Its GA - 01 again!

Its was that time of the last year and before we (remember I got married in the last post ;)) could even discuss our destination for welcoming 2011, it was a unanimous "GOA" from the 5 of us! I have not only lost count of the number of visits I have made to Goa, but have decided to give up even counting. No point when I know its just going to be increasing!

Though once in Goa, those 3 nights 4 days were a routine of food-beach-food-sleep-food-food...., the only difference this time around was our journey to & fro. No it was'nt like last time when we reached 30 minutes prior to the new year. But this time we took 15 hours to reach Goa! Of which we were subjected to 4 hours of night safari of Mumbai - courtesy Neeta Travels. Yes you got it, the difference this time was that we never drove down. It was bus journey for the 5 of us. 2 couples from Mumbai and a nomad from Bangalore.

Its strange how all the trips that we do are filled with some or more events which either are hilarious, frustrating, boring, fight-filled or a combination of one/all of the above.

It all started with having unreasonable expectations - it is unreasonable to expect punctuality in India - it is unreasonable to expect "being fair" in India - and it is unreasonable on my part to commit the same mistake again (though the gap between the first and this one was a good 10 years!). How on earth could I book tickets with that bloody godforsaken Neeta Travels! Again!

Imagine reaching before time & waiting at the scheduled bus stop at night, in a deserted place full of urine stink and nasty mosquitoes, only to realize that the bus is running 1.5 hours late! We get in to the bus only to realize that it is not a sleeper that we had booked but a semi sleeper!

Anyways, we later are surprised to know that the bus then goes to Mulund and then to Thane and it comes back to Airoli and then it goes to Vashi and then it comes back to the highway and then it goes to Panvel and then...it finally leaves. Phew! By now its 12 midnight, and our expectation to reach Goa at 7 am seems to be in the distant horizon.

After 15 enduring hours, we reach Goa to be greeted by the nomad's folks. They are simply lovely people - well I am hearty in praise especially when some one has hosted us so well and fed us with marvellous food!

Goa was as usual - fun filled. We must have had atleast 4-5 meals every day and in those 4 days we had forgotten the word "vegetarian"! It somehow just didnt exist! This being the first trip to Goa for the 2 couples after marriage in a group, added to the excitement especially when there is only 1 room for the natural nocturnal instincts to play!

And then we had that "hungama" type fight with the local driver in Goa, who apparently had banged someone else's car but was blocking our way. Both the parties i.e. us and them were simply inviting each other to make the first move. And then my friend shouts at them saying we are from the Navy...dont mess with us!!! Hahaha...actually our fathers are...and we bask in the glory of their uniforms!

Amidst the usual hullabaloo those 4 days, we ushered in to 2011 with good food, good music, new dance steps that look good only when my friend dances and a game of pictionary!

By the time we could get tanned on the Goa beaches, it was time to sleep with Neeta (pun intended) which unfortunately lasted another 12 hours!

Chicken, eggs, mutton, beef, fish, prawns are showing up now, while I sit here in my office - trying to work!

Until the next trip...

Jaydeep Deshpande