KatchutravelsJoin me on my journey to a peaceful corner of North Goa called Keri, as I plan holidays along with my 7 year old son. This is a multi-part series that talks about the beautiful beach, low budget accomadation in Goa, the calm and serene scenes on the beach as well as the village during the winters.
If you close your eyes, your body feels at the centre of the world, and the ocean waves seem to be coming in a circular fashion around you. It looks like the waves get distracted at times, going tangentially on the circle, but it makes a comeback as it gets closer to my side of the circle. At times, it even seems like the waves are gathering momentum and are about to roll my hut over, when the air stays still at night, amidst the hill that overlooks my hut.
The hut that I am sleeping in, is a simple one, made of wooden sticks and bamboo, and a little bit of cement. A temporary structure made on the beach for the season, that lasts between the raging monsoon and the sweltering summer. A temporary structure that permanently houses many memoirs of the travellers that adorn it as their home. These are my memoirs about the little village called Keri
View of Keri Village from the Hills (Goa-India)
It’s 9 am in the morning. I have come out from the sand dune laden path from the hut (Morning Star Cottages) to the hard coarse sand of the village, adjoining the Ajoba Mandir to the first shack that the road meets the beach area. They dont seem to have a board, but it does not seem to matter. An old man is making tea inside a layered net that makes for a kitchen, while a slew of plastic chairs are arranged in hap hazard fashion on the beach sand.
Ferrari in Goa
I go and sit on the chairs, and it takes a full couple of minutes before the old man realises he has a customer. Nandu meanwhile spots a Porsche/Ferrari toy in the sand, and is playing with it. The old man takes a look at us and asks if we want something. I nod, and ask him for some morning Chai. Just Chai. I am tempted to see if he has some Bhaji/Pav. If he does, it means I dont have to walk a kilometre more into the other side of the village near the ferry point/bus stop to just grab a Bhaji Pav/Omlette. I am also bubbling with energy, to quickly get done with ablutions and get into playing into the sea.
2 Bhaji Pav’s and a tea later, I find that my stomach has enough ammunition to disregard the waste and convert enough energy so as to last me till Lunch. Its been an hour now at this place, and I also chose to order a tender coconut, and I lick it till the last strand of the malai in the tender coconut has been scraped out of the spoon. My son is staring at me impatiently, and keeps tugging at me indicating that its time to hit the sea.
Goan Breakfast- Bhaji Pav and Chai
I go and find a spot on the beach to keep my clothes, slippers and glasses, while my son and I apply sun cream lotion, and get in to the sea in our colourful trunks with glee abandon. Ok wait, not really. We slowly tip toe into the ocean, allowing the mental cobwebs to understand that it wont be chill. The body needs a few waves, washing the legs at knee level to permit the thigh, stomach and shoulders to also feel safe, subjecting it to the wave. A few waves later we get into the sea, commensurate to our heights in water. Once inside the water, life is bliss. Just as I think about it, a wave comes and makes landfall right on my back, pushing my trunks drown and pushing me a few metres ahead. As I emerge out of water, eyes tightly closed, while the wave recedes back into the sea, Nandu is smiling and enjoying his part of the sea, and the life guard is present, motionless albeit, staring at the few people who are at sea.
Run Lola Run-Wave Cometh
The life guards being there at a small beach like this, is one of the reasons I flock to Goa. I am assured that there is someone there at the beach, perched to observe people’s movement into the sea.
Beach Bumming and riding the wave!
Another wave comes, and Nandu with his friends is enjoying getting into the eye of the wave and riding on it to hit the coast. Nandu looking all energised and charged up in the sea, is the moment I keep waiting for. No 4G, No Wifi, No TV, No AC in these parts of the woods means, he will have to depend on nature for enjoyment. Not a moment goes waste to be grimacing “I am bored”. As a parent, I am at ease, once I see him in such an environment. I get to feel the waves and keep one eye on him playing in the sea. The downside though is that I cant get out of the sea, until I manage to coax Nandu to head out to our beach bed for a break to dry up, drink some water/juice and then head back. The upside is, it looks like my ears can fathom only one track of music. The music of the sea, as the waves roar and break at the coast. The sublime music of the sea!
Come back more for Part-2 where I travel to the ferry point, make a trip across the Terekhol river to Fort Tiracol.
There are 20 other things you could do at this quiet village. Check my video to know more
