If you ask me about how I like to
unwind and relax, I’d say by just being at home. Yes, after all, home keeping
hearts are the happiest, aren’t they? Yes, well, Longfellow seemed to know
exactly what he was talking about when he wrote those lines. Nevertheless,
every once in a while I do love taking a few days off and travelling afar, if feasible.
I must confess, however, that the reluctant traveler in me loathes the journey completely.
But once at the destination I find ways to loosen up, forget for a while the rigmarole
that life is. So, in keeping with that tradition S and I flew off to Goa last
weekend to spend some precious moments slower than the actual pace of life.
You would think why Goa and that
too during monsoons? Well, what better time to be there I say. No crowd, no
cacophony of fellow travelers, just peace and the soft pitter-patter of rain. I must
confess that I have only ever been to South Goa because of the respite it
offers from crowded and unhygienic beaches. And South Goa transforms to an
even more ideal location for a peaceful sojourn in this season.
We stayed at the Taj Exotica and needless
to say it was one of our best holidays ever. The beautiful sprawling property spread
over 56 acres, the ever smiling, courteous and helpful staff along with an
almost deserted but beautiful beach, what more could we have asked for? Oh and
they even got a cushion cover knitted with our names on it. Truly lovely
gesture, I must say. All in all, we were very well taken care of during our stay
there. If I were to describe our stay there in one word, I would chose blissful, that's how perfect it was.
Sometimes, doing nothing is the
best medicine to counter fatigue, both physical and mental. That’s
exactly what happened to us. Imagine lush green fields overlooking the ocean,
no hullabaloo, just you and your thoughts. Peace all around. Yes, that’s what those
three days looked and felt like. So much so that S really didn’t want to come
back and me neither. But then the pull towards home has to win at the end.
What did we do during our stay
there? Well, we played games. Chess, Pool and even tried our hand at archery.
Well, it was fun, different actually. Rather than being engrossed in our mobiles or television sets
we spent time doing other things. There were special shows for guests which included Latin and African dance performances, acts by illusionists and more. S had long walks on the beach and across the
property. I sat by the pool or by the beach reading a book. I cannot explain how wonderful it felt. The feeling of time being with you, of the
clock ticking at your pace not its own, that’s what we experienced there.
I think such days away from the pandemonium
of life are truly priceless. And we can’t wait to plan our next vacation along the
same lines. You can call us mind-numbingly boring but we loved every moment of it and can’t
wait to repeat the same in the future.
Well, that's enough about my holiday.
Tell me do you like vacations? Actually, wait, I’m sure you do. So, why don’t you tell
me about your best one so far instead? Yes, go on, I’m all ears.
Until next time.
Ciao.
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