Honeymoon in Goa

Vasco da Gama sailed down the Malabar Coast in 1498, in search of Christians and spices. Goa with 450 years of Portugese rule, today has plenty of both. Actually, Goa has plenty of everything nice-beaches, rain, cashews,feni, food, fish, ravishing scenery and loads of fun. A fantastic honeymoon destination-for it is land of joy and leisure, and not just at carnival time!

Panjim looks like Lisbon, say many European visitors-full of small squares and backlanes. An evening cruise on the Mandovi can thrill one with fabulous sunsets. Full moon cruises are so romantic with backwaters providing peace and quiet.

The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is Panjim's most famous landmark built in 1541 for the benefit of Portuguese sailors. Just a swampy fishing village then, today's Goa bears very little resemblance to old records. Combining fiction with fact is the statue of Abbe Faria, the immortal Character in 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas. The father of modern hypnotism casts his penetrating over the town.

Goa is a palette of vibrant colour-green palms, blue sky and sea, and buildings in a multitude of shades-olden day rules saw to it that buildings had to be colour washed after the rains in ochre, pale yellow, green or blue. The churches had to be white. The colourful sight is enough to uplift the most jaded of spirits.

Old Goa, granted World Heritage statues by UNESCO, has the tremendous attraction of Bom Jesus, the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, the saint whose body is still fresh, many centuries after his demise. Many other old churches here are thronged by tourists drawn by their beauty.

The Sao Tome area, North of Fontainhas, is the place for bar-crawling, under the serene gaze of many Madonnas placed in wall niches. Drinks are cheap but these are not really the place for young couples. Udupi style,solid vegetarian breakfasts are served by many small eateries, in the wee hours, much suited night revellers.

The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on the isle of Chorao may not interest those who have come with birds of their own! But the sight of the mudskipper fish leaping through the silt is an unforgettable one, a unique memory of Goa. Chorao village itself is a picturesque scattering of Portugese-villas,clustered under a whitewashed church.

Piedade on Divar island around the mandovi river has many elegant villas complete with Goan balconies and deep verandahs, ideal to sit and watch the world go by. A tender coconut or glass of feni completes the sense of wellbeing. Piedade has superb views from the Western Ghats to rice fields and the Mandovi meandering past Panjim into the Arabian Sea.

Ponda has many Hindu temples, unique with Goa,s brand of Portuguese and Arab influences. The temple tour, the spice plantation and wildlife parks tours are all worth taking. Lovely waterfalls, like Dudhsagar, are natural romance boosters, ideal for honeymooners.

One can go into the mountain villages for a day, eating with the village folk, in their humble homes-a true taste of Goan cuisine. Margao is Goa's second city, boasting of excellent souvenirs and a throbbing market. The Colva beach, small villages around the Salcete taluk and the stately homes of the 'hi-dalgos'(Portuguese nobility) make for varied entertainment here, appealing to many tastes. Most lanes of Margao have clothiers and tailers where shirts, suits and dresses are made to measure at extremely reasonable prices.

One can walk among tjhe woods to all the regal homes nearby, the most popular being that of Mario Miranda's, in Lutliom. Guided tours can be fixed beforehand but most homes are happy to just receive small donations towards the unkeep of the place. And the beaches-Calangute and Baga in the North, and Colva in the South, along with Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora are the most popular. Calanguate was, of course, the first hippy hangout, making Goa sit up and take notice of itself. Today tjhe hippies have been pushed out further North.

'Prodhan bhookt, magi mookt'-You can't think untill you've eaten well,' goes an old Goan saying. Food and drink have their rightful priority here in Goa, with each meal taking a leisurely two hours. Palm thatch beach cafes, dhabas, home eateries-they all serve curry and rice, the popular national dish eaten twice a day. Pork vindaloo, Leitao and the fiery chicken in Xacuti sauce made to revive the tired rice planters during the monsoons, are dishes typical of Goa. Fiery Goan sausage and the cool jackfruit are sorely missed by goans abroad. Tropical fruit juices and milkshakes are served at roadside stalls. It was the European missionary who brought the art of baking to Goa. Of course the native Goan added his twist to the bread by adding toddy to the dough to ferment!

Be it the famous Wednesday flea market of Anjuna, a result of down and out hippies selling off their valuables, or a cruise to shipwreck sites, Goa is as unique as its teni-a medium of limitless wonder and protential. Somewhat like Tequila, the feni made from cashew fruit or cocunut, can give you one huge hangover. It is also a miracle cure for jellyfish stings, the bane of sea bathers. A drop of feni given to a small child ensures its return to Goa, feel the natives. Among the numerous places to stay, it is Calvala in Calangute that is most pleasant. An old Portuguese villa, with views of paddy fields and rolling hills, Goan food-with plenty of fresh seafood, Calvala is a home away from home. Hotel Mandovi is Goa's first hotel, on the banks of the river. Late October to March is Goa's best season, free of heat and rain. Today through, even the monsoons are sold as a package holiday, with frolicking ball games in the pool in pouring rain a peculiar attraction. A Goan honeymoon is being romanced by the Kunbi fisherfolk, with their lilting music, and the songs of the farmers in the fields. The 'dhalos and phugdis' linger long after marriage has settled into its more common humdrum state. Perhaps a bit of 'Bebinca', the favourite Goan dessert will help pep things up in fond recall of lovely times in Goa.