ALMEIDA.....SORRY....PAKKA NA...& THE THREE MUSKETEERS...(PART 1).

There are a few moments in your life which remain etched in your memory for ever and those moments are so special that every time you recall these, a smile surfaces in your face. The nostalgia brings with it a feeling of rejuvenation and some sort of assurance that there are people in your life who won’t mind having you around. Last week I was part of something special and that was a ROADTRIP across Goa with two very special friends of mine. The seeds of this vacation were sown around three months back but even after a number of conference calls and exchanges over email and Facebook, nothing seemed concrete. But as I say, “when you want to holiday in Goa so badly, the entire universe conspires to make it happen for you”. Amazingly, everything fell into place one by one and all that happened in a very short span of time. We were mentally prepared and so being on board a flight was just a formality. We had been warned that this time of the year was not ideal for a Goa Trip due to monsoons but who cares when you have good company. Moreover, this trip had a special importance for we bachelors as our wings would get clipped soon, atleast all the signs imply so.

Adi was the first to reach Goa and I joined him in an hour’s time. Ron however managed to get late by a day. The drive from Dabolim Airport to the hotel in Candolim  reminded me of Shillong especially because of the greenery all around. No Guys I am not talking about Girls here, it is just that Monsoon Rains washed away all the dirt and the nature was at its magnificent best. The well maintained roads really helped in extending a great welcome to the guests who came from all over the world. For a tourist hotspot, first impression is very important and this is not being given appropriate attention at least in cities like Guwahati and Jaipur.

I have so much to share (Adi and Ron….Guys don’t give me that look). But somethings are best left to imagination. A few moments define an experience and those moments should remain personal. Those moments strengthened our friendship and a couple of decades from now would give us a reason to smile. Then we would proudly say to posterity, “I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WHO MADE MY LIFE SPECIAL”. Now that I have written this, Ron & Adi would have to agree to it as well. I am available over phone incase there is any kind of disagreement Guys!!!! We had decided to not plan our Roadtrip and so it became necessary to buy a Tourist Map for navigation in a self-driven car. In a few hours time and after a few navigational errors, the map was put to use for a different purpose and Ron took out his Xperia. At that moment our ROADTRIP turned into a TECHNOTRIP. Ron was the Navigator (GPS aided , Adi was taking care of what was in front while I was appreciating what we were leaving behind. Mine of course was the most important task after all ENJOYMENT was all that we had come for and I did not let them down. Let me put forward day wise account of our journey and I hope you Guys enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed experiencing the sights, sounds and much more in Golden Goa.

DAY 1

Ron’s flight was getting delayed and so we hired a Wagon R and headed to the local market to buy shorts. After several rounds of the market, both of us came back to the car with a pair of short each. We changed in the car itself and headed to the BAGA BEACH. Initially, I was disappointed to see the huge crowd that had gathered. I wondered if it was really an off-season there. Soon we started to attract eyes……..eyes of vendors selling false tattoos and earrings. But they had to leave disappointed as I have a real Tattoo and I couldn’t have gifted those earrings to Adi. By the time we could finish our Telescopic Beach Survey, Nature Called me. I started looking for a place to answer the same but unfortunately the place had no walls. So I decided to walk into the Beach Café but I could see the Guy at the counter was not pleased. I was there in Goa for a pleasure trip and hence went across to him and ordered two cups of coffee. After relieving myself, we made ourselves comfortable outside in the chairs that were provided. Suddenly, I realised that the wallet had been left inside the car itself. Thankfully, Adi had also forgotten his pack of Cigarettes and it just required me to prod him once and he was gone like an abiding friend. The Coffee cost us hundred bucks. I must say Sulabh should start a similar service. Cross Selling anyone??????? …CAFÉ SULABH SHAUCHALAYA…..RELIEVE YOURSELF & REJUVENATE YOUR SOUL!!!! I won’t discuss business here as I don’t like mixing Business with Pleasure and this trip was purely Pleasure. Anyways, our next destination was ANJUNA BEACH. Anjuna is actually less of Beach and more of rock formations ideal for all Jacks & Roses who couldn’t find any corner of the ship to stretch their arms. For Adi and Ayan though, it was just another place where we click each other and then find a couple whom we can interrupt and request for a photograph. The Guy has to agree as how can he refuse two innocent Guys an opportunity to capture a good moment in their friendship. We leave happy and he scores some good points before his girl as well. At Anjuna, we met Mr.Karan and knowing him was really an education for us. Anyways, that is a long story which perhaps would find a place in my book if ever I manage to write any. But for now, I have reasons to skip it. We headed back to the hotel and after some rest, decided to go a for a nice dinner at Tito’s. Ron apparently had a prior commitment and so he punctured the tyre of the car he had hired at the airport. We were too smart for his Bullshit. We know each other very well.As a punishment, Ron was asked to meet us there itself. Tito’s is in a lane where perhaps every young man keeps his eyes wide open. So Adi jumped ahead and took the best seat in the house while me and Ron strained our shoulders. But once the Kingfish was there on our table, I forgot the rest of the world. Beer has never been my favourite but CORONA was something different. They squeezed in some lemon into the bottle and it really tasted good. If any of you visit that place, remember to ask for Mr.Mohanty. You might get 30% off on your bill…lol. We celebrated our much-awaited reunion and ended the day with a trip down memory lane through our post-dinner conversation in our hotel room.

This post is going to be a big one and so I would break it into two parts. We will start from Day 2 in the next post. Till then have a good time.