Go to Goa

Go to Goa. It’s like the Caribbean, except with all the flavour that makes India so much fun.

Goa is a 2-hour flight from Hyderabad, roundtrip prices run between $100 and $150. Unfortunately, the schedule is rather lame. Two flights usually leave HYD to start the trip to Goa and back each day: one at 2:30 pm and one at 2:45 pm. They both land back in Hyderabad on the return trip a little before 7 pm. Train is not an effective alternative.

Once you land at the bus-station-like airport in central Goa, you’ve got your choice of heading to the beaches in the North or the beaches in the South, a delightful dilemma. The north is regarded as a little quieter, south a little more touristy. In the middle, a few cities much quieter than most of India, as well as the ruins of Old Goa, which once rivals Lisbon as the greatest city of the Portuguese empire at its peak.

We had a reservation at a beach in the south, just one beach north of the very last Goan beach. An air-conditioned cab for the hour-long ride cost about $30 for all four of us.

We arrived at Agonda Beach to find our reservation cancelled, but the staff helped us find a new pair of huts along the beach that worked just fine. Cuba was even a bit cheaper than the original H20 Agonda. For $50 worth of rupees, you get an air-conditioned hut with mosquito-netted queen-sized bed and attached bathroom. Showering next to the toilet only increases the charm.

Agonda Beach is typical of the smaller beaches. During the day, tourists – mostly European – enjoy the sun, sand and surf. Indian visitors are the exception. Quaint beach huts, separated by Goan restaurants, line the beach. Across the one street in town, villagers run little shops out of their homes.

We rented mopeds - $5 apiece for 24 hours – to explore the area on our second day. Palolem Beach, 10 km south, is the last of the Goan beaches. It had a distinctly more crowded feel, and we left not long after we arrived. It’s worth a visit, but it’d be a less relaxing stay than Agonda Beach. 12 km north of our beach, we also explore the ruins of Cabo de Rama, a once-proud Portuguese fort high atop bluffs overlooking picture-perfect bays. The views are stunning, even if the history isn’t well documented at the site.

But the flavor of Goa makes it stand out in India. Portuguese colonialism took a much different shape than British colonialism. The Portuguese were far more interested in converting their domain, the result is a high Catholic population. Old catholic churches are the center of life in each town. Saturday weddings look pretty much like those back home. Kids play soccer in the street, not cricket. There’s no curly-wirly local language on signs. There’s no excise tax on liquor. And evening church recitals include the Ode to Joy polka. This is one fantastic land of goodness. Looking forward to exploring more.