Goa

Goa is shrouded in a mythology of hippies, sophisticated party goers, European tourists, and remnants of Portuguese culture.  Vast numbers of charter flights now descend on Goa during the season, many of them carrying the new Russian middle-class looking for their place in the sun.  Over Christmas and New Years, Mumbai’s “high society” takes over the bars and restaurants with nonstop parties.  Real estate prices have climbed through the roof, and a taxi mafia has a stranglehold on trips from the airport.  And yet, pockets of bohemia still exist, and hippies manage to cling to this laid-back piece of paradise. 

The first thing we noticed about Goa is how lush it is.  The drive from the airport to my aunt’s house in North Goa was lined by rich tropical foliage, and we passed through lots of small villages and shorelines dotted with fishing boats.  Everything moves at a relaxed, easy pace, in marked contrast to Mumbai, from where we had just come.

We arrived a few days before Diwali, the Hindu New Year, and we saw many Goans building gigantic paper-mache demons.  Some of these demons were over 20 feet tall.

The demons represent the evil King Narkasur, a former Goan king, who was defeated by Lord Krishna in the early hours before Diwali.  In celebration of and gratitude for this, every year, men gather around their paper-mache demons and drink themselves silly while a DJ pumps house music.  Then, around 4am, the men attack the demon, beating and kicking it and setting fire to it.  Unfortunately, we weren’t awake to witness this.

We stayed at my aunt’s home on the banks of the Nerul River in the village of Nerul; as a fashion designer and artist, she has created an appealing and welcoming environment, dotted with her acquisitions from all over the world.  Her husband has created a riotous garden full of interesting plants and the entire effect is one of harmony and balance.

The Goan government had just launched a women’s taxi service a few days before we arrived so we hired one of them to take us around Goa but she kept taking us to various churches.  We preferred to just wander around and soak in the laid-back atmosphere, and we also paid a visit to the arts center, set in a leafy residential neighborhood on a hill in a restored old home that is an examplar of Portuguese architecture, with its central courtyard, beautiful old tiles, archways and woodwork.

central courtyard is signature feature of Goan architecture

Lovely old original tiles

One of the highlights of our trip to Kerala in 2012 was a trip down the river in a houseboat powered entirely by a man using a pole.  Since Goa is very near Kerala, and has similar terrain, including lots of waterways, we wanted to replicate that experience here, if not on a houseboat, then at least by a boat that didn’t use engines because the lack of noise creates a lovely peaceful environment.  Unfortunately, that option was not to be. 

In Kerala, we had seen lots of brahminy kites, majestic copper-colored eagle with white breasts and heads, and these birds are equally prevalent in Goa.  The boatman put chicken heads on the boat to attract them, and I managed to get a shot of the kite grabbing its meal.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get many good bird shots because the engine scared away the smaller birds before we could get close enough.  But I did manage a few, and some decent shots of the landscape, the river, and Goan architecture.   Incredibly, we didn't have a chance to make it to any of the beaches.  That will have to wait for our next trip. 

Brahminy kite in flight

Honey buzzard

Kingfisher

Goan sunset