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FEISTY AND FLAMBOYANT GOA, WITH ALL ITS ECLECTIC OFFERINGS, HAS CERTAIN THINGS THAT EASILY FALL UNDER THE ‘MUST DO’ LIST.
Text: Simar Preet Kaur |
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he year-end is just a little over two months away and already people are popping the magical question, “Goa?” You can sit down and pore over a map of India for hours at a stretch, dream of
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mountains, desert, islands, and chances are the Konkan temptation will draw you in yet again. After all, how many places are there in India that offer such an eclectic mix as Goa? It has Portuguese churches, nightlong parties, luxury fanatics, dazed hippies, waterfalls and rivers, traditional flea markets, designer clothes shops, resorts, shacks, and cheap beer, all served up nicely as a spicy concoction best explored cruising around on a humble scooty. Moreover, how many places around let you feel free and yet look cool as a cucumber while riding a scooty that went out of fashion with Rajesh Khanna? |
There is no need to feel guilty or imagine a severe lack of imagination or creativity in case you are one of those who land up in Goa every New Year’s Eve as religiously as David Beckham gets tattoos. Goa might be pretty and green during monsoon, and empty and peaceful during summer time, but for the original thing, now is the time to head. Rounded off below are a couple of things you must experience to feel the complete Goan vibe. |
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Tantalise thy senses |
One of Goa’s many unexplored and less talked about attractions are the spice plantations. Ironic, considering Goa’s ticket to fame were the spices that brought the Portuguese to India. Most of the spice plantations are located in and around Ponda, which is 28 km away from Panaji. Some of the more famous ones are Savoi Plantations and Sahakari Farm.
A trip to Sahakari Farm is just another example of Goan hospitality, and another alluring facet of the picture perfect land of Goa. Sahakari Spice Farm has been around for seven generations but was only opened to the public five years back. The farm occupies a total area of 126 acres with 50 acres brought under cultivation of spices and tropical fruits. Some of the spices cultivated are black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, chillies, and unique to this farm is the ‘Vanilla pods’. Cashews are also grown on a large scale here.
Learning about spices and taking a walk in the plantations after a warm welcome complete with a garland and complementary lemon grass tea can be satisfying. Make sure you are the first visitor of the day, and you’ll be taken around the farm by the most senior guide at the plantation. All the knowledge given during the tour can be slightly overwhelming for a person who has been ignorant about spices most of his life. Nevertheless, the host is a patient teacher and you end up savouring a vast array of spices picked off the trees. The fragrances in the air walking under the thick foliage are an intoxicating fusion of smells of all the variety around you. It ends with a buffet lunch, a traditional Goan meal served on banana leaf and plenty of fruit along with locally distilled fenny. A trip to Goa should be considered incomplete without visiting the spice farms to indulge in the gastronomic delights and spicy aromas. |
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Treasure hunt |
Picture this—a street side scenario—innumerable stalls lining the pathway, an array of colours that could intimidate a rainbow, vendors screaming “last one hour with a sale for Rs 50,” a woman struggling to catch the attention of an unsuspecting passer-by, trying to convince him that the lungi with ‘Om’ motifs she’s holding could essentially be more important to him than anything from his toothbrush to the Indian Railways, while the cacophony of sounds continues to form the background music… smells like a bargain? Welcome to the Great Indian Flea Market experience.
The story behind the Anjuna Flea Market, situated in Goa, is well known. One of the most popular markets in the country, it is a remnant of the ’60s character that made Goa famous. It came into existence with the hippies auctioning their belongings in a bid to spend some more time in the paradise of Goa. It has only been growing and getting better since then, and now offers Tibetan, Gujarati, Kashmiri and Rajasthani items as well. It takes place every Wednesday from October onwards throughout the high season in the evenings.
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EVERY ALTERNATE SHOP
STOCKS FUEL, EVERY
ALTERNATE MEADOW
CAN BE HALTED AT AND
ADMIRED, AND ALMOST
EVERY ALTERNATE PERSON
WILL BE RIDING A SCOOTY
HIMSELF. |
The articles sold are so vastly varied in nature that mentioning them would leave one breathless the same way the allure of junk and valuable antiques thrown together, and in need of sorting, does. One can find handicrafts, beach clothes, mirror-work tote bags, European snacks, wooden crafts and carvings, beautiful wall hangings, musical instruments, bed covers, CDs with anything from Goa Trance to Rock collectibles, artificial ornaments and t-shirts, all in one place. |
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The weekly Mapusa Friday market in Goa also deserves a mention. It is full of coir mats, wooden furniture, straw hats and freshly baked bread, and also more typically Goan, with fish, fruit, vegetables and other fresh produce sold alongside tourist goods. It wraps up by evening without a trace and is a wonderful place to visit. The skill set required to score a good bargain here can leave the faint-hearted ‘scratching for fleas’. Over-quoting the price is a regular affair. Whatever price they give you, slash minimum 30 per cent right away. Post this the serious bargaining begins. Do what you must, but while you try not to hesitate with your deals, don’t forget to enjoy the sometimes surreal trip to the flea market. |
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On the road |
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As Peter Mayle, the famous British author, put it, “There is nothing like a comfortable adventure to put people in a good humour.” You could drive around in cars around Goa, or take ferries, or even sit in buses alongside local Goans and listen to the older generation discuss “onslaught of the new kids and the grubby hippies,”
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but as any self-respecting regular Goa traveller will tell you, a scooty is a vehicle of immense value to man (in Goa, that is). Every alternate shop stocks fuel, every alternate meadow can be halted at and admired, and almost every alternate person will be riding a scooty himself. So this time around carry your licence, hire one, and zoom around the beaches until the clocks announce year-end.
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Club Mahindra Varca Beach Built in characteristic Goan architectural
style the resort is a haven for luxury lovers. Its exquisite décor and comfort
make it the perfect place to sip a drink, unwind or simply get cosy. |
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