Transportation is always a fun experience for me! Yesterday’s struggle was to get to Terminal 2 even though I was taking a domestic flight. Last week I flew from Terminal 1 and it was breezy. On the map terminal 2 did not appear that far but let me tell you the traffic was absolutely insane! I asked a rickshaw about T2 at the same time as another man and he put us both in the same rickshaw. I was mildly uncomfortable that I was going to be riding with a random male but he could speak Hindi and we were going to the same place so I figured it would be alright. Additionally, the cab refused to go by the meter so the guy had to bargain. I would not have made it to the airport if not for that man. He was a chartered accountant and we got to know each other a little bit as we were stuck in traffic. Traffic was not moving at all, it was so bad! The cab kept trying to tell us he was going to charge more and it got to the point that traffic was at such a standstill I would miss my flight altogether. We decided we had no choice but to get off and run. We really ran through the traffic dodging cars and trucks so that I wouldn't miss my flight. That man was such a real one for running with me as it turns out he didn't even have a flight, he was just meeting a colleague. In the end he got me to where I needed to be and I made my flight but what an experience!
Roopa got up and made me breakfast in the morning! She is so sweet and hospitable and we both are obsessed with everything Indian as we put it so we get along very well. I was so excited to be able to spend time with her. I love their house as well. It is full of artwork and the light flooding in along with the foliage create such a cute vibe.
The first place she dropped me off at was the Museum of Goa. The museum featured contemporary art and Goan stories. A lot of the art was inspired by the ocean with lots of pieces featuring shells, boats, and fishermen. One of my favorite pieces was a canoe that rocked back and forth filled with Hindu gods. When the Portuguese first colonized Goa, they destroyed temples replacing them with churches so all of the Hindus placed their gods on canoes out in the ocean to protect them. A similar concept to Noah's arch but with God's instead of animals. The upstairs floor was all about the colonization of Goa and what intrigued me most was the part about the Brahmins. In 1623 the Brahmins were forced to convert to Christianity but did not not want to be placed on the same level as people of the lower caste so they wrote to the pope to be allowed to wear a caste thread to distinguish themselves.
For lunch, Roopa and Ritchie treated me to a fish thali at a restaurant called Copper Leaf. I ordered a Kingfisher thali and my eyes grew twice as big when I saw the quantity of food served to me. Unlike other thali restaurants, this one had the thali prepared as opposed to the servers coming and filling each little bowl. I didn’t mind the whole dish coming out at once but I really love the whole thali experience. With the thali came a bindi curry, papad, crab xacuti, cabbage, and a very interesting dish of coconut cooked with dried prawns and of course the rava fried Kingfish. My favorite thing on my plate was the fried coconut with the prawns - it had a little crunch and the species added so much.
Nomita had promised to take me to Divar island but wasn’t feeling well so instead I decided to just wander the streets of Reis Magos while the others napped. I started off with the Reis Magos fort. The fort was one of the first bastions of the Portuguese rulers to keep out enemies. It was first built in 1551 as the first line of defense and then reconstructed to be larger in 1707. There are even places in the fort with holes where hot oil would have been poured on the enemy had they been able to breach the gates. The fort has also had multiple purposes throughout history including being used as a prison for women in the 1900s. The walk around the fort was short but the views from the top were lovely. The fort offered views of the beach down below with the coconut trees swaying in the wind.
Inside the fort there was a display of the Portuguese colonization of Goa which lasted for more than 300 years. The museum detailed the history from the arrival of the Portuguese to the battle for independence. Outside there were the remnants of canons left behind. The fort was situated right above the beach which I figured I would stroll along. I tried so many times to walk along the beach but got constantly scared of the dogs and the fact that no one else was there. Eventually I decided the dogs were just barking at one another and sucked it up by attempt 3. It was nice to stroll along the beach although this beach wasn't the nicest one. There was too much trash all around and it wasn't a beach you swim in. Nonetheless, it was my first glimpse of the Goan landscape so I enjoyed the relaxing vibes.
In Goa, Diwali is celebrated by the lighting of candles but also the distinct tradition of burning the Narkasur demon effigy. Narkasura is a demon king who used to rule Goa and symbolizes evil and darkness. In a battle on the eve of Diwali Lord Krishna is said to have defeated Narkasura thus symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. Every year in Goa each household builds a massive demon effigy made of paper mache. The demon god effigies are huge and each one is unique. To continue the tradition, the Goan government funds a competition with a cash prize to see who can build the biggest and best Narkasur.
The Narkasur effigies at about 6pm are all brought out on the streets for display. Loud music is blasted and people are dancing in the streets. I had planned to go out and see all of the Narkasur from the car but the driver warned me there was too much traffic to drive anywhere. Instead he suggested taking me by bike which I was more than excited about! I grabbed my earplugs and headed out with him.
The Narkasur were impressive! I had never seen anything like it before and each one was so unique and creative. They were all different colors and each one we passed seemed to get bigger and bigger! Being on the bike was ideal as I could click as many pictures and be in the heart and center of all the noise. They were blasting music louder than I had ever heard and people were everywhere trying to catch a glimpse of the colorful demons. On one bike someone was holding a small Narkasur behind the driver on the motorbike and I thought that was so cute!
My favorite Narkasur were the dancing ones! At one point, there were several Narkasur with people inside of them dancing round and round to the music! It was much more fun than the stationary ones as they were intent on scaring people and was so much fun to witness. I can’t count the number of Narkasur I saw but it was a ton and my camera roll was full of the effigies! Nishant decided to stay the whole night out with his friends to be present at 6am for the burning of the effigy. As much as I wanted to witness the demon Gods go up in flame I knew I wouldn't last. Funny enough I woke up at 5am to the pounding of music still going on! They must have been wrapping up at that point.
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