Since Bombay Rains Weren't Enough...

Goa is for relaxing on the beaches, so monsoons are not a good time to go since the high tide doesn't leave much of the beach to be enjoyed. But, for those who don't particularly want to sit all day at the beach (Husband and I fall into this category), the monsoons have their own charm. The greenery and romantic cool breeze more than make up for it.

This time of the year especially, South Goa is the place to be. The beaches are wider (so that even with the high tide, you have space to sit), and less crowded. Since most of the roads here wind through small, sleepy villages and paddy farms, it also makes for great views. We stayed at Club Mahindra at Varca. It is right at the beach which means a great sunset view. Unfortunately, the sun was mostly blocked out by the clouds. But no matter, we did enjoy the season. We tried their spa and it was the best massage I have had in a very long time. The service overall was great as well. There is a taxi stand and a bike rental right outside the resort for those who want to venture out.
  

Club Mahindra - Varca

                         

Day 2, we had lunch at an amazing place called Fisherman's Wharf. The view is great and the food even better. What better way to spend an afternoon sipping wine with grilled seafood, watching the rain? Since we could not find a cab for the resort, we decided to walk...about 8kms. All that food had to be prevented from settling in comfortably, after all. After an hour or so of walking, we hopped in on a random local bus for part of the journey, and got off just in time before we crossed the turning for the resort. The real fun began when it started to pour heavily. Any place else, I would have been annoyed at having to get wet and walk. But here, it felt the only thing to do.

                  

We came across some colourful houses dotted across the town. It was nice to chance upon a red or orange house among all the monsoon greenery. There was even a blue house with white stripes (too far to photograph from a moving vehicle). The world is not colorful enough for some!

          

We also visited some of the touristy spots, such as the Shantadurga Temple, the Bascillica of Dom Jesus, and Old Goa (a World Heritage Site). It barely rained while we were on the tour, which just meant a lot of sun and increased humidity. But on a holiday...no one complains. We didn't want to see every corner of the city, but wanted to enjoy what we could make time for.

   

We enjoyed the sights and good food along the way.

It was my second time in Goa (the first being 10 years ago), and Husband's first. Next time we might try sitting at the beach all day and see how that goes.