Okay, guys back from the trip...... So i thought i'll post a summary of the trip, so that any other TD members visiting Goa for the first time can have a rough idea of the locations of the beaches/forts in Goa.
I started off from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla by the LTT-Kochuvelu Garib Rath at 4.50 pm on the 26th, with my cousin. We reached Margao next morning at around 4 am. Margoa is the biggest city and commercial center of Goa. After checking into a hotel near the station, we decide to rest for a few hours. Finally, we left the hotel at about 10.30 am and took an express bus to Kadamba (aka KTC) Bus Stand, Panjim, about 40Kms north of Margao. It was raining steadily and we were afraid our trip would be washed out.
There we hired a Honda Dio. Its available right next to the bus stand and you can get the vehicle simply by deposting an id-card w/o any deposit money (other than the cost). We decided to explore the North Goa, our main goal was to reach Chapora fort about 30 Kms north of Panjim, covering as many beaches as possible on the way.
The first point of interest on the route is the Aguada Fort. It sits atop a hill, and has an impressive view of the nearby shores. It even has a lighthouse. On the way down we took a wrong turn and ended up on a dead end, only to find the ramparts of the same fort. The view from there was impressive, we could see Candolim Beach on the distance along with the wreck of a ship. The waves sent huge amounts of water flying over the 12-15ft high walls. We then headed to Candolim beach just about a couple KM north of the fort. It was completely desolate. We could see red flags put up, to indicate the beach was closed for swimming (due to the onset of the monsoons).
It was well into the afternoon by then and we decided to head north to Chapora directly, but the intermittent rain suddenly gave way to a complete downpour. We had to take shelter at a junction 1km from Calangute Beach. After waiting half an hour or so we decided to skip Chapora for now and headed to Calangute. It was quite crowded and despite the repeated requests from the lifeguards, people kept venturing deeper and deeper in the sea (it was still raining heavily). The wind was so strong it completely destroyed my brother's umbrella, converting it into a heap to shapeless rubbish!
After spending few more hours at the beach and having some refreshments at a restaurant facing the shore, we went up north to Baga Beach. Here there is a creek adjoining the beach. To add to the splendid view, a foreign couple came along and started a photoshoot, the girl giving poses which reminded me of several intrnl magazines.
The light was quickly fading, we skipped Anjuna beach just north and headed home. On our way back to Margao, we unsuccessfully tried to locate BITS Goa (rain playing spoilsport again).
PS: summary of two more days and pics to follow.
