Although Goa is the smallest state of India, the size of this land is no measure for the number of tourists this land attracts every year. It experiences a tropical climate, which means that its hot and humid most of the year and pleasant during the winter months of November-February. Naturally, most of the local and international tourism is concentrated during these months.  Christmas holidays suited me perfect. In order to explore the landscape without feeling intruded by the scores of tourists, I decided to join a  Sailing Expedition organised by the Goa Yachting Association.

We had a great company in the form of Mr. Tombat as he possessed this very coveted ability to strike a conversation on any topic under the Sun! He had  left a journalist’s career in  Bombay to settle down for good in Goa. This has allowed him to follow his passion for sailing at the Goa Yachting Association, while still being an editor at one of the English dailies in Goa.

The peaceful sound of the waves crashing against the boat, the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun put me to sleep for a while. When I woke up, still feeling dizzy, the breeze had ceased to blow and our boat was just rocking to and fro on the waves. We waited for almost an hour for wind from any direction so that we could use the same. In between, we used the motor periodically to thrust ourselves a tiny bit forward hoping that we could catch some wind in our sails. In vain. Finally, when the winds came, they came in all fury. Elation. 

 There were some stunning islands on the way to Velsao

We were at Velsao by late afternoon.  Walking by the beach at Velsao, we saw a huge whale lying dead. It was quite a sad sight for our eyes.The news spread fast and soon I could see folks from nearby places who had come to see the dead whale

We camped for the night by the beach. The evening was non-descript. The next day we set sail for Agonda beach. The Agonda beach is beautiful, far less crowded than most of the other beaches.  Add to it the cheap liquor being sold illegally in the small joints by the beach. It’s no wonder that it invites a lot of hippies to camp with their caravans. Interestingly, there were a plethora of Yoga courses on offer, boasting of magical health. The sunset at the Agonda beach was spectacular.

 The Lighthouse at the top offered a great view of the islands nearby

Over the next couple of days, we visited the Grande Island, the surroundings of which are under close supervision of the Indian Navy, and the stunning Butterfly Beach, which was secretly tucked between two Ghat sections. The Grande Island had an interesting but dysfunctional light house perched  at the top.  Over the last couple of days, we had learnt a great deal from Mr. Ashwin about the different patterns of light emitted by the lighthouses and what to deduce from them.

The sea around the Island is know to be relatively calm and clear. It was late in the day, so the clarity wasn’t all that great, but I had fun observing whatever little interesting aquatic life I could.We reserved the best for the last! The butterfly beach was an absolute treat to the eyes: small sandy beach, calm azure waters perfect for deep sea swimming. Moreover, the beach had a ruined fort at the hilltop and very perplexingly, a fresh water stream running through it ! Sail boats, calm waters, pristine beach, ruins of a fort and a fresh water stream! The last day of sailing saw us returning back to the jetty at Panaji.

 It somehow felt apt to contemplate about love and life while reading some Sartre

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About Praveen Maloo

Praveen is currently based out of Seattle, United States. He loves coffee, conversations, micro-brews, and intimate jazz music scenes. When its not raining in Seattle, he can be seen enjoying the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific North-West.

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