I am not a pahadi, but my higher education was in lap of Himalayas. Since then i have adored hills, mountains and people of pahad. But for a change i wanted to visit Goa to explore the other side of Incredible India! AlI i had heard about Goa was that its a place to party and proof of friendship over drinks. As a mountain lover ,I never really got the hype and after years of dodging invites to the beach capital of India, I caved. So,at 25, with mountain blood running through my veins, I headed to Goa with my school friends.
I was ready to be young, wild and free.
Its universally acknowledged that one experiences a series of wild parties and wilder hangovers in Goa. Well our trip was everything about having a stress free break form work. We dived,had a sunbath,partied,tried luck over poker,long long scooty rides to wherever possible and ofcourse water sports.
But why Goa?
Our whatsapp group was brimming with recommendations from everywhere about all the cool things one can do in Goa. From suggestions by locals to Goa regulars, we had a To-do list at the ready. On our first day, we headed out on the scooty to sweet water lake near Arambol for our morning bath. Long story short, after a few hours of dipping ourselves in lake, 'fun' seemed completely out of sight. It was only 3 PM and i dont want to go back to my stay.
So i asked my fellow friends is there any hill nearby. Was excited to know there is a hill near to Chapora fort to get an eye hawk view of Arabian sea as well as beaches nearby. Finally a deal to hooked upon. And yes i got what i wanted, a proper 360 view from the top of Chapora hill. Its a kind of place where the hill meets the beach. Since it was a post-monsoon trip it was green AF turning the landscape eye candy. Cool breeze was making this place frenzy and finally the answer was blowing in the wind. We waited till sunset to get the best of the best view. From panorama to time lapse i tried on everything and result was gold.
The next day i had nothing to do except visiting churches so i preferred staying at apartment (AirBNB) and cooked fish for lunch. If it would be mountains definitely i would find myself trekking to some unknown destination. I know nothing can replace my love for Himalayas . Not that I didn't acknowledge the charm of beaches, I didn't seem to understand it.
We did all that was expected of us:
Guzzled on a chilled beer by the beach.
Whiled away afternoons at the shack.
Swam in the sea.
Hit the popular night-life spots.
Met like-minded travellers.
After making my whole efforts to have fun ,i decided it was time to revive my explorer soul who would willingly get lost in the Himalayas. And just as i made the decision, my paths started drifting away from popular beaches, crowded lanes, trance (WTF?) parties and wine shops.
I followed the intellectuals guide to have fun in Goa but it still left me incomplete. Following to-do list seemed boring now and i end up writing this blog.
But my visit to Goa made me realize one thing :"One love : Himalayas!"
