Why did I pick Goa?
Not really sure. The initial plan for the trip involved visiting places where my Aunt Jane Pears, my father’s sister, had been a Presbyterian missionary in India in the 1940s. In looking at that Kalhapur local, I probably stumbled across Goa. I was using a lot of airbnbs in Cancun and Portugal then, so I remember reading a number of reviews of airbnb places in Goa.
Why should someone visit Goa?
It is a real respite from the ciaos of Delhi or Mumbai. No one, or very few people, are approaching you begging for money or selling something. There is traffic and horns, but nothing like the cities. There are lots of foreigners, at least along the beaches. You can use the ferry, the buses and a driver for a day to get you out of town.
I decided to stay in a large town, Panjim, right in the center of the 60? miles of beaches. I found a great hotel, Panjim Inn. It is an old Portuguese mansion but really just an hotel with some old features and a wonderful exterior. There was always a team of 3-4 at the front desk ready to help me.
Tuesday November 6th 2pm flight out a Delhi, arrive Goa at 5:30pm. I took a prepaid taxie from the airport. It cost about 900 Rupies? Checkin was easy. I then got directions to the beer wine store and picked up beer. Found a “European Fusion” restaurant right next to the hotel, called Desbue. I could see a large group through the window, maybe 12 people. Turns out, they were the only customers. I had duck and it was a duck, not a Mumbai duck, which is really a lizard fish. Good dinner. The service was haphazard, I had to request everything, but I was in no hurry.
Wedneday November 7th was really the main day of Diwali and this was the only day I could visit the famous Wednesday Anjuna Flea Market. I was afraid that it was too early in the season for the market and that Diwali might conflict in some way, but my fears were unfounded. Tuesday night I had asked to reserve a driver for 9am and found none had been reserved but was told that the day rate was 2500 and I could just take the taxi that was first in line.
We made it to Anjuna Flea Market with no trouble. My driver had a parking lot, right at the start of the market, where he could hang out.
I entered the market. It is just a dirt road with stalls on both sides. We had seen the same general material for sale in a couple places in Delhi.
There was even a stall with fur coats!
I tried checking the prices in preparation for bargaining on a wallet or light weight shirt, but never was tempted.. Prices for both still seemed too high. I did talk to a young British couple who had taken a taxi up from Baga.
We next drove up to Vagator Beach, where I had lunch in a Beach Shack. The last object was Goa Brewing Company. A phone call revealed that they do not sell their beer at the brewery but they do sell their IPA Eight Finger Eddie at a local Super Market and we picked up 6 bottles. I walked across town to have dinner at Ritz Classic. I got it off Trip Advisor or one of the books. I had another bar, Taverna Pamjim, on my radar that was on the same side of town. Things close down from 4 to 7:30 and I was too anxious so I walked to Taverna Pamjim, sat across the street and then had a beer in the open restrauant next door. Finally the Taverna opened. The bar tender knew his beer, had an interesting selection, and this great menu!
I am sad to say I never got back to try the Salted Tongue Olive Stir Fry.
I went onto dinner at Ritz Classic, which was another recommended place. As I have said, it was the main night of Diwali. Lots of fireworks outside. Lots of Indian families in the restaurant.
I was too afraid to put the other diners in pictures.
Walking back to my hotel, over the hill that separated the East side of Panjim from the West, I made the acquaintance of a couple, Paul and Linn. Linn was exiting a small store, having purchased a water bottle. I think I made some comment about had they been successful. Paul later claimed that they had already noticed my Hawaiian shirt. The three of us preceded to a bar they had noticed earlier. Paul first had to wheel his VERY large scooter over to across from the bar. I am not able to find a name for this hole in the wall. It consisted of two rooms on the north side of the street. The furthest East room was used to dispense the liquor and the Western room and outside boxes was the seating area. There were a number of xpats and they had Goa Brewing Three Finger Eddie in bottles and on tap.
Paul and Linn had just ridden the scootter down from a beach town up north, decided to stay the night and had gotten a place to stay. Their plan was to return North the next day, gather their belongings, turn in the bike and taxi? back to Panjim. We exchanged phone numbers and I spent a lot more time with them the next days.
Thursday, November 8, my plan was to repeat yesterday but this time head South. I had made arrangements with the same taxi driver to leave at 9am. We raised the price to 3000 in light of the distance being further. I had read about and hoped to get down to the quiet beaches around Polem but I now realized that this would involve at least 2 hours one way. I instead settled on a spit of land called Mobor Beach.