I met Mariana in the Spanish class, which were I attended last year in summer at the University of Mumbai. She was from Portugal. We both enrolled late for the course and often had to work together after the lectures to cope up with the class. It was shear serendipity. We hit it off quite well.
One day she was feeling homesick and was missing her family and friends. So, to cheer her up, I decided to take her on a trip to the solitary Portuguese province in India – Goa!
Goa is famous for its swaying palms, white sandy beaches and frosty beer. We landed in Panjim, the capital of Goa. This charming city also goes by the name of Fontainhus, which is a local language means, a place that has fountain at foot of the hill. We hired a motorcycle and started exploring the Goa on wheels.
We were transported back in time of Portuguese-Goa era as we drove past the beautiful homes and villas belonging to the last surviving Portuguese families. Colorful souvenir shops, European-style cafes and restaurants, and narrow streets give the city a cheerful, warm disposition. Mariana was surely enjoying these home-coming signs.
The influence of 500-year Portuguese rule is to be seen everywhere in Goa, in the exquisite gothic architectures like Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Church of St. Francis of Assissi; and also in the East-meets-West cuisine, which combines seafood with coconut milk, palm vinegar and local spices; and being a place of tropical climate, the flavors here are intense. No other food in India can claim such contrasting yet homogeneous taste.
The beaches are the most appealing part of the Goa tour. There is something to offer to everyone: from luxury beach resorts to makeshift huts, and from wild parties to an evening in the wilderness.
These white sandy beaches are washed by warm Arabian Sea current, which makes the water perfect for swimming at any time of the day, and the adventure-lovers can of course indulge themselves in various water sports.
In the evening we were sitting on the beach holding hands and watching the red fiery ball sinking the depth of the distant sea, making the water even warmer! The tingling sensation of the grainy sand was exquisite. Life seemed just like a chunk of fine dry sand to me; as more firmly we try to hold it in our hand, faster it slips away! I looked at Mariana, she was looking far-away at the reddish horizon, her blue eyes had an orange tint and the sea breeze was blowing through her curly hair swiftly. I just wanted to pause that moment forever.
Later some hippies gathered around the beach. They were playing guitar, Bongo drums, and were singing a joyous Portuguese folk song. Suddenly Mariana started dancing to that tune like a captivated ballerina, leaving all her homesick thoughts behind.
The easy charm of the Goan people and soothing placidity of the place made my job of cheering Mariana a lot simple.
About the author:
I’m Satish Kawathekar from Mumbai, India. I’m 25 years old. Exploring new places and getting to know about foreign, exotic cultures and life-styles are my hobbies. Marathi is my first language, apart from that I speak Hindi, English, German and little bit Spanish.
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