The Arambol carnival happens once in a year and it has been something I have seen pictures and videos of, over years but haven't been there in person and it was something I really wanted to experience.
So how did I accidentally happen to be there for the carnival?
It was the last week of February and the sun was down our necks here at Goa. I had just got my hands on a new electric bicycle and wanted to take it for a trial run. So the ride started at 3 in the evening and the destination was the Arambol beach. From where I was staying the Arambol beach was 30 KMS away and it was a 1 hour ride on a bicycle. Though it was an electric bicycle a significant amount of manual peddling needed to be done.
The ride was not an easy one on the body but to the eyes it was very beautiful. I rode through the backwaters watching people patiently waiting to catch fish with fishing rods in the water. So much grassland around that it made my eyes see green every where even a long time after the ride.
The scenery was moving top to bottom and left to right in my eyes like it was a series of photo frames from olden day cameras. I completely enjoyed the bicycle ride with cool breeze on my face. After a while when I arrived at the Arambol beach I was confused, the beach was lively I could sense something was going out there. Though I could not see the beach from the parking area I was very sure that there was life on the other side.
I parked the bicycle and started walking towards the beach and as I got closer to the point where the beach came into my view I stopped abruptly where I was standing with shock and surprise.
What's happening here? Was the question running in my head. The beach was filled with people, people from every part of the world gathered here dressed differently like it was Halloween or something.
Before I could ask around and find out what was happening my legs started taking me forward into the crowd. I was slithering into the crowd like a snake changing directions every time there was an obstacle in front.
I was so absent minded in my life that I did not know that the world famous Arambol Carnival was happening on this day and it was the last day of the carnival.
On one side there was a foreign girl who was dressed like a tree dancing all alone in the water. On the other side there were many shops which were opened on the beach sand which sold souvenir's and other products which were made by local artist as well as artist from across the globe who were here for the carnival. There were many people carrying an unknown candy on a tray and trying to sell them to the people. I never tried to find out what it was. There were a group of foreigner's who were singing songs about lord Shiva and playing musical instruments. People dancing in groups having there own dope time and much more. Watch the full video above for the entire experience.
For a moment I could not believe what I was seeing cause I never before this have experienced or believed such hippie things existed in India but that's the thing about travelling, it shows you the world outside your door.
As I kept walking to the other end of the beach I met many known travelers whom I have met before. So it was a good time talking to them and finding out about the carnival and how this carnival happens every year and it is so famous among the hippie people. And this was happening for real.
As the evening went on I made my way into a beach shack which was so happening and started dancing like it was the last day of my life and finally when my legs couldn't hold my weight anymore, called it a day and made my way back to the bicycle.
The ride back was very tiring as I had no more energy left in me. But after having such a dope experience the thoughts alone were enough to keep me pedaling for the next one hour back to the hostel.
