Well, Since Pune to Goa is a well trodden path and Goa seems to be like a second home to most people here, I wont go into too much details about the route, places etc.
Background Info:
Originally, we had planned to head to Harnai beach in Maharashtra for the long weekend. I tried booking a room at every 2 bit resort (Suspect some of them are 3 bit hole in the wall). But all of were packed. I was soo irritated with this, that I proclaimed to my wifey that we are marching off to Goa to see the real beaches!!
Onward Journey:
March 21st 2008, Me and wifey started off at 6:30am from Pune. Excellent route recomended by our inhouse Goa specialist Moralfibre - Pune-NH4-Nipani-Ajara-Uttar-Amboli-Sawanthwadi-NH17-South Goa.
Sunflower field somewhere near Ajara
Amboli Ghat - between Ajara and Sawanthwadi
Our Base station for the next 3 days: Kolva beach, South Goa
Reached Margoa at around 3pm after a 1 hour lunch break at Vittal Kamat, Sawanthwadi. At Kolva beach, We stayed at a hotel called La Ben close by (booked via
www.makemytrip). Cheap a/c room with a TV hanging on the ceiling!! A veggie restaurant, Sagar Kinara is right opposite the hotel. Dont laugh, But me and my wife being vegetarians (Hence sea food is not an option!!) liked the Masala Dosa and idlies served out here.
We spent the evenings in Kolva beach. You can see the rain clouds gathering. Some people carefully folded away their clothes to get into the water in their undies, only to watch their clothes get fully drenched by the rain that followed!!
.. Nothing like rains to cool things down a bit!!
The next two days, we went around most of the beaches in North Goa - eating, drinking (i.e.mineral water
) and shopping.
Fort Aguda:
Calangute Beach:
Anjuna beach:
Poor elephant, whats it doing in Goa?
Baga beach:
Backwaters, anyone?
The Return Journey:
Pressed the Warp Drive button on my Baleno (Not an OE feature) to head back to Pune!
.. only to be slowed down by a Chris Bangles designed "Anand Special" from West Bengal !! In order to overtake, I had to peep thru the bulging "flame surfaced" sides of the bus!!
Amboli ghat - Sun rays streaming through the dark clouds
Green fields and the gathering storm
A bend on the road with a solitary tree - . Got the right place at the right time for a quick break amid some amazing naturally "lighted up" scenery
Gulp! Driving into the sunset on NH4 - with a storm in sight (it rained like mad) and a broken headlight (low beam conked out).
