Solo in Goa - the planning

I never realized that my maiden solo sojourn would spark off a spate of justifications I would have to make to both my family and friends. Having had spoken to my wife, I thought I had rested any emanating objections. But this was not to be so. After dinner, two days before my trip, I dropped into my parent’s room to post them on my solo holiday. Happy noticing an unusual from the routine gesture of me dropping by for a chat, Karisma Kapoor nee Kapur and her Karishma were banished to a muted existence for the while.

Like an actor waiting backstage for a cue for his entry on stage, I waited for a commercial to interrupt Karisma Kapoors small screen prowess. Preempting one, I quickly cleared my throat and announced, " I am going for a couple of days to Goa". Realising that this sounded like one of my regular information to them of my usual business tours – I then added for attracting the right attention.
"Alone. I am going alone for a holiday without Sarika".
In the precise next instant both heads turned immediately from the television towards me and stared momentarily in a sense of disbelief. Having gathered their thoughts after exchanging glances amongst themselves they asked in unison.
"Alone? Why alone? Why not take Sarika along with".
I pleaded my submission that she was going to be busy this week as the kids were taking their mid term examinations and more over I had talked with her and she has consented that I could go on this trip. A minute of silence elapsed, after which my mother asked me.
"Is everything okay between you and her? In the fifteen years you have been married, you have never gone alone for a holiday, why now? And that too to Goa!"
She paused and then said something I would not associate my mother with.
" Is there a girl friend you are going to meet?"
This statement of hers shocked me and I had no clue how to react to this one. In the wildest of my dreams I would not have imagined of this reaction and that too coming from my mother. My only form of defence left was to call in a witness and I called my wife over to my parent’s bedroom. I repeated my mother’s statement to my wife and was pleased to hear her laugh heartily at my mothers suggestions. On my behalf, she justified to my parents that I had the right to my space or ‘latitude’ as we called it among ourselves and there was no girlfriend tucked in somewhere. She added that she was fully confident of my proposed activities and my itinerary. I heaved a deep sigh of relief but saw a strange feeling of disbelief still lurking in my parent’s minds. A few reassurances later we went back to our room to pack for my trip.

Every journey that I undertake enriches me and lends a sense of fulfillment. Traveling has been my greatest teacher and rarely do I shirk an opportunity to do so. Travel to me means unraveling places, new people, new experiences, new findings, new sights and smells. Having always wanting to have backpacked, I borrowed a sturdy backpack from one of my friends and decided to travel as a backpacker this time. I had reassured myself that if those hippie looking people could travel for months out of their backpacks in strange conditions, without knowing the language, local customs, people and the food habits, I surely could do better and that too in my own country.

My agenda for Goa was very simple. My good friend Priya and her husband run a successful Indian Cuisine fine dining restaurant,predominantly catering to the European tourists, in North Goa and I had been threatening them for the past few years that I would want to come and work in their restaurant.They always laughed it off and this time when I called Priya to book me a room in a hotel , preferably close to the beach , she knew I was serious. It had been a cherished desire of mine to work in a beach shack or restaurant and I probably secretly dream to own a restaurant someday.So what better learning ground than at Priya & Manoj's restaurant - Kebabs & Curries.

Packing my backpack was not as simple.Being used to the business travel and the luxury of staying in well heeled hotels,I wanted to make sure that I packed well so that I would not miss much of the comforts one carries at the same time I did not want to overstuff my backpack.Couple of books to read in the daytime as Kebabs & Curries is just a dinner service restaurant,my camera,a set of toiletries and lots of beachwear were the ingredients of my backpack.I tried the backpack on for weight and feel and I must say that set the mood for my break - my first as a backpacker.

The options of transfer from Bombay to Goa were many but I chose to take the overnight trains, falling in line with the backpacker line of travelling.

I seemed all set, train tickets sorted,backpack stuffed and a ring of confirmation from Priya on my reservation in The Golden Eye Hotel, located right on the southern part of Calangute Beach and also a few minutes walk from Kebbas & Curries.

Goa here I come.............

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