Goa 2010 Trip

Travelogues are difficult piece to write, since if not written properly they either sound ramblings or become uninteresting to the reader. The use of word “then” too often is a sure way of making it close to rambling of sorts. This is an attempt to steer clear of these two pitfalls. Plus more than a travelogue it’s a narration of our holiday at the Varca resort.

Everyone has been to Goa, or has heard from their friends about Goa. God’s own country is far by any standards to go to, but almost everyone can make it to Goa. So there is not much new that one can write. However, Goa took a new meaning if one looks at it from the eyes of a two year old.

On being asked where he went for the holiday, the little one replies as a matter of fact, BIG JUNGLE. For a kid who is just touching 3 feet, the tall trees, bushes, and wide stretches of grass was surely a jungle. We were housed at Club Mahindra Varca beach resort, and for once decide to just stay put at the resort and enjoy the beach and resort facilities without venturing out to other beaches or churches. We have seen all those on our previous visit and the kid is too young to understand. This meant three days of unadulterated leisure. For a coastal area the weather was at its best with a few rain showers, sunny days and breezy evening.

The first night by the time we all got dressed and refreshed for the dinner, it had started raining cats and dogs. I was in no mood to opt for a room service. Rain or no rain I wanted to be out of the room, it also doesn’t help that our kid is never at his best behavior in confined space. Thanks to the resort arrangements, we had two sturdy umbrellas in the rooms. For Rohan this itself was a thrilling adventure. Bundled up in his father’s arm, with rain pouring around him, and the umbrella towering over his little head, we walked to the dinning section, which was a good 10 minutes walk from our studio apartment.

The food at the resort was a decent spread, though nothing special. However our need for simple food, which we could enjoy and also feed our son, was met. The desserts were surely nice with a new kind of mousse for each meal, and the hot jalebis in the lunch spread for the last day of our stay sealed the deal. The breakfast spread was sumptuous and offered something for everyone. South Indian dishes idll, dosa, wadda and pongal. Paratha, puri and potato curries from north. English breakfast if you may please with bread, omelet, juice and pancakes. All these fit our bill to the T, and the pancakes with honey seemed to have the hit the bull’s eye with the kiddo. Rohan had a special fancy to the wide stairs in the dinning area, and would inform loud and clear for all to hear , “Mummy , Daddy I am sitting here”, and plunk himself in the middle of the stairs , oblivious of the danger of someone tripping and dropping food on him. However the Saxophone sling musician didn’t amuse him , rather left him with a quivering lip which mummy had to fix with tons of kisses and assurance that it was just a trumpet!!!

The rains on the first night of our arrival, were followed by a light shower in the afternoon the next day, however since we had by then retired for a siesta by then it only helped in making the evenings extremely pleasant.

Neither of us know how to swim, however Rohan’s excitement to go “swimming pool”, made us venture to the pool. The little one’s excitement vanished as soon as the cool water of the pool touched his feet. He squealed, but refused to even sit on my lap. The only way to make him enjoy was to carry him in my arms and suddenly sit down in the pool so he too got drenched. Though he did enjoy and refused to go back, but he refused to get down my arms too. We ventured into the pool only in the morning on the second day of the visit. However other guests used to be in the pool the whole day long, playing water sports, having fun with water spouts which were some sort of pool Jacuzzi.

The resort with its beautifully laid garden and cottages was a delight. Rohan had a field day running across the resort behind the butterflies, stopping to research each caterpillar, each dead or alive crawling insect. The only way to make him move from these hot spots was to call for him again after having left him there for a few minutes. On being asked, “Are you coming”, he would judge if we really had walked away too far, or were not visible to him, he would reply “want to come”. Thanks to the rains, Rohan got to observe a frog at close quarters for good fifteen minutes before we ran out of patience.

The resort is situated on the Varca beach. A ten-minute walk through the property leads one to a small bridge over a narrow brook like water body, and beyond the bridge is vast sand filled beach and the beautiful ocean. The sand of this beach is as smooth as wheat flour, and very fine grained. Though I can’t swim but I just adore the sea, and can spend hours walking on the beach with the waves lapping against my legs. However the enormity of the sea, and the sound of the waves didn’t humor the little one. He just refused to get down. On being cajoled he just hid his head in my neck and closed his eyes.

We saw no point in pushing him. He was extremely happy playing in sand, making dunes with his little hands, and filling small holes with help of the seashells I had picked for him. We let him do that , and ventured into the sea one at a time.

The beach was clean, and the pleasant weather added to the fun. By evening, all the resort guests would end up at the beach. There were certain water sports like water scooter, boats and para sailing, however other than the water scooter ride, we didn’t indulge in any of these. I saw no fun, in the little one stressing out while I went for scooter ride. He was wailing his heart out if I waded in too far into the sea from the beach where he was sitting.

The mornings on the resort were the complete “me” time for myself. With the father and the son tucked cozily, snuggling into each other. I would wake up by six, make my self a good coffee and sit on the sit out with my steaming cup. For the caffeine addicted me, the coffee is an essential part of starting the day, and if that can be had in natures lap, the experience is almost exhilarating.

Most of the resorts have a spa or massage center. The two hour massage is a good break from the never ending tasks we otherwise seem to fill our days with. It was an awesome way of spending the birth day, with a spa session booked for me by my husband who is always surprising me with his ability to fix things without me finding out.

Unlike our other trips, this was a complete leisure trip. There was no “next what” moment. We woke up at leisure, would have a leisurely breakfast and then walk around the resort facilities. Rohan had so much to see and it was wonderful to experience the nature through his eyes. A mere chameleon fascinated him so much that he burst into tears when the chameleon climbed up in the tree beyond his vision. Watching him run behind crows just made us watch and smile.

Post spending few hours on the beach, a nice hot water followed by meal was perfect. It was first time that we spent time out in the gardens walking and sitting at various spots; because the little dude would be wide awake till good 10:00 PM in the night. A final stern order to let us sleep and asking him to go out would help to make him close his eyes and eventually drift to sleep.

Much to our chagrin, the excitement of “Gowa”, as Rohan pronounces it was carried too the aircraft too and the little one jumped all the way from Goa to Hyderabad, and fell asleep only few minutes before the landing.

Overall the stay and travel were fun. I do not care if it was real “Goa” or not, but the trip fit my bill to the T.