i was traveling in the city bus was kind enough to give me some insight into the Goan season and the different time to visit Goa. She told me that Goa was very inexpensive during the Monsoon season. She also told be that South Goa was having more hidden natural assets those were not much explored. As soon as she told these things I got the WOW feeling. That was because - 1. I love the monsoon season and enjoy rain more than anything in this world, and 2. the inexpensive season in Goa.
So my next trip to Goa will be planned as.....
a) Visit in the Monsoon season.
b) Book a room somewhere in the south Goa, that would come at a lower rate - approx 150INR to 300INR /per day
c) Rent a bike that would be available for around 200INR/per day during that season.
d) Refer the map and identify the old monuments, forts, churches or temples and lush green places in and around and spend some time to capture those moments.
I think thats a very inexpensive way to enjoy a wonderful place like Goa.
Am waiting in the Margao rly station and was trying to pass the remaining time till the Mangla-Lakshadeep express arrives at platform number 1, which would take me to Shornur junction from where I will board a bus to Palakkad - my home town. The train arrived late at around 20:45 hrs. I boarded the train saying good bye to Goa for now. Its been a really good time. Thank you GOA. :)
It was 23rd evening and I was almost packed and ready to go. I had my train reservation on 25th to Kerala. I had planned the trip with 24 buffered to see how Goa celebrates Christmas. It was evening now and we, Suresh, Kiran (he is the cool Reddy garu in the earlier part, I just came to know his full name that evening), Satish, Me, Manesa and the naughty little girl Mandara, went out to check out for some restaurant at Panaji and to have some feel of the night there. We were accompanied by Nayan and Amol.
Since I was looking for an accommodation for the 24th night at Goa, I was in the lookout for a hotel room for that night. If you are looking for an accommodation during the Christmas or New year time, mind you, its almost impossible to find one and even if you find one its damn expensive. So the best option is to book in advance at some place where you get at a cheaper rate. In any case its difficult to find one below 900 to 1000 bucks. So I had asked for the help of Satej, based in Goa, whom I came to know professionally as we both work on the same project. I asked him for some help to find a room and he did as promptly and located a hotel. He was waiting for me in front of the hotel. So it was an unplanned and sudden meeting that we had. He is a very nice guy and gave me some idea about the situation. I however didn't opt for the room as it was damn expensive being luxurious.
After Satej left, I rejoined the Bangalore guys and got company for dinner. Thats one dinner that I will remember for years to come. Food was not spicy and the ambience would make me feel sick!! After dinner we were back to our base camp. Being 23:00 hrs, it was very late according to the YHAI rules, but since we had come back from higher camp, it was a bit liberal for us. We found other guys from G2 still on the ground and sharing their experiences with others. Cittu, Nayan, Nitin, Rahul, Vikas, and we joined in. After around 30 mins, we returned to our tents and slept.
24th - YHAI trek over.
I got up a bit late, around 06:30. I could see everyone getting ready as almost all of them were completing up their packing work. Had our breakfast and by 09:00 hrs people started saying goodbye and were back on their way. We checked out by around the same time. I preferred to move with Suresh and team and joined them at YHAI-Campal. Got a bed booked and was planning to go exploring Goa. Me and Kiran decided to hire a bike. Satish and Suresh joined us and did the sisters from Sydney - Manesa and Mandara. We hired 3 bikes and headed towards Baga beach. I was in a lookout for some nice monuments - fort, church or temples. We reached Baga by afternoon. We had our lunch and as I was out of YHAI, I had a couple of beer. That was a good taste of Goa :D.
We left Baga towards Aguda fort. It was constructed by the Portugese and has a big Light House. We were a bit late and couldn't enter the fort as its closed for visitors by 17:30 hrs. We wandered in and around there for another hour and then headed back to Panjim as Manesa and Mandara had to board the bus back to Bangalore in the evening. Suresh and Satish planned to return to Bangalore that evening itself and we parted, being together for almost 9 days and enjoying each other's company, after our dinner. It was real pleasure in their company. Me and Kiran headed back to the hostel and were back to bed though we both wanted to be outside to see what was happening in town on Christmas eve.
25th - times too short to touch Goa again.
Me and Kiran had some vague plans which still was unconfirmed as to how to use the remaining time we had the bike with us - 12:00 hrs. We decided to go and visit Aguada again, and this time in Details. We reached Aguada by 09:30 hrs and I again had some good time to shoot. The fort was constructed by portugese around 16th century and it was a en route reference point for vessels. It has got natural spring and water storage tanks. It has got a multi-storey light house decomissioned in 1976.
I got some good views, but that was certainly not the best time as the sun was providing too much of resources that I had to play with a bit of caution. My favorite time to shoot fort would be either early morning or late evening, when sun provides some different shades.
We left the fort around around 10:45 hrs back to Campal Youth hostel. We returned the bike by 11:30 hrs and went straight back to our hostel. Collected our rucksack and bags. My train was at 19:00 hrs as told by the Rly guys. And not to take any chances, I was planning to reach the station by 18:00 hrs. However Kiran had a lot of time to catch the train that was some time scheduled for after 21:00 hrs. So his plans included visiting one more place. We went to Panjim bus stand and had our lunch together there. Chicken biriyani was tasty and I was stomach full. After lunch, we reached the Panjim bus stand and it was time to bid good bye with the last company I had from the trek. We told each other to be in touch and we both had our orkut account.
Again I was in the Kadamba bus heading to Margao. De boarded the bus at Margao city bus stand. A very strange feeling passed through my mind of not being comfortable at with the present situation. I realised that I was certainly not done with my Goa trip and there was more to it. I felt that I wanted to stay for more time and feel Goa in its natural state.
However, due to the obvious reasons I didn't have a choice but to leave Goa for now. By this time, my calculations were going high on planning for my next visit to Goa. A lady sitting in the next seat while i was traveling in the city bus was kind enough to give me some insight into the Goan season and the different time to visit Goa. She told me that Goa was very inexpensive during the Monsoon season. She also told be that South Goa was having more hidden natural assets those were not much explored. As soon as she told these things I got the WOW feeling. That was because - 1. I love the monsoon season and enjoy rain more than anything in this world, and 2. the inexpensive season in Goa.
So my next trip to Goa will be planned as.....
a) Visit in the Monsoon season.
b) Book a room somewhere in the south Goa, that would come at a lower rate - approx 150INR to 300INR /per day
c) Rent a bike that would be available for around 200INR/per day during that season.
d) Refer the map and identify the old monuments, forts, churches or temples and lush green places in and around and spend some time to capture those moments.
I think thats a very inexpensive way to enjoy a wonderful place like Goa.
Am waiting in the Margao rly station and was trying to pass the remaining time till the Mangla-Lakshadeep express arrives at platform number 1, which would take me to Shornur junction from where I will board a bus to Palakkad - my home town. The train arrived late at around 20:45 hrs. I boarded the train saying good bye to Goa for now. Its been a really good time. Thank you GOA. :)
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