[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

The central tank which is now locked used to be open earlier. We have actually spend nights inside it. Before tourism got it locked.

I think you are talking about the this tank at the fort.

Originally Posted by scrooze

Ashish Bhau if you are with your friends and in fun mood then visit Tito's (Might enjoy a bit )
If you are with your family then it is a strict no no...

Last july, me with other rajababues went to Goa,
someone told me that entry to Tito's strictly for couples only.
So, with friends, you can't visit Tito's,
now, it is not advised to visit Tito's with family.
So ultimately, no Tito's for me.
Hows Tito's brother Mambo?[ Both are like twin sisters Vaishali-Rupali in Pune.]
Or is it like ''Naam bade, lakshan khote?''

[MileCruncher]

Have been to Dudhsagar Waterfalls twice in the last 1 year and both times in monsoon. First was in Aug 2010 and then in July 2011. Both times trekked teh 14 Kms from Castle Rock, enjoying the beautiful vista's and the 12 Tunnels.

Some pictures from my last year's trip. Couldn't take any this time as it was poring heavily and was totally drenched in the first 15 minutes of trek itself.











A small video

Dudhsagar Falls - YouTube

OT: Dudhsagar is also a major hunting ground for IRFCA Fans. All those interested in technology will hopefully enjoy this

Wheel Slip or Creep control of EMD locomotives - YouTube

[lucifer1881]

Day 5. The stuff memories are made of. This was the day we played the 'annoying tourist' to perfection. What is the annoying tourist? We have all been there. We love it when we do stuff like take pictures of absolutely useless things, walk around like nincompoops and annoy the hell out of everyone else. It is exactly the kind of tourist we hate to see on our trips.

Being such a general annoyance was greatly facilitated by the Gods above. The rains were fairly intermittent with dry periods perfectly timed to coincide with whenever we were out of the car. This was a day of pictures.

It started out with a visit to Old Goa. I love colonial architecture. I am an absolute sucker for places that have remained stuck in a time warp. I found Old Goa almost orgasmic. I went mad. My eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas. I started jumping around, flapping my arms in the air like an excited penguin. At one point I am fairly certain my wife pretended to not know me. But bless her soul. She let my craziness play itself out without giving me a big whack on my head.

Bom Jesus was our first stop. It is probably the most visited Church in Goa. It is quite possibly the most talked about. It is definitely the most photographed. Yes, it is a good place to visit. But there is one thing about it that really irks me. What, do I hear you ask? The main entrance. It is beautiful. Really is. However, did they have to build that building on its right? I do not know if the whole structure was built at one time but from where I see it the building on the right came later. And it was built by someone with absolutely no regard for beauty. All pictures of the front facade look incredibly ugly simply because of that 'extension' wing.

On the bright side, it did make me think of a different angle to photograph it. Even though the picture is quite bad, I believe this angle does more justice to the Church than all those brilliantly shot front-angle ones.

Bom Jesus Basilica

St. Francis of Assisi Church is right opposite Bom Jesus. This one I liked. I especially liked the disused Chappel tucked away in its backyard. Go to that Chappel when you visit the place. It does not attract any tourists at all. Hence, it becomes a very good place to visit. Even when you are playing the annoying tourist yourself.

The Chapel in the backyard of St. Francis of Assisi Church





St. Francis of Assisi Church



The crypt and a stairwell to a sepulcher? Not sure, but we imagined all sorts of things. Reading too many Dan Brown novels does this, I suppose.

There is also a museum in the premises. Visit it for a history lesson on Goa. They do not allow any pictures to be taken. All you come back with are your memories.

We drove around for a while and found Viceroy's Arch. All Portuguese Viceroys had to walk under the arch before they assumed office. There is also a Church near the arch. I just cannot recall the name of that Church. It is beautiful. We were the only people in the Church. No one visits it apparently.

Viceroy's Arch






The Church near Viceroy's Arch. If anyone knows its name, please feel free to mention it.

From Old Goa, we drove to Dona Paula. Dona Paula is loved by our film makers. It is easy to see why. We had lunch in a restaurant on the first floor which gave us a lovely view of the ocean.

Dona Paula

If Old Goa was almost orgasmic, Panaji is a wet dream. It is much more than a wet dream but this being a family forum and all I am not sure I can write much more without earning an infraction. Park your car / bike and take a walk around the city. Go to Fontainhas. Go to the old houses. Don't be overly obsessed with capturing everything on camera. You will never see anything then. There is so much to enjoy. So much to drink in. The place transports you to another era. It is a time machine.

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church. This Church is beautiful, whichever way you look at it. No wonder the Lakme guys put it in their commercial.



This is how idiotic a guy with a DSLR looks in the rain.

The best usually occurs in the last. It happened to me in Ladakh. It happened to me in Jog Falls. Goa was no different. We went to Candolim beach and instantly cursed ourselves for not going there sooner. It is a fabulous beach. The sea is rough, yes. You cannot go too deep into the water. But those are incidental. If you have a Bolero, you can take your car to the water's edge. And there is a shack there which serves good food. It is slightly on the expensive side, though.

The Bolero in its natural habitat at Candolim




Candolim beach

What to look forward to in Day 6? South Goa!

[Vtecguy7166]

Hey Lucifer, Lovely write up. Last year did two trips to Goa on my ANHC, one in August and another in December. Reading your travelogue feels like going yet again. But will be planning one trip in October for sure.
Looking forward for day 6.

[spadix]

Rohit, that is quite some architecture photography there from you! I love the use of leading lines and symmetry.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus and Church of St. Francis of Assisi are among my favourite places to visit as well in Old Goa. I never saw (or never noticed?) the Viceroy's Arch and didn't visit the Church in Fontainhas even though like you I did walk around the place and tried to find Portugal in India!

Vasco is another place to visit if you want to look at some grand, old churches.

By the way, did you visit the museum atop the Basilica of Bom Jesus. It's crowded, but interesting.

I also liked the "Goa State Museum" (if I remember correctly) at Panjim. It's one of those rare museums where you're actually allowed to take photographs of the exhibits.

Regards,
spadix

[lucifer1881]

Originally Posted by spadix

Rohit, that is quite some architecture photography there from you! I love the use of leading lines and symmetry.

Thank you! This is a huge compliment.

Originally Posted by spadix

Vasco is another place to visit if you want to look at some grand, old churches.

Vasco will be done on another visit. 7 days may seem like a long time but the time simply vanishes in a puff of smoke.

Originally Posted by spadix

By the way, did you visit the museum atop the Basilica of Bom Jesus. It's crowded, but interesting.

No, passed up on it. Somehow did not feel like going there. But now that you recommend it will do so.

Originally Posted by spadix

I also liked the "Goa State Museum" (if I remember correctly) at Panjim. It's one of those rare museums where you're actually allowed to take photographs of the exhibits.

Yes, this one is on my radar too. Probably March 2012 is when I will visit Goa again. Perhaps stay around Panaji.

[vnabhi]

Fantastic thread, and mind-blowing pics! Goa always tugs my heart, and you've added fuel to the fire!

Keep the pics coming! I was really thrilled by your mobike ride to Dudhsagar Falls. And I never knew that one can get places so cheap in Goa for staying.

[Sabby-069]

Great TL Rohit; and amazing photographs!! The TLs got me planing my next drive to Goa now.
Keep the TL going; rated a well deserved 5 stars!

[lucifer1881]

Note from Mod : We do NOT permit any discussions or references to alcohol on this forum. You are hereby instructed to read our rules before proceeding on the forum.

Thank you, Venu and Sabby.

Day 6. South Goa ahoy!

Some consider me mad for driving hundreds of kilometre to get to a place. They say it is better to save all that time and energy by getting to your destination as quickly as possible, and spend more time going around the place. They do not know that the journey is more important than the destination. They also do not know the perks of having your car with you 24/7 when on a holiday.

On the 6th day we said, "Let's descend upon South Goa!" We took the main highway (NH 17) upto Margao. From there, we took one of the smaller village roads and got thoroughly lost in the innards of Goa. We loved it. Our first destination was Fatorpa. We were searching for Cabo De Rama Fort. Not many have heard of this place, which is a good thing. I was almost in two minds whether to mention this place on this forum or not. I would be sad if this fort went the Aguada way.

Note to the casual tourist: Cabo De Rama is not a fort for you. It offers nothing that makes you point your camera and shoot away. You will be hard pressed to find a bottle of water in its vicinity. The roads leading up to it have no facilities or population. If your vehicle breaks down you will be stuck there for quite sometime. There are multiple 'ghost' towns you will pass through along the way. Unless you are the sort who feel most content simply laying in a field gazing at the stars above, don't venture there simply because this log mentions it. This log mentions a trek to Dudhsagar as well. Please understand that some of us on this planet are mad and derieve great pleasure through such meaningless pursuits.

Anyway. We came to a Y-intersection. The road to the left lead to Cabo De Rama. The road on the right pointed to Shantadurga Temple. Goa has multiple Shantadurga Temples. We lucked out that the one we visited was such a glorious riot of colours. I love colour photography because I love colours.

We also lucked out that we visited the place when there was not a single other person in either of the two temple complexes. The two temples are almost next to each other. This means we could not only do the darshan peacefully but also enjoy the calm and serenity of the temples. This place I would recommend. The temples of Goa are one of the least written about places to visit.

Shantadurga Temple, Fatorpa

We backtracked to the Y-junction and took the road to Cabo De Rama. To get an idea of the desolation of this road, those of us who have driven through Moore Plains in early September only need to imagine good tarmac and greenery. The stretch does not last long, yes. But it is spooky in its desertion. Once you reach the fort, it is no better. Srishti and I were the only people around for miles. If you are using a rented car / bike, do not visit this place during off-season at least. You need a trustworthy car.

Cabo De Rama Fort, nothing to see here

The graffiti in the last picture desecrates a heritage monument, yes. I could not help but admire it. I only wish someone had chosen to do this on another wall.

From Cabo De Rama, we drove around for a while and found ourselves on the road to Palolem. Palolem is among the best beaches I have seen anywhere in the world. Admittedly, I have not seen many beaches. But this one will surely rank up there. Even during stormy weather, the sea was calm. There were quite a few people on the beach frolicking about, some even indulging in various stages of PDA. It is the perfect beach to satisfy the voyeur in you.

A river meets the sea at Palolem


Palolem Beach

A group of friends had joined us in Goa a day earlier. Come to think of it, a lot of Hyderabad was in Goa during our visit. We bumped into a couple of TBHPians as well. You know who you are. Raise your hands up and let others know!

This group of friends planned to go to Tito's on this day. Thus begins probably the most anticipated paragraph of this travelogue .

Tito's

What can I say about Tito's that has not already been said? Okay, nothing much has been said about it and everyone is always cryptic. Not anymore. Here is my take on the place. Tito's. Established in 1971, this club treats its patrons exactly the same way as was acceptable in 1971. 40 years have come and gone and they still do not know what it means to serve a customer.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, as the sensible among us who had chosen not to visit the place slept blissfully, over the loud din of music you hear "thud". This is followed by another "thud", then a couple more. And you look around you and realise that people are dropping like flies. Women outnumber men in this dropping business 3 to 1. One must commend Tito's bouncers though. They were very swift in picking up these droppers and depositing them on the sidewalk outside.

Around 2 we finally left the place. The place shuts at 3. There was a place nearby that served food 24 hours, though calling what it served as food would be a bit of a stretch.

We got back to our place by 4ish and crashed. Day 7 got entirely messed up because of it. Did nothing except recover and some beach frolicking.

[scrooze]

[quote=lucifer1881;2503188]Around 2 we finally left the place. The place shuts at 3. There was a place nearby that served food 24 hours, though calling what it served as food would be a bit of a stretch.

[quote]

There is a very good restaurant at the last left turn for Titos. Lat time had our dinner at that restaurant. Currently unable to recall the name of the restaurant.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

Some consider me mad for driving hundreds of kilometre to get to a place. They say it is better to save all that time and energy by getting to your destination as quickly as possible, and spend more time going around the place. They do not know that the journey is more important than the destination. They also do not know the perks of having your car with you 24/7 when on a holiday.

Now imagine my dismay when we started driving out of Panjim (after checking out Fontainhas and Dona Paula etc.) and head towards Palolem, only to hear my wife crib about the 60-odd kms distance to Palolem. And this was despite driving ~740 kms to Goa and then another 125 kms the subsequent day covering Vasco, Ponda etc.

But perhaps it was for the better. It was already 2 pm, and there was no way I was going to take a room in Palolem for one night and effectively end up paying for two rooms on one day.

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

Goa has multiple Shantadurga Temples. We lucked out that the one we visited was such a glorious riot of colours. I love colour photography because I love colours.

We also lucked out that we visited the place when there was not a single other person in either of the two temple complexes.

Ah, that's nice.

By the way, all Shantadurga temples are clones. They're all colourful. We visited the "main" branch at Ponda, but the couple of others we saw here and there looked just as colourful and were laid out in exactly the same way. In fact, your photographs re-confirm it. The architecture is just cloned across all sites/branches.

The Mangueshi temple at Ponda is only slightly different. I liked the Shantadurga temple better because of the smaller crowd and better access and overall lower levels of commercialism both inside and outside the temple. In fact, in my travelogue I briefly described a very unsavoury episode we witnessed in the Mangueshi temple.

You're right. Goan temples deserve a visit. There's quite a lot to enjoy in some of them.

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

From Cabo De Rama, we drove around for a while and found ourselves on the road to Palolem. Palolem is among the best beaches I have seen anywhere in the world. Admittedly, I have not seen many beaches. But this one will surely rank up there. Even during stormy weather, the sea was calm. There were quite a few people on the beach frolicking about, some even indulging in various stages of PDA. It is the perfect beach to satisfy the voyeur in you.

I haven't really ventured out of Central Goa (Panjim - Aguada - Calangute - Chapora) in my visits so far. I really need a couple of visits more at least - one to explore North Goa a little bit more and one for South Goa of course.

By the way the drive from Calangute through Cancona to Karwar even on the NH17 is quite enchanting so long as you don't run into the KA border cops when they're in a mood to spoil your day (which they invariably always are).

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

The place is small. It is crowded. The DJ plays whatever it is he feels like playing. And Indians being Indians get busy in recovering their Rs. 1500.

I think you are referring to Mambo's (ok, it is under the Tito's umbrella but still). I think they opened in 2005 and when a couple of friends and I visited it 3 evenings in a row in October that year they were still trying hard to win customers over and so we weren't subjected to silly "couple entry only", "cover charges" and "have-to-be-dressed-this-way" rules. Of course it also helped that we generously tipped our waiter on evenings 1 and 2. He ensured we could enter even at 8 pm, however we were dressed or looked!

The neighbouring Tito's restaurant has excellent ambience but we didn't like the service or prices.

Tito's has kind of colonized Goa now. Every other outlet is now owned by them, and not everyone (especially the locals) likes this now.

Regards,
spadix

[lucifer1881]

Spadix, I am referring to Tito's. Not Mambo's.

PS: I just realised that Tito's may actually get more footfalls due to my post. No worries. As a friend of mine says, "Being ripped off at Tito's is a part of the unique experience of being in Goa."

[aries_mavrick]

excellent travelogue rohit, the tips for goa are really nice. quick question, if your bolero 4x4 - you had mentioned that it was quite comfy on the sand.

[spadix]

Originally Posted by lucifer1881

Spadix, I am referring to Tito's. Not Mambo's.

Ah, I get the joint you were referring to now, and after looking at that last picture.

Yeah, the one you went to is like this place that can't decide whether it wants to be a disco or a bar or a club or a cafe/bistro or a normal restaurant.

The bigger establishment further down the road is the fully decked-out open air ambience restaurant - the first Tito's outlet if I'm not mistaken. That was the one I was referring to. And Mambo's is just further ahead, and is now (unfortunately) under the Tito's umbrella as well.

Every outlet - big or small - on that lane is owned by Tito's now. I think they even call that street Tito's Lane now.

Regards,
spadix

[lucifer1881]

Originally Posted by aries_mavrick

excellent travelogue rohit, the tips for goa are really nice. quick question, if your bolero 4x4 - you had mentioned that it was quite comfy on the sand.

No, my Bolero is not 4x4. It does not even have off-road tyres. And when I took it on the beach its tyres were on their last legs. Beach driving does not require 4x4. Trying to show-off on the beach does.