After almost a week exploring the North of India, I flew South for a few days in the state of Goa and a short stop in Mumbai. This was a chance to see coastlines, cityscape and countryside of this huge nation.

North Goa

On arrival in North Goa’s Mopa Airport, I felt the humidity hit me like walking into a sauna, and began to recognise the familiar scenes of holiday makers as we made our way through town. This southern region of India is known for being a holiday location for nationals and foreigners alike.

The North of Goa is much more commercialised for visitors with bars, shopping and large hotel chains, whilst the South is a sleepy, wild and undeveloped area. We stayed in the area of Candolim, right by the beach. I got to have my lazy day on the beach and a lovely shoulder massage on my sunbed with very little hassle at all. I’ve learnt that most of the Indian people I know do not actually like to go to the beach to sunbathe or swim, so by day it is pretty quiet there. Its only at sunset and into the evening when the crowds begin to gather. I have never seen so many people on the beach in the evening, it was hard to move around amongst the crowds.

The next day we hired a motorbike for the day for a grand total of £5! Motorbike transportation is really common in India, and I have enjoyed now a number of motorbike trips in different countries as a passenger riding pillion. Normally, from an unexpected new local friend, which always makes it extra fun!

My friend drove us around the area to see historic forts and a nearby lighthouse. I would say though that climbing a lighthouse in the high temperatures of South India is somewhat challenging, to say the least.. I was gasping for air by the time I pushed my head through the hatch door at the top! North Goa has a few attractions and viewpoints to visit, but the main activity is relaxation, and food it seems. This is actually the only part of India where you can find beef, because of the high volume of Catholic Indians rather than Hindu. I was advised not to trust it though, as you don’t know how long it has been sitting there and I was still suffering with Delhi Belly.

My friend arranged for a special river cruise to entertain us in the evening, with traditional dancing, and even I tried to do a little dancing, though I was not that good!

Next day, we were in a taxi this time, visiting the bigger attractions, including the famous churches of Goa. Goa was for a long time ruled by the Portuguese exclusively and so much of the heritage remains. Many people speak Portuguese, and follow the Roman Catholic religion and you can see scatters of original buildings and churches left behind and many still in use. Some of the main churches are all found in one conserved square that is full of visitors. This was a little strange to see a familiar piece of Europe, smack bang in the middle of one the largest countries in Asia. The churches looked very traditional and we were even lucky enough to see a wedding service.

We also visited the famous coloured houses which really only make up a few quiet streets, before finding ourselves at a known Hindu temple that was quite large in the area. Full of kiosks selling snacks and drinks on arrival at the parking area, then as we arrived to the Shree Mangueshi temple, shoes and socks had to be removed and I began the painful and embarrassing dance on my tippy toes, as my bare feet burnt against the concrete boiling in the sun outside. Inside was the opportunity to move clockwise around the temple and make an offering to the shrine. Many Hindus gathered in the centre of the temple to carry out their prayers. After a quick wiz around, I hopped about with my shoes half hung back on and headed back to the taxi to the next location.

The best thing of the day in my opinion… the Tropical Spice Plantation. We drove into the bush to a beautiful site, with a rustic wooden bridge over a river for an entrance. On entry you are greeted with flowers and herbal tea to enjoy before your guided tour around the forest, and the guide allows you to see, smell and sample the different plants that make up this treasure chest of spices that India owns. Amongst them was cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cardamom.

The local guide brought it to life when talking about the different spices they use traditionally at home that come from these native plants. Something about being in the green foliage makes me very happy, and even though I was struggling with the heat, the natural landscape provided some shade and nourishment for me. The plantation provided a buffet lunch as well so I was able to taste the spices in freshly cooked recipes.

Throughout the day, it was really nice talking to our taxi driver as we were driven around. He told us about his background, and how he was part of one of the many native tribal communities. He told us his very sad story about how the societal views of a traditional India, is still negatively affecting so many young Indians today though. He told us that the girl he wished to be married to, whom he had been dating for seven years, was not allowed to marry him because they are from different communities. My heart felt for the guy, as it is not the first story I have heard of this.

Parents forcing their children into unwanted marriages, and casting them out for relations outside their community; in worst case scenarios, leading to violence and public executions for those who disobey. Political parties and local committees are regularly set up to monitor and address the relationships of young people. The systems dictating societies in India (especially in rural areas) are very complex and consist of castes (a class system), religion, geographic area you are from, wealth, and ethnicity. For many families, every tick has to be in the correct box for your potential partner to ever be considered. An unfair and outdated viewpoint in my opinion for what is a very fast growing developing country. The poor taxi driver had a hard road to go down to try to be with the person he loves.

Mumbai

This dark side of India played on my mind as we travelled from Goa to India’s modern metropolitan city of Mumbai. Formally known as ‘Bombay’, Mumbai is India’s largest city, and thankfully, the home city of my lovely friend that was happy to show me the sights.

We only stayed for a short time before our onward journey to the Philippines, and in that time we managed to squeeze in a collection of local sights and have a few laughs too! We took a night time sightseeing bus to the Gateway to India, Marine Drive, Taj Mahal Palace, and the train station. All huge spectacular buildings with people surrounding them like buzzing bees to a hive.

We also visited the science museum amongst other great collections in the city, but the astronomy show at the Planetarium was literally out of this world! They had shows in different languages at different times and I had never been to an astronomy show like this before so I was really impressed.

My friend took me for a delicious dinner at a famous restaurant, Cafe Modegar, where murals are painted around the walls, with themes of the city in good humour and western as well as local food can be obtained. The restaurant has a big menu, a jukebox and lots of chequered table-clothed tables squeezed back to back.

The funniest and craziest part of the trip had to be when we ventured to a local shopping mall to buy me a new suitcase. The taxi driver decided to place the bag on top of the taxi without strapping it down (against our instructions) and it went flying off and into main traffic going 70mph along the new motorway in downtown Mumbai! He then began to reverse back against the traffic to retrieve it and fought off another driver who tried to steal it before we got pulled over by the police. All very stressful but my suitcase survived and officially passed the hardiness test for travels to come!

Before our feet left the ground of India and went onwards to the Philippines, we enjoyed a delightful time at Mumbai’s airport lounge for a bargain price of £30 each, inclusive of food, drinks and a complimentary foot massage. I shall definitely use it again. It was a good way to say a temporary ‘alavida’ to India.

Overall, India was a whirlwind of sights and cultures for me to see in such a short amount of time. With many friends residing there, I know that I will be back again, and I want to see more of the rural areas of the South next time. India has a lot to offer visitors in beauty, history and diversity and it is a difficult balance to create. In the future, I want to learn more about the customs, festivals and people that call this huge nation home.