Going Solo

Disclaimer: You might find this post obnoxiously and unrealistically lengthy. You might also find a lot of grammatical errors in it, 'cause frankly, even I couldn't re-read the whole thing more than once! I promise, I'll fix them soon.

If you know me, you'd know that I'm not the type that makes crazy rash decisions, yes I do go with the flow, but I rarely do things that are out of my comfort zone. And now that you know that, you'd know I am certainly not the type who would impulsively plan to off-board a flight my parents booked for me to get home safe to go explore a completely unknown city alone.

But I did all of that and more, recently. Let me start off with a little background:

I landed myself in Goa two weeks ago to attend a cousin's wedding. It was a typical Big Fat Indian 'Destination' Wedding with its fair share of oomph and palooza, and lot of money flowing down the drain (like all weddings in general, but on a way bigger scale). The main wedding event was held at this near perfect picturesque setting - right on the beach, at the time of the sunset - and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was probably one of the most scenic weddings I had ever seen! It was all great, especially because I got to take a week off from work and chill the fuck out away from the daily routine of life, but one thing really bothered me - all the events got over on Thursday, and we were headed back home on Friday. Like seriously, who does that? It felt like a crime - a real crime, killing a weekend with such cruelty, especially when you were in a city like Goa! I mean, who wouldn't want to go and see the 'real' city after being stuck in a resort for one whole week? And weddings are pretty taxing, to be honest.

My tickets were booked and I fought with every inch of my conscience to accept it and just go back to spend a lazy weekend at home, but I couldn't bring myself to do it! Just couldn't. I wanted with all my heart to stay back, but I couldn't let my parents know as I come from a fairly strict, no-chill family. Okay, that might be a bit harsh - but what was I gonna tell them anyway? The thought of me travelling alone would've freaked them out beyond limits and they would've ensured that I went back home with my head hung low and my dreams tucked away in some miserable corner of my suitcase.

So, on the way to the airport on the dreaded Friday, I decide to jump my flight and stay back! Yes, I actually did that. I pretended to go through the whole routine security check and everything just to see my parents board the flight and leave, while I stayed back, seeking out all the possible exits out of the airport while frantically messaging my friends to keep my inspiration up in planning the escape route - at the same time asking for tips on where to go, what to do in Goa, as I had obviously nothing planned! I wasn't supposed to stay back, you see - so it was all rather unplanned and messy. The best part in the whole situation was that my parents and I had our flights more than an hour apart, otherwise I don't know what I would've done. Seriously! Died a little on the inside, and sucked it up, may be - but thankfully, I didn't have to! Oh boy, I am SO glad I didn't have to!

As soon as my parents were in the flight, I sat down to calm my nerves down a little and realized with a start that I still had no clue how to get out of the airport. So I walk up to the help desk near the boarding station to seek out some airport personnel that would help me get out of this stupid airport! Turns out it was all rather easy - all I had to do was come up with some lame excuse as to why I did not want to board my flight any more. So, this airport guy takes me through all these security check points and guides me the way out. I try to keep a calm and composed image, while praying desperately that I wouldn't run into someone I knew on my way out - which was a high possibility as everyone who was at the wedding had flights out of Goa throughout the day. I dodged crowds and almost ran on my way out, with my heart stuck in my throat, taking care not to get spotted - which by the way, I almost did! But I turned around as soon as I spotted a distant family member approaching my way and hid in the washroom for good 15 minutes! Finally, I made my way out again, and thankfully saw no one else! As soon as I stepped out of the dreadful airport, I let out a big sigh of relief and started finding out means to commute my way to North Goa, AKA freedom!

The next task was to reach the place suggested by my friend and hope that I find a decent accommodation without breaking the bank. And I am pleased to tell you that I was lucky enough to find a decent looking, AND a sea facing room in middle of the Anjuna market at a mere 600 per night! The plan was to not go for anything fancy as I needed a place just to crash at night and freshen up before I leave for the day. And this place was perfect just for that! I had to try at least two other places before finding this one, but as they were charging almost double of what I finally landed with -  it was definitely worth keep trying.

You would think that the crazy bit ended there, but wait for what comes next.

I have been told by many people that the best and the easiest way to explore Goa is on a bike. And no kidding, it truly is! But there was a slight problem. I hadn't really rode a real two-wheeler in over two years - basically, not once after my little stint at Pondicherry with a moped kind of motor vehicle. Also, I don't have an official driving license, no, not even a learning one or for that matter, even a fake one. I know I should get one real soon, and I'm on it, I promise - but in that moment, I really had to do something, okay? I was not going to give up so easily on this.

So I decided to walk into this place that was renting out two wheelers, with all the confidence I could muster to rent out an Activa, as it's supposed to be relatively easier to drive, given that it doesn't have gears. The bike owner goes right ahead and gives me the keys in exchange of 3 days of advance payment and my ID proof. Phew! I can't tell you how relieved I was when he didn't ask for my driving license! But as soon as I got the bike, I must have made it pretty evident that I didn't know how to drive as he looked at me suspiciously while I fumbled with the keys and struggled to get the bike going. To cover up the mess, I get off the bike and asked him to give me a little demo. He obliged and while he was at it, I go on to confess that I'd never really rode an Activa before and that was why I was having a bit of a trouble. But I made sure to also assure him that it wasn't definitely my first time on a two wheeler. So, well. After riding the bike around in circles inside of the parking ground, I start to get a hang of it and I decide to step out on to the road, equally scared as the bike owner, who asked me to drive slow and safe while warning me that I would have to pay for damages if I happen to land his bike into trouble.

I try to calm my guts as I make my way out of the gully on to the road, driving at max speed of 20 kmph, clinging on to the handlebars of this crazy two-wheeler for my life. Nervous, scared and exhilarated - all at the same time! You know sometimes when you do insanely crazy stuff that sets you free? This was the one of those, for me.

Finally, I was on my way to explore a city that I had waited so long for. It is intimidating as it is to travel alone, but to travel alone with no plan and no research? That's pretty high up on the list of things no one should ever do. But I guess I was lucky again, because I had tasked this really good friend of mine to plan out my entire weekend - right from all the beaches I should go to, to all the places I should eat at. It's hard not to feel at a complete loss of wits in a situation like this and I swear I would've lost my mind if I didn't have someone to plan it all out for me.

First on the list was lunch - it was almost 4PM and I hadn't really had time to stop and eat between all this madness. So, I headed to this little place called 'The Burger Factory' somewhere down on the Anjuna beach road, and had one of the yummiest, most filling beef burgers I'd ever eaten in my life! (plus - they were lined with an extra layer of bacon strips and BBQ sauce! So gooood!) The place was one of those quiet, laid back spaces with a quirky, down to earth ambience - and as it happens, you're soon going to find out that the rest of my journey in Goa was full of such places. I ordered my food and set out to find some cigarettes. Don't ask - sometimes anxiety does get better of me. I asked around and it turned out that I would only find cigarettes at a place that was a few blocks away - and this meant that I would have to drive till there, obviously. As I got back on the bike, I hoped that starting it back on wouldn't be an issue. But I couldn't be more wrong! I struggled for a bit before finally giving up, to go and ask a passerby to help me start the wretched thing back on! The same thing happened at least twice again until the bike owner saw me struggling, on his way around town and suggested me to hold down the brake and then accelerate! I did not till then realize that I was missing out on this one teeny tiny detail which was destroying the whole of my self-confidence for riding this bike! It was indeed a mystery to me why the bike wouldn't start back on and I even considered a possibility that there was something wrong with the bike and not the way I was handling it and I should probably go back and get another one. I have to admit though, life did get way simpler after that piece of advice. I finally get back to the restaurant to settle down for the late lunch - I light up a smoke and smile to myself - I was still shaken up from the events of the day, but I felt on top of the world. Yes, I was finally doing it. I was finally living my dream.

I went back to my room to rest for a while to get rid of the anxiety. But when I woke up from my nap later in the evening, I still had butterflies in my tummy. Having nothing else decided, I head out for this place called 'Star Light', which was next on the list. Such a pretty name for a restaurant! This place is really known for it's fish thali, but sadly, they only serve it during lunch time. So I had to settle for prawns biryani instead, which was also quite brilliant and I ordered in a portion of calamari rings later on, out of greed. Also, did I tell you that this place served alcohol at dirt cheap prices? A 60ml of their finest premium whiskey wouldn't cost beyond a 60 or a 70! It certainly did make me look at the prices more than once.

The next stop was Curlies, you know that beach shack everyone keeps talking about? Its placement is certainly worth the visit and I swear I hadn't seen so many stars in the sky ever in my life. But honestly, it's that kinda place which is best enjoyed when you have company. Also, it's extremely difficult to find, for a person like me - who has a terrible sense of direction and whom Google maps seem to hate. So, it took me approximately 70 minutes to get there, when the distance on the map said 3.7 kms. Yes, it was that bad! Also, my phone's battery died in the process of me getting lost and on track and lost again, so there was no internet to help me and I had to rely on older means of finding the right direction, that meant that I had to stop people passing by and try to read the barely there signs on the road - which was such a task as it was midnight, and I was in the middle of nowhere. But hey, I finally made it - so I guess it all worked out okay. I spent some time there, sitting by the balcony, (the place was a double storied restaurant by the beach) staring out into the darkness of the sea and listening to the waves crashing on the shore as I sipped on some port wine while my hair did a dance of their own in the beautiful cold wind. It was finally a moment of peace, on this truly mad, chaotic day in my life. The journey back to the room wasn't as dreadful, thankfully. And I crashed as soon as I reached, which was somewhere around 2AM - with a promise to myself that the next day was going to be just as wonderful, but way less crazy.

Day two was a near perfect day from the start to the finish. I woke up around 10AM in the morning with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me instead of the usual butterflies, for a change. I was also finally starting to get more and more comfortable with the bike. I got ready in a hurry as my conscience wouldn't allow me to waste even a single minute by being lazy - I wanted to get started with the day as soon as I could. I opened the door to get some fresh air and step out of my room to this brilliantly breath-taking view of sun shining down on the sea.

I start the Google map navigation as I put on my shoes, grab my wallet and keys while focussing on trying to remember in my head which would be the right direction to head out in. I was going to go to this quiet place for breakfast called 'Lila Cafe'. I knew exactly what to eat there as I had the top picks from the menu already suggested by my friend - all I had to do was get there and order the food! Life couldn't be easier. I absolutely hate when I go to a place and spend over half an hour struggling to decide what to eat, especially when you're almost sure everything they made was pretty darn good. I ordered a bacon Rosti, (which is a Swiss potato pancake) a shot of espresso coffee to start and plate full of strawberries with mint tea later on. Every one of those things was so well made! I couldn't have asked for a better start to the day - the relaxing ambience of the place helped immensely. I swear I wouldn't mind even if I had to stay there with nothing to do but only a book to keep me company!

After a fairly heavy breakfast, I got back on the road to head towards Morjim beach. The route had such a raw beauty to it, with backwaters and sea views following you around on almost every turn you make! The beach itself was pretty peaceful with only a handful of people hanging around. It was interesting to note the abundance of Russian signboards. I walked down to the further end of the beach to find a secluded seat to rest in. The only sound I could hear there was of the waves crashing down on the shore and the sun umbrella fluttering overhead. A person walks over from one of the beach shacks behind to ask if I wanted anything and hands me over a menu. Having just eaten my breakfast, I was in no mood to order anything right away, but I did ask him to get me a glass of port wine after sometime. It's just too hard to resist alcohol on such a nice, peaceful day. I sat there, soaking in the sun, reading miscellaneous articles on Goa and things to keep in mind while traveling solo. Its never too late, is it? I don't know how long I sat there until I finally decided to hit the road again.

The original plan was to go to Ashwem beach and hang out there. But something inside of me wanted to just keep riding through those old narrows passages and roadways, further deep inside the rustic countryside of Goa. So I travelled till the tip of Terekhol river, and turned back around to return to Ashwem when I finally realized how far I had actually come and the route was starting to get bizarrely hilly. I got back to Ashwem well ahead in time to see the Sun go down gently. Yes, it was time for late lunch again. I ordered prawns spring rolls and fish curry. Something so damn charming about eating seafood right on the beach. The fish curry was starting to get a bit cold and a dog standing nearby was eyeing it with a sad hungry look on his face. I call him towards me and offer him a huge chunk of my fish. It was so hard to resist not feeding him all of my food!

As it started to get cold and dark, I decided to head back to my side of the state. Something about riding at night makes me extra anxious as I tend to lose my way more often than I do during the day. Also, the harmless narrow passages surrounded by nothing but the fields on both sides seem a lot more intimidating and creepier at night. As it turns out, I did get lost a lot but I finally got to the place I was supposed to get to - which was 'Fat Fish'. It was a happy, chirpy place right on the Anjuna-Calungute road. I asked the waiter to get me the best Goan starter they had, and I wasn't disappointed! I swear I hadn't eaten a fish that good ever in my life. I think it was called Chonak masala fry. Later, he got me Bebinca for dessert, which is also a common Goan delicacy. It was definitely a good end to the day.

I woke up with a pang of sadness the next day, as I was supposed to head back to Bangalore in the evening and time was running out faster than it should ideally should have - sigh! I emptied my room and kept the luggage for safe-keeping in the outhouse of the place I was staying at. I went to Lila Cafe again for breakfast - it was simply the best breakfast place in the area, according to various reviews on the inter webs as well. I ordered an omelette filled with bacon this time, and it turned out to be a true comfort food for the soul. Just what I needed. I didn't have the whole day this time, so I decided to explore the nearby areas. There was a fort near Vagator beach was was supposedly worth a visit, but when I got there, it seemed like too much work - so I decided to hang out around the cliff over looking the Vagator beach instead. The view was absolutely gorgeous! I also took some lovely detours that led me to a road which basically followed the outline of the sea for good 3-4 kms.

I finally landed up at this place called 'Sri' for lunch and I have to admit, the chill vibes of this place was through the roof. It was an airy garden restaurant with benches, chairs, as well as beds for seating. It had plenty of dogs and cats to keep the visitors company. They also had a section where you could borrow any book on the rack to read. I settled into a comfy bed with a book, and soon after a cat came and sat there with me. I am partial towards dogs (who isn't?), but I do like cats too. I think it was time for her afternoon siesta so she dozed off as I stroked her. But as soon as my food arrived, she woke up with an insanely greedy look in her eyes, but as soon as she realized I was not going to share, she went back to sleep. I was rather slow at eating food, so when I resumed eating after a while, she looked up once again, with hope. This time I did offer her the Goan fish cakes that I had ordered. And she nibbled away at it, happily. Don't blame me - it's rather hard not to share your food with animals when they look at you with those greedy innocent eyes.

I didn't want leave that place so soon, but had no choice. I had to leave Anjuna by at least 5:30PM to be able to catch my bus on time from Margaon, which was extremely far away. So I painstakingly start to head back - it was going to be a long journey back home - but I did stop on the way back to buy some alcohol and souvenirs - because you just can't not! However sad I was to leave, I was also happy that I made it happen and made these three days memorable enough for a lifetime!

When I got back home early next morning, I stood in front of my mirror - I had a horrible tan but I also had a happy, radiant glow on my face! Life is all about the crazy decisions you make. I'm certainly going to be making many of such decisions in the future - I hope you do too!

Go ahead, take the plunge.

Love,
Ananya