Goa -- the sun, the beach, the rock and a lewd Konkani song

'Let's go to Goa' has to be the most exciting phrase for every Indian youngster. Be it with friends or a romantic sojourn, Goa always tops the charts. It isn't the place that makes it so viable, it's what you can do there with the people you travel with makes it so majestic.

I too joined the bandwagon this April. This was my second trip to Goa but this was the best trip of my life. It had to be. It was the first with my better half and I had plans. Big plans. I was about to go down on my knees and ask 'the' question. I knew the answer but then again, you never know the answer, do you? Add the pressure of carrying a rock to it.

The meaning of proposals keeps changing as we grow up. For me, it started way back in class X with an Archies' card. It got thrown back at my face but that's a different story. Then as life goes by, you meet people, you get intimate but you don't go for the rock until you find 'the special one'.

Last year, I found my 'special one'.

And she's a bit like Goa. She's hot like the weather. She's spicy like the sizzling snapper. She's refreshing like the mojito. She isn't just a breath of fresh air in my life, she's now redone my entire respiratory system. With her around, I breathe. With her around, I live. So for her, everything had to be perfect. The flight. The hotel. The food. The walk on the beach. The thousand selfies. And of course, the feel.

Fortunately, it was. Goa welcomed us with surprisingly nice weather. The way from the Dabolim Airport ushered the trip in with the setting rays of the sun and a cool breeze. As soon as the car approached Calangute, out came my One Plus which, according to my better half, clicks better pictures than her DSLR. The hotel though was the real deal. First, the cheap price. Then, the welcome drink. But it was the coziness of the room that got the hormones flowing. Okay, three months of long-distance craving stoked the fire higher but there's no denying that Hotel Baywatch Urbane is a catch. However, before the act, a plate of crisp fish fingers took centre stage. Then...Okay, flip the page to the next morning.

Red Snapper: A Souza Lobo special (Pic courtesy: Double N)

A visit to Goa is never complete without a lunch at Souza Lobo. Set on the Calangute beach, the restaurant is perhaps the best seafood joint in Goa. From the tandoori red snapper to the jumbo prawns, Souza Lobo kills it with its unique taste and presentation. Ah, don't forget to try the pork vindaloo along with some crispy Goan bread. But please, please for the love of God, don't order mutton biryani.

A filled tummy had to be complemented with a walk on the beach accompanied by some beach selfies. The walk is the best opportunity to boost your Insta likes by snapping the amazing sunset. While you're at it, try a few silhouettes. You'll probably suck at it but then again, it's Goa bro, 'Likes' guaranteed. Apart from digestion, the walk also helps you come across some weird characters -- people who force Goa on themselves, people with glaring fashion faux pas and dietary habits. Just like mutton biryani, why would you have vada pao in Goa? Just why?

Date night at Koi (Selfie courtesy: Jay)

But we didn't let ourselves get overawed by these questions as we had a romantic evening on the cards. Enter Koi. Ambiance wise, it has to be one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. The seating, the lights, the giant screen and the food -- take your 'special one' to Koi and you'll know. Okay, it will burn a medium size hole in your pocket but the black pepper crab and the cinnamon drenched mimosa makes up for it and more.

The after-dinner walk is all about how we got there. From the first time jab we met to that night, memories gush into your head and emotions take hold of you. You start walking closer and the closeness tightens the grip between the fingers. But trust something to disrupt your ultra emotional moment.

'Jay, let's scoot. This lane is creepy' - I don't know what she expected in a side alley at midnight in Goa. It wasn't the dinginess that ticked her off, a drunken singer did. But that lane will always have a place in my heart. The tacky blue building, the vroom of the silencer-less motorcycles, the smell of the sea, the overpriced mineral water bottle and the lewd Konkani song -- not every lane has the life of Baga but they have life alright. We turned back but we did bring that dingy lane back with us.

#Travel #Goa