BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 2

JUNGLE BABBLER

Popularly known as the 'Seven Sisters', the Jungle Babblers are medium sized gregarious birds that are common to the country. Extremely noisy yet adorably cute, they can be easily found in the countryside, foraging for grains and worms.

The below pictures were clicked at the back-side of the Chapora fort i.e. the side facing the Chapora river which is in fact a heaven for bird lovers as I discovered during my last trip. I will post more pictures of the avians that I encountered here in the later posts in this series.

Click on the below snaps to see them in better quality.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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AN EVENING IN VAGATOR - PART 2

THE GOA DIARIES: SUNSET AT VAGATOR

Sunset at Vagator

If playing in the sea is not something that you enjoy, then the best thing to do at a beach in the evening is to sit down and watch the sun going down. As the temperatures dip and the cool winds start blowing from the sea, the sky is transformed into a canvas changing shades from blue to yellow to golden, sometimes strewn with shades of pink as the lone star in our solar system - now resembling a bright orange ball, disappears into the waters in the distant horizon with its reflections shimmering on the waves. Having spent about an hour and a half at Vagator, we got the 'golden' opportunity to witness this spectacle while we were walking back from the Orzan beach towards DD's car, covering all the three segments of the shore. We walked along the edge of the shore enjoying the marvelous view in front of our eyes as the sun went about its business to illuminate the other half of the world, providing some wonderful photo-ops.

The descent of the sun

We had parked our car in an open place, close to the entrance of the Big Vagator beach and not in the parking area around the headland. As this was not an organized parking, some 'irresponsible' fellow had ended up parking his vehicle right in front of ours leaving us stranded. This is quite common as domestic tourists, in their hurry to hit the beach, end up acting like 'idiots', with least concern for the the inconvenience that they cause to others. It is true that one is here on a vacation but so are many of us and it would be great if all of us act sensibly. However, the blessing in disguise was that from here, the view of the sun descending in the background with coconut palms in the front was amazingly beautiful.

Sun setting amongst the palms

As we waited at the parking area, cursing the guys who had left their car right in front, thirst got the better of us and we headed to a nearby shack for some refreshments. The humidity levels was extremely high and we were soaked in sweat. With the climate in Bengaluru staying pleasant throughout the year, I do not remember when was the last time I had perspired so much. Some time later as we headed back, we were relieved to see a group of visitors, I guess they were Keralites from their peculiar accent, going back in their Indica which was parked in the front row. While this was not the four wheeler that was left in front of our car, we got just about enough space to move out of the parking lot. Though the space was less, DD managed to maneuver his brand new Wagon-R like a skilled captain negotiating his ship along a rocky coastline in rough weather. With Sav's GPS showing the way, we left for Panjim, bidding farewell to Vagator and planning for our next get-together.

A painting of the Buddha at a shack in Vagator

PS: The images posted here were clicked by me and my friends Sai and Sav.


For more on the Goa trip:
(1) The Chance Encounter (Link)
(2) Dil Dosti Etc (Link)
(3) An Evening in Vagator - Part 1 (Link) 
(4) Life is a Beach (Link)
(5) Birds at Goa Velha (Link) 

AN EVENING IN VAGATOR - PART 1

THE GOA DIARIES: VAGATOR BEACH - A PROFILE

Vagator in the evening

Having spent most of the first two decades of my life along the Arabian coast, it should hardly be surprising that I do not have any fascination for beaches, because for me, the sea has always been in the proximity and unlike hill stations or forests, it is not something that we have looked forward to while planning our holidays. However, there is one beach in North Goa which has been my favorite, so much so that in the 10 years that I have spent in Goa, I have never missed any opportunity to go there, be it with friends, relatives or on class picnics. As such, during my trip to the state in the last week of May, when I and my friends from GEC (that's Goa Engineering College for all those who don't know) - Niks, Sav, Datta and Sai were deciding on a place to spend the evening after having a sumptuous meal at Hotel Texas in Panjim, I instantly vetoed for Vagator and in a flash, we were on the way with Sav's GPS leading showing us the way, listening to Linkin Park.

Vagator Beach - North Goa

This serene beach is located in Bardez taluka of North Goa - the tiny patch of the Western coast flanked by the rivers Mandvi and Chapora on either side. Calangute - arguably, the most famous of all Goan beaches, Anjuna - renowned for the Wednesday flea market and trance parties, Baga - known for dolphin rides and Candolim which offers some of the best facilities for water sports in the state are some of the other famed beaches that are located in this stretch of land and are swarmed by tourists, both domestic and foreign during the season. The seaside headland where the car parking is situated, divides the beach into two major parts - Big Vagator in the north and the Little Vagator in the south. Besides the pristine beach, the sea waves creating a splash as they hit the numerous rocks along the shore, the coconut trees swaying along with the cool winds, the imposing 17th century Chapora fort, the pleasant weather and the tourists enjoying their time here away from all the tensions and worries, all contribute in making a visit to this place more than worthwhile.

Rocks at Vagator

The north side, better known as Big Vagator beach seems to be more popular with Indians than firangs. Also, it is far less crowded when compared to its southern counterpart. On the hillock over looking it lies the majestic Chapora fort. Considering its strategic importance, the place seems to have been fortified much before the Portuguese invasion of Goa. In the 1680s, when the Marathas under Sambhaji invaded Goa, this place was the scene of heavy fighting. The present fort was built in 1717 by the Portuguese. As the borders of their  possessions along the west coast grew beyond Bardez following the New Conquests, it lost its strategic importance and was neglected thereafter. As such, besides the laterite walls and the gate which have stood for close to three centuries now, nothing else remains of it today. The structure is huge yet simple. Nonetheless, the view of the sea and the beach below is spectacular. In fact, some of the scenes of the Hindi blockbuster Dil Chahta Hain were shot here.

The Big Vagator Beach (Left) and Chapora Fort (Right)

The Southern beach is further divided into two more fragments - the Middle Vagator beach and the Little Vagator beach. The middle beach, which is the smallest of the three is also called as the Tel Aviv beach. The reason being the large number of Israelis who come here each year. Personally, I find it the most beautiful stretch of this shore primarily due to the uneven nature of the slope, the red cliffs and the large number of coconut palms. The Little Vagator beach, the busiest part of the stretch is popularly known as the Orzan beach. It used to be one of the famous hippy haunts of the 1960s, particularly amongst those of British nationality. One of the reminders of this bygone era is the Shiva statue carved out of stone at the southern end of Vagator. It is believed that it was sculpted by a hippie who is said to have been a devotee of Lord Shiva in a period spanning over a couple of years. Today, there are several shacks here and on any given season except for the rains, one can find hundreds of tourists here, either basking in the sun or playing in the waters of the Arabian. 

The Middle Vagator Beach (Left) and the Little Vagator Beach (Right)

I personally have very fond memories of the place over the several visits that I paid to Vagator. One of them was in Standard XII when we had gone there on a class picnic. Young men that we were then, watching so many white skinned women sans their tops was very exciting. As we were coming back, I distinctly remember me, Amba and Habbu Sir talk about a wide range of topics on our way to the bus which was waiting in the parking area. A couple of years later, I and a few friends, most of whom I have mentioned earlier in this post had been here on a Saturday in December 2008. Sitting near the Shiva statue we tried to out do each other in stone skipping. The competition between Sai and Niks was close. Eventually, it was the latter who won. I am very sure that my trips to Goa will never be complete without going to Vagator and refresh those memories amongst the undulating slopes, the tall coconut trees, the rocks, the sun, the sand and the sea.

A crab at the beach

PS: The images posted here were clicked by me and my friends Sai and Sav.


For more on the Goa trip:
(1) A Trip to Goa... Finally (Link)
(2) The Chance Encounter (Link)
(3) Dil Dosti Etc (Link)
(4) An Evening in Vagator - Part 2 (Link) 
(5) Life is a Beach (Link)