It was one of those impulsive trips that you take when you are a student and just get some time to breathe. Breathing the air of nature away from your classrooms and library to make your heart wonder all we did was go all the way to Goa. I am sure there has been a lot written about Goa and my attempt is to not make this blog informative in a clichéd manner. Goa is a place which holds significance for different people for different reasons. However it came into prominence when the hippies from Western Europe and USA made it their hot spot for smoking up and living a carefree life on the not so then commercialized beaches of Goa. So this was a trip where we decided to do the unconventional spots. After all it was a trip of three musketeers all the way from Ahmedabad. Surely a great place with fantastic study institutes but nothing more in terms of boozing (alas a dry state, cutting down on vices). The train tickets were cheap despite the last minute booking and the one from Ahmedabad to Mumbai double decker train was a nice and comfy ride. Enroute to Goa my first tryst with Mumbai also happened briefly. However my heart was focused on Goa. So the first trip to Goa was on as our train which was connecting us from Mumbai came up. The joy of the serene atmosphere which we experienced on the Konkan railways is unbelievable. Crossing through a lot of tunnels and the beautiful natural landscape, it is something which is just out of the world. The beautiful yet uneven terrain as the train slowly makes its way into Goa from Mumbai is enough to get you excited for Goa. We reached Goa from Tivim station. The station is small and nice with the surrounding which is rocky. There is a prepaid taxi stand however for budget travelers you should avail for the Tuk-Tuk/Auto rickshaw. Cost will be around 400 rupees and you experience the pleasure of travelling in a authentic Indian transport. The roads from the station to the city were in bad shape honestly but on speaking to the localites they said since the season starts from October, the roads will be repaired. We had prebooked our stay at Zostel, the experience was amazing. First and foremost it shows the way hostel culture is coming up in India. Amazing people you get to meet from all over the world. The setting of the hostel is very similar to the ones I had stayed in Europe. In fact much cozier with the facilities of Air Conditioned rooms. Order meals as per your convenience and not just plain European breakfast but even including the Indian (Desi) ones. The staff is very friendly and has always had the informal closeness in their behaviour. Now my blog is here not to give information on the places you want to visit. That has been already mentioned a lot of times in several other blogs. However the journey for budget travelers especially students is worthwhile if you around September end. The weather is fine and things much cheaper as from October to March prices gets outrageous. So if you are looking for the cheap thrills, in Goa stay at budget hostel. Zostel is surely a great option, however there are other nice hostels, cheap guest houses coming up near the beaches of Anjuna, Calangute and Baga. All these three are crowded, however Candolim is a nice beach to visit for a calm and serene atmosphere. Also the places to visit by renting a two wheeler could be Arambol lake, the ride from our hostel to the lake was scintillating with serpentine roads and the cool air breathing down on your neck makes you feel like a condor. As for the night life which if not mentioned would not complete my piece on Goa. If you are a stag then you are in for hard luck as most of the disc do not let you enter without a partner and the ones which does charges you a bomb. After all my piece is all about cheap thrills.
