[Divya Sharan]

************************************************** *********************************
Disclaimer
All characters, places and events in this trip log are based on a true event.
Any resemblance to any person, living or dead; apart from the characters mentioned is purely comical!
************************************************** *********************************

You're getting old, said the conscience.
Have you even paid attention to the thinning, receding hairline? And graying of your beard? Added the brain.
And what about those 10 lbs extra around me, said his family pack abs!
Heart resisted though, saying - he's just dormant. And a little busy with tasks at the weird place he calls office.

Enter our 29 year OLD, soon to be balding, somewhat fat fellow with relatively a young(er) heart, relegated to
office-home-office-market-airport at most chores for a year or so now. Meanwhile, it has been raining on and off in Bangalore, froth forming, craters threatening, people skidding, BP rising and our fellow only realizes he's getting old before even reaching half the official retirement age. This has to stop somewhere. OK, it can't be stopped - nobody stops Bangalore and its madness. But he needs a break.

September roster being prepared at a remote location in a super secret facility near Nagawara, mid August:
Manager : All, please share your plans for September and tentative/planned leaves for the month.
Frustrated guy : I need an entire week off!
Manager : So, 9 days? 2 weekend days + 5 weekdays + 2 weekend days. Are you serious?
Frustrated guy (cold tone) : Yup!
Manager : Hmm, we have 2 resources on leaves across 2 weeks. Would it be possible for you to take 3 days off? You can still club it with one of the weekends. You shall have your 5 days.
Frustrated guy: 5 week days - some time in mid October. No bargains!
<Approved, no counter defense>

Now, there are 2 questions and 40 odd days with the fellow:
Question 1 : Where to go?
Question 2 : Who is going along? Or is it going to be a solo trip?

Question 2 was answered within a week with the NOT-SO-OLD Sister stepping in and she was game to go anywhere -
Bhutan/Andamans/France/Malaysia/America....

Question 1 took our fellow to ThomasCook, ClearTrip, TripFactory, SOTC, Yatra and the likes and he took quotes for every goddamn place he could think about - Mauritius, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Nepal, London, France, Utah in the US, Rajasthan, Alleppey, Kodaikanal, Kanyakumari etc.
He was confused. This continued for a couple of weeks and it was already mid September. A place hadn't been identified. And he was sure that sis had been cursed (OBLIVIATE + OBSCURO) by Harry Potter or Hermione Granger personally because she showed zero interest in any planning whatsoever.

Finally, better sense prevailed over him and he decided not to run helter skelter and instead focus on the more obvious destinations - Goa, Mangalore, Gokarna, Tarkarli (staying near KA and utilising the dates to explore, rather drive/fly to a certain far off place). And pocket would stay happier as well.

In the hindsight, he utterly wasted 2 weeks trying to force a pointless trip overseas. Neither would have enjoyed - there was zero homework done.

This seemed to be a good decision, keeping the traveler and nomad in our nearly finished fellow alive. Sis gave a thumbs up too. As if it mattered to her anyway. She was just happy to get out of the daily hustle bustle and a favorable opportunity for quality time napping!

So, Mr Bro decided to collaborate with a "2-wheeler aficionado" from the other BHP forum. He was THE guy to refer to for planning a 4/5 days trip in "the pre-determined zone" and he didn't disappoint. What place(s) did he suggest bhai-behen to visit?

Stay tuned!

[Divya Sharan]

****Day -5, 120 hours before departure****

Frustrated guy : Is this Mr. So and So at Bla Bla location?
Mr. So and So : Yes, whom am I speaking to?
Frustrated guy : Hello sir, this is Frustu. I have booked your property for the entire week from 9th to 14th October via Booking dot com.
Mr So and So : Oh what a pleasure to be talking to you sir, I was about to call you myself in a short while. We have rooms available from 10th as the guests have extended their booking till 9th morning. Would that be okay for you? You can extend your stay till 15th.
Frustrated guy : Hmm, keep the booking till 14th for the time being. 10th Oct to 14th Oct.
<bank details exchanged, booking made, peace of mind.>


****Day -2, 48 hours before departure****

Frustrated guy : Hulloooooooo!!!!
Not so old sis : Elo!
Frustrated guy : Here's the list of stuff you should keep - A to Z list
Not so old sis : Okay.
Frustrated guy : Don't forget any of these basic things. Carry whatever you want to - more won't be an issue, less will!
Not so old sis : Fine.
Frustrated guy : Aren't you happy?
Not so old sis : HeeeeeHeeeeeHeeeeeeee...... <happy snort>


****Day -1, 30 hours before departure at approx 9 PM****

Frustrated guy : Everything is set. Car is washed, let me tank it up and get the tire pressures checked.
<After driving it out of the colony for some 100 meters>
Frustrated guy : Why is the car heavy?
<Gets down to see if there's something underneath the car, spots nothing since it was 9 PM, points his mobile flash at the wheels and LR tire is flat!>
Frustrated guy : Daaaaammmmmmn! What sorcery is this? Why me, why? And why tonight? Now where do I find a repair wallah?
GOD : Kid, visit the nearby BP petrol bunk.
Frustrated guy (thinking to himself) : I think I've seen a puncture repair shop near BP bunk. Fingers crossed! Mood dampened though!
<Puncture was repaired eventually>


****Day 0, 8 hours before departure****

Frustrated guy : Hullooooooooo!
Not so old sis : Elo! When are you picking me up?
Frustrated guy : I guess it won't be tonight. It's raining as hell and GMaps says Hebbal to ITPL is totally choked. I shall pick you up directly enroute in the morning.
Not so old sis : Okie!
Frustrated guy : Don't forget to set an alarm. I shall call you an hour before I start as well. Pack everything and then sleep.
Not so old sis : Yeah yeah, most stuff is done!
Frustrated guy : Do NOT put the mobile in silent mode. Sleep early.
Not so old sis : Yes, done!


****Day 1, an hour before departure****

All calls and messages to not so old sis go unanswered. Fearing the worst, he sets to her home, 25 km away. The time is 3:30 AM.
Roads are deserted, but wear a familiar look, of an office parking lot - an entire line of cars one behind/beside another, parked - probably due to rising water the previous evening.
It takes him almost 90 min to reach ITPL and finally his sister's residence. He attempts a few dozen calls again. Tired, he gets the security chaps to ring her home too. No answer.
His biggest fear had turned out to be true. It was a nightmare!
Not so old sis was ASLEEP! Sold an entire harras (a team of horses) probably. Add a few elephants too.
His parents were excitedly awake before he started from home, but were now furiously upset at the ongoing drama. They made half a dozen attempts at calling the little dinosaur themselves.
He was even contemplating doing this trip alone as a punishment to her, but then why drive? He could ride then. But nope, this was meant to be a siblings-have-a-chilled-out trip.

Then it happened - He decided to go up to her flat, without a telephonic confirmation from the house owner/tenant, as is the norm.
Security chaps also understood his situation and accompanied him to the dreaded call bell.

Ting tong ting tong. It echoed all around so loud that he was stunned and reminded him that it was not even 5 AM.
Ting tong, trrrrring trrrrrring <repeat for 2-3 minutes, at 5 second intervals>

Eyes heavy by now, he places his Gluteus Maximus at the flight of stairs adjacent to the door and thinks of catching a power nap, when the door creaks.
There she is, eyes red, hair disheveled, mouth wide open in horror - sorry bro, I slept! And the mobile was IN silent mode.
Some angry barbs later, she rushes out with her packed bags to the car.

Yes, the trip is ON - just delayed by 3 hours!

[Divya Sharan]

****Day 1 - continued****

About 2 hours into the trip, passengers are stuck in Yeswantpur, trying to merge with Tumkur road. It's already past 8 AM and Frustu is getting pissed further.
Traffic ambling at a slow pace, people moving incoherently seriously threaten violent outbursts from the driver, who somehow manages to keep calm and drive.
Nelamangala has finally arrived and it's few minutes past 9 AM!

Soon, Dabaspet is crossed and then the siblings halt at Kamat Upachar by 9:30 to have breakfast, a late one, by highway standards.

The not so old sis.



Apna Frustu.





These two were travelling to the land of hippies, the ultimate party capital, the 25th Indian state, added in 1961.
But this time, the goal was to explore the silent aspect of the place, something which tourists usually miss in their thirst for joining the extravaganza.
And they were still 570 km away, post breakfast.
ACC was set at a constant 24 degrees and A pedal pinned halfway so that the speedo read 90-95 kmph.

Toll booths and an occasional CCD here and there kept company and soon Chitradurga appeared on the horizon.





With ambient temperature increasing ever so slightly during the day time, traffic density reduced and that helped maintain speed. Not to forget that these 2 tourists started late in the first place, so there was a conscious effort to maintain a decent speed, just under a 100 kmph. That meant Ranebennur went flying past and so did Haveri. Hunger pangs hit both of them and Hotel Delhi Darbaar in Bankapur served as the perfect host. It was almost 3 PM by the time they moved to state highways towards the destination, 200 km away.



State Highways saw sparse to medium traffic and small towns passed by. Somewhere between Yellapur and Mundgod gave a small photo op opportunity.





Ghats are always fun, keeping one alert at all times. This time it was no different and the driver was only heard praising the driving dynamics of the car from time to time. Periodic snoring from the fellow passenger and some rain here and there broke the monotony at times. A tank up session followed at the end of 500 km on the clock.

Sunset saw the two reach Karwar port.



The destination wasn't far off either!





By 7:15 PM, they were busy trying to locate the pre-booked accommodation, but as it happens every single time, mobile GPS went berserk.

Frustu : Mobile, guide me to Talpona Paradise Beach House.
Mobile : I can't seem to lock your current location!
Frustu : Try harder, you moron, I'm tired already.
Mobile : Who are you? I've 15% charge left. My battery is in red zone now.
Frustu : Let me plug you back in the charging slot.
Mobile : Charging has been disabled to prevent the device from overheating. Try again after sometime.
<Grrrr.....>

After half an hour of going around in circles, bhai behen reached the location and what a place it turned out to be!

Some stats from the car after the 1st leg of the trip.









A happy sister after the long journey - happily swinging on her jhoola.



This is how the place looked in the morning!

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 2 - explore Cabo De Rama***

Frustu : Good morning sis! It's 6 AM. Get up!
Not so old sis : Hey, isn't this supposed to be a trip meant to relax? Let me sleep to my heart's content!
Frustu : Well, it's sunrise time.
Not so old sis : But you said we can see "sunset" this side.
Frustu : Err, yes I did.
Not so old sis : Then why the hell are you bothering me? You go and wander out there. Let me sleep.
<And she puts a pillow over her head>

Time to venture out to the soft sand and walk in peace. There's this beauty of South Goa - not polluted by tourists and still maintains its traditional charm.

Frustu then headed 50 meters away from the house and let waves hit him for the 1st time he's come to Goa. Ok, 2nd time. He couldn't control the urge to hit the beach and visited the same at night, but couldn't see a thing!

There were few starfish, small shells, lots of crabs, beautiful view of the landscape - who'd ever miss the sun?

See who came to say hello.



The golden hour.





These looked simply beautiful.



With the sand so soft and white as Flour (Colva beach has softer and whiter texture though).



After loitering around for an hour, there's another attempt to awaken the sis but this was the sight seen:



Sleeping like a boss!

Anyways, a quick breakfast of bread toast with tea was ordered and both got ready by 8:30-9ish. There was a constant battle between the two over time, one wanted to cover many places, the other kept reminding that this was a leisurely trip.

The next destination was Cabo De Rama Fort. There was just one motive to go there. Click a pic from atop the view point with the sea in the background.

Google Maps did the job very well throughout the trip. A JioFi was omnipresent in the car should Airtel decide to ditch the phone.

The journey to Cabo De Rama was fun, going through village like houses and thin roads. But there was an anxious moment when both travellers saw a certain bridge they had to cross to go "anywhere" in Goa. This bridge was roughly 5 km from their place of stay but it needed to be crossed every single time while leaving from/returning to Talpona.

Will the car fit?



Well just about!



Phewwww.....



After crawling over the bridge, remainder of the journey was fun and one could literally see the beauty of actual Goa, minus any commercialization at places.

A funky graffiti.







Cabo De Rama soon arrived and it was already hot!





The place is host to St Anthony's church too.





Finally, atop the view point after a short 100m trek through bushes and jungle.



A skewed panoramic view. Cam erred out while stitching pics.





Now it was getting too hot and the two decided to head toward the next destination for the day!

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 2, contd - Agonda Beach***

The plan for the day was to be able to see sunset from Talpona, hence bro sis paid a visit to Agonda beach, which was on the way back towards Talpona.

Agonda is one of the few official turtle nesting sites in Goa, hence a visit was must. Too bad, the timing was wrong. But the place was serene and largely clean.

Not so old sis had a gala time street shopping and Frustu had a good time sipping on mocktails.

A random shot from one of the souvenir shops.



A shot of one of the colorful buildings in Agonda.



After having roamed around in the sun for a while, lazy Frustu and sis simply parked their behinds at H2O Agonda resort for some late lunch and much sought after rest.

A couple of shots while walking the pristine beach.





View from the dining table.



Mocktail #1 of a few.



From the ocean's POV.



Frustu made a new friend, who was maybe not too impressed by his selfie skills.



After tummies full, happy homo sapiens.



Time to head back! Sunset is an hour away, but wait; is that an auto with WagonR like roof rails?



Was that cute looking thing the local post office? You bet!



Quickly, bro-sis board Punto express to Talpona and manage to reach just in time for the sunset.

Frustu relegated himself to clicking more pics while sis enjoyed goofing around.













Tired, and an early dinner afterward - both hit their rooms, a day well spent.

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 3 - Basilica of Bom Jesus***

Morning 6 AM:

Frustu - Uth ja! (Get up!)
Not so old sis - What time is it?
Frustu - It's 10.
Not so old sis - Don't lie, you'd never leave me asleep if it were anything past 7. Go get lost!

Needless to say, any efforts made to awaken Kumbhakaran before 8 AM were futile. Where are we going? She asks.
Basilica of Bom Jesus. And Wax Museum too, if we get time and crowd is manageable.

Basilica of Bom Jesus (a UNESCO world heritage site) is one of the historical places frequented by most travellers and one of the touristy things on the bucket list of these crazy siblings too.

That meant traveling all the way from South Goa to North Goa through traffic, signals and some open road at times. Yes it was a tiresome affair, but the scenery kept our Frustu pumped up and jolly.

One really gets to see the 'Old' Goa charm on the way.
From tight lanes in markets to old homes to cute looking courts, Goa has it all!













How often does one see 3 Puntos one after another outside FASS?



Soon, both reached the destination and cams came out - left, right, center, selfies and what not!







In fact, sorting usable pics from this day were difficult because almost all shots were photobombed by some person or the other. Putting a few show-able pics from the visit below.

This place is beautiful and holds immense cultural importance. Sadly, cams weren't allowed in the gallery inside for their are wonderful artifacts to see and learn about the culture in Goa and India at large.



Seeing Lord Jesus crucified by Pontius Pilate made both siblings sad. They remembered his teachings from whatever read in school, though C.B.S.E hardly has much to offer. Such places give a slightly better insight in such cases.







This is where mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier are kept (below image).





Apparently, selfies aren't a new thing.





Some beautiful algae formation this, in the cracks between stones.



Ensure carrying water since the place is usually hot and with so many people around, the ambience in an enclosed surrounding as this can dehydrate one really quick. Also, the restroom is located at the backside and holds a cool looking monument as can be seen below.



Having spent close to 3 hours got them really hungry and Wax Museum closed (apparently) for some reason had them having lunch across the street and then rushing to the next destination for indulging in watersports.

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 3 contd. - Calangute, Baga Beach***

Roughly 40 min after leaving from the previous stop, the duo reached Calangute and were on the lookout to park the car. They soon got one, some 200 m from the beach.

Them being such lazy bums, they rented a scoot to roam around.

Here's how the conversation went between Frustu and Scooty Rentals:

Frustu - Bhaiyya, we need a scoot.
Scooty Rental Guy - Sir, we've Activa, Dio and Access. Make your pick.
Frustu - Access.
Scooty Rental Guy - Ok, for how long?
Frustu - A few hours.
Scooty Rental Guy - We don't do hours. You pay for 1 full day. Rs 300 per day.
Frustu - But, it's well past afternoon and I need it to roam around for a couple of hours.
Scooty Rental Guy - I understand, but that's the policy.
Frustu - 300 is too high for a couple of hours or more. I'll look elsewhere.
Scooty Rental Guy - Ok, pay me 200 and take it.
Frustu (thinking to himself) - What luck! 200 it is then!
Scooty Rental Guy (probably thinking to himself) - Yeah baby, now we're talking business.
Scooty Rental Guy - Sir, petrol is extra.
Frustu - Where is the nearest fuel bunk?
Scooty Rental Guy - 5 km away. You can buy fuel from me at Rs 100 a liter.
Frustu - Whaaaaat?
Scooty Rental Guy - That's the policy sir!
Frustu - Well, damn. Ok. I wont ride long. Well, I need a couple of helmets too.
Scooty Rental Guy - Bhaisaab, nobody checks here. This is Goa. Police won't fine you. And why do you need 2 helmets?
Frustu - Because I'll have a pillion.
Scooty Rental Guy - Nothing will happen saab! Cops don't fine here.
Frustu - Well, not for cops, just for saving our heads in case of a fall.
Scooty Rental Guy (seemingly impressed) - Ok, take these plastic buckets.
Frustu - Damn, why did I even ask for one?

This is the kind of helmet that he gave (image from Google).





A sweet Beetle parked.



This is the what a person gets to see as soon as s/he hits the sand.



This flag looked sweet for obvious reasons (chequered like).



She looked great to both siblings for certain reasons.



Beach Patrol - Thar(o doobney nahi dengey )



Some casual shots from the same spot.





Some captures of water-sports in action. Sis enjoyed watersports while the lazy Frustu slept under his umbrella-seat on the beach.







By the time both decided to leave, it was sunset.



Returned the scoot after some casual shopping for souvenirs and a much needed camera memory card, it was 8 PM already.

Stomach said feed me something, mind said eat Goan food, but dil maangey burger!



Back to Talpona at 11:30 PM. Tomorrow is going to be a special day!

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 4 - Salaulim Dam***

This was the day Frustu was especially looking forward to.
Not many people who visit Goa pay this wonderful place a visit, but it's absolutely worth it. It's located in South Goa side and that only sweetened the deal after the previous day's late night outing.

And for some odd reason, not so old sis was awake wide eyed since 6:30 AM itself.

After the same usual bread pakoda breakfast, the duo reached Salaulim under the expert guidance of Baba Google.

Tickets were cheap, IDs were presented on demand (PAN, Aadhar, DL etc) and in they went. There's a small walk for 500 odd meters when one sees this.



Climb the 150 odd steps and the visitor is greeted with maybe the most amazing view in entire Goa!






It's a man made massive sink hole with a drain on the other side of the dam.







Apparently, some people tried stunts here and fell in - hence security chaps don't allow one here. Upon pleading, they allowed a 5 sec berth to just snap one click and return back.



That sink is massive and with so many kilotonnes of water flowing downward, splashes are common.
Fine water droplets keep splashing around and the volume is so much that if one stands at that spot for more than 2-3 minutes continuously, s/he'd have taken a full body bath.







After about 2 hours, soaking in the beauty and much needed sun to dry clothes, both head back towards the main gate, to their last POI during this trip, but not before jaywalking across the gardens and playing over streams.





Time to hit white sand now!

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 4, contd - Colva Beach***

Welcome to Colva, in style!



This was supposed to be a chilled out outing. Also Frustu had special memories of Colva beach when he and DriveByFire visited Goa on their motorbikes, this is where they stayed. Now that DBF permanently moved to the States, the place was even more special.

Also, sis wanted Frustu to try watersports along with her, which he agreed to.



White sands.

Just like maida, said the sis.
It looks and even feels like maida man, DBF had said.



Rendezvous, Frustu's favorite seaside restaurant in the area. Very costly though, but food is yum!



Goan fish, crab, chicken - ask what you want!



Frustu and sis then moved to watersports stall to get tickets but within minutes, the weather deteriorated and the plan was shelved.





Some temporary tattoos later and now that it almost started raining apart from being windy, the duo thought of returning to Talpona and visiting the last sunset of this trip (in Goa) in peace without any hurry of running back.



Frustu got a Scorpion tattoo (temporary) done : Sun sign + his love for the Abarth were decisive enough.





Strolling along the water continued till night fell.

[Divya Sharan]

***Day 5 - return, with a visit to a beautiful monastery!***

It had been raining cats and dogs in Bangalore the entire time and just the thought of returning back made the morning discussion gloomy, for this trip felt like it ended in a flash!

Room bills were settled and after a last walk on the beach post breakfast, bhai behen were on their way with a tankful of petrol costing them Rs 63 a liter. The time was 8:30 AM.

The first pitstop was made at Yellapur, at a newly constructed restaurant with painting still in progress. Hunger pangs were kicking in and an early lunch consisting paratha, curd and mixed veg was served. This was probably the last cheap food joint (Rs 50 per plate), since remainder of stops were at CCDs.

Rainfall and sun were playing hide and seek for every few minutes or so.

Soon, near Mundgod, a beautiful monastery was seen. It is called as Gaden/Ganden Monastery and it was established in 1966, making it the oldest of its form in the country, inhabiting over 10,000 monks and students currently.

As per Wikipedia:
The Ganden Monastery has been re-established in Karnataka, India by the Tibetan population in exile. The Ganden Monastery is in the Tibetan settlement at Mundgod. This settlement of Tibetan refugees is the largest of its kind in India and was first established in 1966, from land donated by the Indian government. In the Tibetan settlement near Mundgod are the Ganden and the Drepung Monastery. In 1999 there were about 13,000 residents. The Tibetan settlement consists of nine camps with two monasteries and one nunnery. They established a credit bank for farms, an agricultural institute and a craft center. Modern technology and communication technology are being introduced. The curriculum of the Ganden Monastery remains similar to the teachings of the pre-1959 Ganden Monastery. The Ganden Monastery Colleges Jangtse and Shartse have also been reestablished in India. They are named The Ganden Jangtse College and The Gaden Shartse Monastery. They are located in Karnataka.
In 2008, over 500 monks, who refused to adhere to the ban against the protective deity Dorje Shugden, enforced by the Dalai Lama's government in exile, were expelled from the Ganden Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, and founded in its immediate neighborhood the Shar Gaden Monastery, officially opened in October 2009. As a result, the Dokhang Khangtsen, the biggest division of Gaden Shartse Monastery, where most of the departing monks came from, ceased to exist.
------------------------------------

Some pictures of the lovely place where siblings lost track of time and never realized how a couple of hours went by so fast.









A sweet parking spot on the shoulder of the road for Bellissa, made for a nice click.



Soon the journey resumed and speeds picked up, having hit AH47.
Toll booths after toll booths, CCDs after CCDs and Bangalore was within sight.

Chitradurga was fast approaching and rain gods were threatening too.



Speeds had considerably picked up, roads were completely deserted. Chitradurga toll booth to Sira toll booth was covered in just over half an hour.

Just after crossing Sira, sis saw a huge rainbow. Frustu parked the car to the side, ran across the road and clicked one of his favorite clicks from the trip (present in the opening post as well).



Last CCD stop before Bangalore was made at Sira CCD and a tank top up was made at the adjoining IOCL petrol bunk.

Soon rain gods started showering like crazy.



Thereafter, madding Tumkur - Nelamangala traffic started. Blood Pressures went soaring but fond memories of the trip kept both siblings sane and they reached Bangalore without any altercation or incidents.

Sis was soon dropped to ITPL to share her stories with her friends at dinner and Frustu fought his way back to Dollars Colony.



Some stats from the end of the trip. Got a pretty decent FE (entire trip) too considering high speed runs from Haveri to Sira and traffic nightmares post that.





********Booking Details*********
Place of stay: Paradise Beach House, Talpona, Goa
Person in charge: Mr Guy Weisman
Booking done via Booking dot com app, rates may vary. It cost us Rs 12k for the entire stay including taxes.

Hope you guys liked going through it.

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[petrolhead_chn]

Your narration explains how well you must have enjoyed. Kept me glued through the entire posts. Nice clicks too.

[dre@ms]

Excellent narration and wonderful pics. The swallowing (?!?!) dam was amazing, never knew its existence in Goa.

What were the water rides taken and how much were the charges? We went during off season and all we could enjoy was the water scooter :(

[Divya Sharan]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Your narration explains how well you must have enjoyed. Kept me glued through the entire posts. Nice clicks too.

Thanks a lot!

Originally Posted by dre@ms

Excellent narration and wonderful pics. The swallowing (?!?!) dam was amazing, never knew its existence in Goa.

What were the water rides taken and how much were the charges? We went during off season and all we could enjoy was the water scooter :(

Yes, Salaulim dam is relatively unknown to most visitors. It's a must visit, should you plan a trip next time.
Water sports' charges are largely standardized across Goa.
Scooter is ₹400, Jet ski is ₹600, Paragliding without dip in the sea is ₹1200 and with a few dips is ₹1400, banana rides cost ₹400 per head (up to 4 people).

[drivebyfire]

Beautiful trip-log and stunning pictures brother!! South and North Goa indeed feel worlds apart. The Colva pics instantly put me in nostalgia mode thinking of our ride last year. And holy hell that sink hole is something!! I was going to say One+ has an epic camera except I know you are one hell of a photographer.

I miss Bellissa, great to see you are still pushing 18 kmpl on the 1.4L Fire