Goa Images, Reflections and Reality Thank You [3]
After a considerable long absence at blogosphere I am back though this might not be my usual presence at the platform because still the work responsible for keeping me away is at progressive stage of being completed but some thing can be termed as new experience or tour finding is forcing me to share with you all. This is my third article in the series and probably this might be shocking for many.
Goa, the beach paradise, is our favorite family vacation hangout, probably due to close location [hardly 270 minute driving] and calm cool enjoyable sea water deposits. This happen on the last 15th Jan when family members decided to celebrate my 27th Wedding anniversary [16th Jan] at this beach heaven destination, to give me some moments of relaxation, as presently I am working with www.amarbharat.com a website on tourism of India covering more than 10,000 tourist spots and detailed description of over 1000 cities, beaches, Hill Stations, Monuments, Religious places and Wildlife destinations, considering the solitary human power at disposal this is a real huge asking and quite tedious job. My data collection for another tourism site www.magicofgoa.com [scheduled to be launched in May 2009] is almost at final stages so I suggested going by bus instead of our own vehicle as this will generate effective opportunity to learn more about the local culture and life style of Goa people.
We left Kolhapur for Goa by bus at 11:30 pm which eventually was out of city limits only after the date has changed but surprisingly at 3:00 am when bus stopped for tea we were at the distance remaining for reaching to Panjim, the capital city in two digits [Kolhapur Panaji distance is about 220 km and normally bus journey takes 5-6 hours because Ghat roads] considering the spacey highway we though we will be reaching there by 4:30 am but when we awake again bus was at Mapusa, the commercial city and famous Friday market of Goa, hardly 13 km from Panjim, it was over 4:45 am anyway we were at Panjim by 5:15 am and here I learned that Goa auto rickshaw drivers are not different from rest of country in showing there unity, as while we were getting down from bus one auto rickshaw driver asked me about our staying hotel and ask to pay Rs. 60, which according to me was almost 150% of normal fare, but considering early morning hours I suggested him to take Rs. 50, though as per our pre scheduled program this was our morning walk as the distance between the bus stand and hotel is less than walk of 15 minutes. Auto Rickshaw driver refuse to take Rs. 50 and before we reach to auto rickshaw stand by crossing the road reached there. We took tea there and while we were taking the tea I just to know asked few drivers about the charge to our hotel and all were asking to pay Rs. 60. Don’t you think this is a common attitude found in your city also? Can’t we say Goa is not different from rest of India?
After a little relaxation and having bath we were out of hotel around 9:30 for having breakfast at one of our favorite restaurant [we visit Goa almost at regular interval of 12-18 months so this is natural happing of having favorite spots for staying and dining] and cross the Mandovi river by Ferry boat to reach Gurudwara at Betim on the other shore of river. Ferry boat station is at walking distance from Panjim Market, location of our staying hotel. This might be surprising news, existence of Sikh Gurudwara in Christianity dominating land of Goa, but this is a reality and surely many images of Goa are intended to bound broke with this. Rest of our day was spent in lazing on sea at Calangute beach and enjoying the water sports facility available there.
Next day morning we were intended to go to famous Colva beach which is about 40 km from the Panjim city, we were at bus stop around 9:30 am and what travel information we got from enquiry counter was not seemed adequate but surprisingly one of Kadamba driver helped as in providing more appropriate looking information, he suggested us to get the non stop Panjim Madgaon bus and get down at market and take shared taxi from behind the Kamath Hotel, which will charge Rs. 10/- per person instead of bus fare of Rs. 8/- but will save time of about half an hour. We decided to fallow these instructions and eventually a shocking experience was stored there. Panjim Madgaon bus took almost 70 minutes, 10 minutes higher than information we got for reaching Madgaon market. After getting down from bus we crossed the road to reach taxi stand. Here was the surprise stored for us as we have been told by taxi drivers as we are tourist so we have to pay Rs. 100 for four persons anyway we agree to pay just because we were stranger to place and don’t wish to interrupt our pleasure but here we come across with another surprise that taxi driver left stands with only four of us in taxi instead of normal seven passengers. It took about 25 minutes to reach the beach.
While returning from the beach we were with ample time left so we decide to travel by local bus. The bus journey from Colva beach to Madgaon bus stand [via market] took about 35 minutes instead of one hour as we were informed at Panjim bus stand. I am concluding this with putting a question to be answered by blog readers which was asked to me. While traveling one foreign couple was seating behind us and bus conductor after collecting the fare money said “Thank You” to that couple. The question was it normal Indian attitude of “Athiti Devo Bhav” [Guests are God] or the expression of decade old inferiority complex? Because we were also guest and so many other Indians tourist were on the bus but none of us was greeted with same words “Thank You”.
After a considerable long absence at blogosphere I am back though this might not be my usual presence at the platform because still the work responsible for keeping me away is at progressive stage of being completed but some thing can be termed as new experience or tour finding is forcing me to share with you all. This is my third article in the series and probably this might be shocking for many.
Goa, the beach paradise, is our favorite family vacation hangout, probably due to close location [hardly 270 minute driving] and calm cool enjoyable sea water deposits. This happen on the last 15th Jan when family members decided to celebrate my 27th Wedding anniversary [16th Jan] at this beach heaven destination, to give me some moments of relaxation, as presently I am working with www.amarbharat.com a website on tourism of India covering more than 10,000 tourist spots and detailed description of over 1000 cities, beaches, Hill Stations, Monuments, Religious places and Wildlife destinations, considering the solitary human power at disposal this is a real huge asking and quite tedious job. My data collection for another tourism site www.magicofgoa.com [scheduled to be launched in May 2009] is almost at final stages so I suggested going by bus instead of our own vehicle as this will generate effective opportunity to learn more about the local culture and life style of Goa people.
We left Kolhapur for Goa by bus at 11:30 pm which eventually was out of city limits only after the date has changed but surprisingly at 3:00 am when bus stopped for tea we were at the distance remaining for reaching to Panjim, the capital city in two digits [Kolhapur Panaji distance is about 220 km and normally bus journey takes 5-6 hours because Ghat roads] considering the spacey highway we though we will be reaching there by 4:30 am but when we awake again bus was at Mapusa, the commercial city and famous Friday market of Goa, hardly 13 km from Panjim, it was over 4:45 am anyway we were at Panjim by 5:15 am and here I learned that Goa auto rickshaw drivers are not different from rest of country in showing there unity, as while we were getting down from bus one auto rickshaw driver asked me about our staying hotel and ask to pay Rs. 60, which according to me was almost 150% of normal fare, but considering early morning hours I suggested him to take Rs. 50, though as per our pre scheduled program this was our morning walk as the distance between the bus stand and hotel is less than walk of 15 minutes. Auto Rickshaw driver refuse to take Rs. 50 and before we reach to auto rickshaw stand by crossing the road reached there. We took tea there and while we were taking the tea I just to know asked few drivers about the charge to our hotel and all were asking to pay Rs. 60. Don’t you think this is a common attitude found in your city also? Can’t we say Goa is not different from rest of India?
After a little relaxation and having bath we were out of hotel around 9:30 for having breakfast at one of our favorite restaurant [we visit Goa almost at regular interval of 12-18 months so this is natural happing of having favorite spots for staying and dining] and cross the Mandovi river by Ferry boat to reach Gurudwara at Betim on the other shore of river. Ferry boat station is at walking distance from Panjim Market, location of our staying hotel. This might be surprising news, existence of Sikh Gurudwara in Christianity dominating land of Goa, but this is a reality and surely many images of Goa are intended to bound broke with this. Rest of our day was spent in lazing on sea at Calangute beach and enjoying the water sports facility available there.
Next day morning we were intended to go to famous Colva beach which is about 40 km from the Panjim city, we were at bus stop around 9:30 am and what travel information we got from enquiry counter was not seemed adequate but surprisingly one of Kadamba driver helped as in providing more appropriate looking information, he suggested us to get the non stop Panjim Madgaon bus and get down at market and take shared taxi from behind the Kamath Hotel, which will charge Rs. 10/- per person instead of bus fare of Rs. 8/- but will save time of about half an hour. We decided to fallow these instructions and eventually a shocking experience was stored there. Panjim Madgaon bus took almost 70 minutes, 10 minutes higher than information we got for reaching Madgaon market. After getting down from bus we crossed the road to reach taxi stand. Here was the surprise stored for us as we have been told by taxi drivers as we are tourist so we have to pay Rs. 100 for four persons anyway we agree to pay just because we were stranger to place and don’t wish to interrupt our pleasure but here we come across with another surprise that taxi driver left stands with only four of us in taxi instead of normal seven passengers. It took about 25 minutes to reach the beach.
While returning from the beach we were with ample time left so we decide to travel by local bus. The bus journey from Colva beach to Madgaon bus stand [via market] took about 35 minutes instead of one hour as we were informed at Panjim bus stand. I am concluding this with putting a question to be answered by blog readers which was asked to me. While traveling one foreign couple was seating behind us and bus conductor after collecting the fare money said “Thank You” to that couple. The question was it normal Indian attitude of “Athiti Devo Bhav” [Guests are God] or the expression of decade old inferiority complex? Because we were also guest and so many other Indians tourist were on the bus but none of us was greeted with same words “Thank You”.
