[MaserQ]

Prelude:

Mid-November: My brain did a quick check on the possibilities for New Years. I would be in India at that time. So, where to this time? As luck would have it, my friend sent me a link to an Electronic Dance Music festival that would happen towards the end of December...Sunburn, GOa. Perfect!

Late November: By now, three of my school friends had expressed interest and we began planning. Do we fly? Stick to Goa or do a roadtrip?

'Roadtrip..lets take my Swift DDiS', declares Jun. So there it was. Four childhood chums, a swift diesel and unlimited fun.

Part I - Calicut-Cannanore-Udupi-Murdeshwar-Gokarna-Goa

Day 1: Dec 26

Just as I finished packing, Jun drives up in his Swift. After stocking up on some supplies, we head north to Cannanore to pick up Ash and Vix. Roads are ok and we were making swift progress. North Kerala has some pristine beaches. Came across this beach in Telecherry. Breathtaking. Not a tourist in sight.









Landed at Vix's place to sample his mum's sumptuous seafood platter. Yum! His dad was kind enough to lend us his guide book to Goa and pass on driving directions.

Ash had taken several CDs of artists who would be playing at the Sunburn festival... Sigh, us rock n roll fans had to listen to EDM for the next 8 days! We crossed the border into Karnataka just after sunset. Here, we encountered bad roads and roads under construction. Slow progress.

After a while, we stopped at a roadside restaurant in Udupi. Masala dosas were ordered and duly wiped off. Energised, we stepped on the gas to Murdeshwar.

Had read about Murdeshwar in various travelogues and I must say I was impressed with what I saw. Kudos to the RNS chaps who maintain this place. Night had fallen and we needed a sundowner. Off we went to the beach facing restaurant at the Naveen Resort for a steak and a few pints. We found a large room at the Yatri Nivas and called it a day.

Day 2: Dec 27

We woke up early to a rather unpleasant smell. It turns out that a family of dogs had made their home right outside our window. Then, in the midst of it all Ash spotted two lil fellas havin a snooze..





Walked along the scenic beach. It was peaceful. The crowds had not arrived yet. Gazed into the Arabian sea for a while. Felt a bit spiritual actually.









Walked up the steps to the magnificient structure of Lord Shiva. They was some maintenance work going on, so we could not get very close.









After a quick breakfast of chow chow bath and coffee, we set off on our way. The road from Murdeshwar upto Kumta was pretty bad. The Swift did a decent job with 4 people and their backpacks on board.

Reached Gokarna at around lunch time and took off straight to Om/Kudle Beach. And boy, was this place something or what! You read about it, see it on TV, but the feeling you get when you see it approaching is something to be experienced. Us four lads could not wait to get into beach gear!









So what do you expect 4 guys to do on a hot day at the beach...head to the nearest shack, consume insane amounts of lager and hit the beach for a swim!

Turned out that the shack owner spoke only English. We made it a point to speak and reply only in Hindi...and he seemed to understand perfectly. Hmm..I wonder if it had anything to do with his largely phirang clientele.





There was a group of musicians sipping beer and belting out retro tunes. You tend to meet some really cool people while travelling. Many thanks for the entertainment!

Jun and myself ran into this friendly couple from Bangalore. It was the guy's birthday and they asked us to join them for the celebrations that night...on a balcony of a house where they were allowed to stay the night. Tempting, but we had to drive on into the evening.





On our way to Karwar, we came across a bunch of bikers out to raise money for cancer cure research. Among them was a super hot chinese babe riding an Enfield with a pink fuel tank!! On came our sun glares and cheeky grins..!

The roads from Karwar to Canacona were nothing great. Headed straight for Calangute where we were put up at a friends place. After a quick shower and refreshments we found ourselves on Baga beach, at the Zanzibar shack. The party was in full flow....oh yes, GOa it was!

[dadu]

Nice travelogue, good pictures.

After seeing these pictures, am getting interested in the north kerela beaches, pls post more details.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Nice thread, and excellent pics!

No pics of the car?

[sfilinto]

seems you guys had fun. how was the road from udipi to goa ?

[hyper123]

Very nice pics. My sister, who is a nature lover, loved them!! First travelogue I've come across without a picture of the car!!

[jerish666]

Beautiful pictures.How was the sea food in kerala?It was too spicy right hehe.

[HappyWheels]

great travelogue. good set of photos; tempting, very tempting...

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by jerish666

How was the sea food in kerala?It was too spicy right hehe.

He's mallu, maan. Probably from Kannur, where they can teach us a few things about seafood.

Where's the Goa part of the report?

PS: The pic of those two pups snoozing reminds me of my old mongrel pet Dagger.

[MaserQ]

dadu, CrAzY dRiVeR, sfilinto, hyper123 (and his sister), jerish666, and HappyWheels..thanks for the appreciation, glad you liked it.

dadu - there are a lot of unspoilt beaches in Kerala, ones that havent seen heavy tourist rush yet. The beaches around Bekal Fort in Kasargod district are simply superb. Commercialization has not set in yet, but that could all change in a few years.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

PS: The pic of those two pups snoozing reminds me of my old mongrel pet Dagger.

I have one too. He is going strong at age 14 and plays big daddy to my year old GSD.

[speedzak]

So, Mr. Maser has finally started going all out! Eh??

Nice pictures! (I am still wondering how you got this pic so beautifully).
When are you coming back to Cochin?

[MaserQ]

I just wrote my first travelogue on team-bhp without even a picture of the car we travelled in. Just how uncool is that?!






Thus with the blessings and forgiveness of the Car Gods, I embark on penning PART II - GOA - SUNBURNT!!


Day 3: Dec 28

Woke up late to find Vix making tea. Ahh..good ol'Vix, just the thing I needed after a hard night. Cheers mate! After a good breakfast of toast and eggs, we walked around calangute. Goa had changed since my last visit. Mini-malls and big brands had sprouted even in smaller towns like calangute.

This was the day we had been waiting for. Sunburn Festival was finally here. After emptying nearly a tub of suncream on ourselves, we set out for Candolim beach, where the fest was to be held. It was nearly lunch time and the sun was beating down on us. To our disappointment we found the place nearly empty. In all the excitement, we had forgotten something...we were in Goa! People sleep away the mornings here.







But...no complaints. We found shade under a few coconut trees. There was some good music coming in and there were Smirnoff sponsored booze counters in every direction!

By the time Above and Beyond came on to play in the evening, the place was packed with party-goers and EDM fans from around the globe. And A&B did deliver..they were simply sublime. They got the crowd in an ecstatic frenzy with their music...they are the world's 9th best for good reason. Good show.







We danced into the evening till the closing set and then headed to the Candolim shacks for some more..till ours legs (and liver) nearly gave away.


Day 4: Dec 29

Having learnt our lesson on the previous day, we woke late, showered and had a deko around Fort Aguada. And while doing that, we came across a large golden board...wait, hang on...was that....yes!!

We had driven past the Kingfisher Villa in Candolim..






Walked into the second and final day of Sunburn with renewed energy.

DJ Vachan's set on the beach stage was swell. We had the evening breeze behind our backs, beer bottles in hand, swaying our bodies to the soulful music he was playing. The crowd wasnt that big too...we were at the smallest stage..right on the beach! We had found our little spot away from the mainstream, in the most mainstream dance festival in India!!

The closing set by Carl Cox of London was spectacular. The crowd sensed it...and were up in unison, screaming and jumping, egging Cox to thump it harder! You can catch some of the madness here..

YouTube - Carl Cox - Sunburn 2007

Our legs had well and truly packed up after two days of wild partying. Weary but still entranced by the whole experience, we slept like babies.


Day 4: Dec 30

If ever there was an award for Laziness, we would certainly be in contention, as we didnt bother getting out of bed till close to sunset
on the 30th...untill Jun got a message from a Bombay chick whose number he had taken during sunburn!

All hell broke loose, people we seen diving into the shower, others were reaching for their hair gel, some others were seen clipping their nails.....well, us lucky bums were to meet up with Bombay chick and 2 of her rather good looking friends.

So, off we went to Curlies on Anjuna beach. You have to actually trek a bit to reach this place, as no road leads directly to it. The place sits slightly elevated from the beach right below. What a setting for a beautiful evening! So much so that we decided to come back the next day for NYE.


Day 5: Dec 31

For a change, Vix woke us up early....yawn. We had burnt toast and slightly better omlettes for breakfast...courtesy yours truly. With bleary eyes, the lot of us set sail for Old Goa.

This is one part of Goa that has not changed much..thankfully. Went to Bom Jesus. Even with the crowds, the place was serene. Bless Old Goa.










Sat down for a while to soak in the surroundings. The courtyard inside the church has a wonderful little garden. Lit a candle and sat down again, this time catching the rays of the december sun, right on the beautiful white courtyard.

With our minds at peace, we drove toward the Jetty. Spent some time clicking pictures and catching up on each others lives.







Stopped by at Panjim to look for this small little restaurant by the name of Viva Panjim. It came highly recommended, so we happily got lost for a while in the small but interesting streets of Panaji. Finally found the missing restaurant with the help of a few locals. Had to wait for a table though. Two rounds of Bud later, we were still waiting outside. oh yes, we
were on Goan time! the food when it came, did not disappoint one bit. The Calamari was to die for. Thanked the lady profusely for the delicious food on offer.

Made it in double quick time back to Calangute. Walked into the local and
bought enough 40 proof to start a lounge bar. Some for the festivities ahead and just a little bit for home.

Calangute to Anjuna took us a good 2 hours in the madness of NYE traffic. Parked some way off from the beach and trekked our way to Shiva Valley. This was it....we were about to bring in 2008. The atmosphere had to be seen to be believed. And then came a huge fireworks display, right on the beachfront, welcoming 2008 in all its splendour (and drunken stupor). Good company, great setting, great place to be. The four friends went into an embrace.

At 00:01 New Years Day, I count my blessings.

The phone lines are all blocked and I cant even send messages. To hell with it....we get into the business end of the party...and what a party!

Then we see the sunrise, a sort of a gentle reminder that we were to leave Goa soon...

[speedzak]

Oh my god! BeewwwteeFull! It was a great pleasure reading each and every bit of your words, MaserQ. I could almost get in touch with your feelings while reading it again and again!
Let me pat your back. Keep it up!

[Nitin]

Superb write up,MaserQ! Seemed pretty close to a re-run of DCH!
Seafood..long drive..booze..rock..the beach! Wohhoo!! What else can a guy ask for..
(psst..you did mention something about 'interesting' people you met at the show..hehe..too bad we didn't see any pics.)

[sfilinto]

Nice pictures again. Do comment on the conditions of the road especially between udipi & goa. I plan to drive down this road sometime later this month.

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by sfilinto

Nice pictures again. Do comment on the conditions of the road especially between udipi & goa. I plan to drive down this road sometime later this month.

sfilinto, the roads between Udupi-Goa range from very bad to acceptable. there is a lot of road repair work on at the moment. The stretch from Murdeshwar to Kumta is particularly bad. So, go with an open mind, lots of patience and a good suspension!