You can tell a lot about cities from its dogs. Hyderabad's dogs are insecure and loiter in packs. Delhi's dogs are highly aggressive and have something to prove. Goa's dogs, by contrast, are friendly, welcoming, and laid-back.
There must be something in the air or in the water, for it hits us too. My layer of daily frustrations start to instantly melt away amid the ubiquitous palm trees, warm tropical air, salty sea water of the Arabian Sea, refreshing pina coladas, and deliciously fresh seafood. Oh, and did I mention the seafood? :) From a culinary perspective, the four-day vacation can be seen as a 96-hour long fest, with king fish and pomfret and swordfish and shrimp and squid and mussels in white wine sauce and and and!! It almost makes it worth it to live in landlocked Hyderabad to make weekends like this all the more incredible (almost). It's already my fifth trip to Goa in two years, and I have a strong feeling I'll be back again soon! (with paradise 1.5 hours away by direct flight, can you blame me??)
Besides our incredible scuba adventure (see below), one of the most magical aspects of our long Goan weekend is being there during Diwali.
It's my first Diwali in India -- in many ways the highlight of festival season. The Diwali holiday celebrates light over darkness, good over evil... It is also a time to pray to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (I find this confluence celebrating "good" as well as "wealth" fascinating).
Celebrations are already underway even before leaving Hyderabad. The city is decorated in light; it looks like Christmas in the US, although about 50 degrees warmer.
We aren't sure how widely Diwali, a Hindu holiday, is celebrated in Goa, which was colonized by the Portuguese who left the Roman Catholic legacy. But Goa doesn't disappoint.
Riding around Saturday night, we see candles lined outside houses and lights strewn and brightly shining. All through the night, fireworks light up the beach and waterfront. Absolutely magical.
The rest of the weekend is just as incredible. Ajey our rockstar scuba instructor (last picture above, on our dive boat) keeps us busy with scuba certification, but after class, it's time to go out and explore.
We lounge at beach shacks along the shore and dance in the sand. Not a bad way to spend a Monday night!
In what's beginning to exemplify Goa for me, Tyler and I spend our last day exploring on the motorcycle (with helmets on, Mom!!), riding along winding roads lined with palm trees and lush greenery, punctuated by brightly colored colonial houses and white-washed beautiful churches. We find a relatively hidden beach and jump into the Arabian Sea, before finding a picture-perfect beach shack for pina coladas, bloody marys, and fresh seafood nearby.
Turns out Goa ain't so bad.
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PS: For anyone planning a trip soon, some recommendations and favorites:
Lodging: Silk Cotton Resort
Diving: Dive Goa
Eating: Brittos in Baga Beach
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