Musings Of A Teenager Travel Blog & Some Goa Stories

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Krishna Arti at Amaravati - Andhra Pradesh
Krishna Arti at Amaravati – Andhra Pradesh

Happy New Year!

That time of the year when we all stop and look back at the year gone by. We inadvertently take stock of what we did in the year gone by, and what we potentially want to do in the coming year. For years, I have been writing this post mostly talking about my travels of the previous years and the lessons learned.

This year I traveled to international destinations of Sharjah, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Canada.

Anuradha Goyal, Totem Poles, Vancouver
Yours Truly with the Totem Poles in Canada

In India I explored Amaravati in a unique way, Kumaon for the first time, Jaipur again but in a more focused way, bit of unseen Karnataka, some new walks in Goa Stories at Assagao and Madgaon and a half-abandoned trip to Ladakh that let me explore the Zojila Pass.

I am gearing towards more focused travel that lets me connect with the destination. I am really happy the way I did my solo trips to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Canada.

This year Inditales partnered with 3 airlines for the time – Air Arabia, Cathay Pacific & Air Canada.

At Sharjah Vintage Car Museum
At Sharjah Vintage Car Museum

Our new initiative our Hindi Travel Blog – started making a place for itself in the Hindi Blogging World. If you have not seen it yet, go check it out.

This January I also complete my 4 years in Goa, so let me share some Goa Stories and anecdotes from living in the hottest tourist destination of India.

And yes, this year this blog turned 13 – hence the musings of a teenage blog.

Goa Stories

Miramar, Panaji Beach, Goa Stories to read
Miramar, Panaji Beach

Come any kinds of holidays, including long weekends and sometimes just weekends, we have loads of guests among the tourists in Goa. It is a pleasure to meet friends of all ages and stages of life. Some of them leave us with stories or experiences we would not forget. I wish I had some superpowers to fulfill all the wishes that my readers and friends come to Goa with. Till then, here are some quirky anecdotes for you.

Can I stay with you?

This is a request that most people who live in Goa receive constantly. No complaints. We love having guests over at home. However, sometimes it takes proportions that adds to my Goa Stories to tell.

A gentleman who happened to have attended a public talk of mine took my contact number. In my naivety, I shared the number. He would call once in a while and always wanted to know where I am traveling next. So far, So good.

One December, he called and this is how the conversation went:

Caller – Hey, I am coming to Goa with family. (Family includes few grown up working adults)
Me – Great, it is a good time to be in Goa.
Caller – We would like to stay with you.
Me – Hmm…You know in December & we have friends & relatives coming
The conversation after this is something that you would not like to hear.

How I wish my home space could multiply every December to accommodate everyone who comes to Goa.

Thriving Hotel industry of Goa would want to kill me but that is another story.

Can you find me a house in Goa?

I met a visiting travel blogger X at some event in Goa.

A few days later I get a phone call from a woman. So, goes the conversation:

She- Hi, my name is Y & I got your no from X who met you at the Blah Blah event last month.                                                                                                                      Me – Hi Y, tell me.
She – I want to move to Goa and I need your help in finding a house.
Me – Oh, please refer to Navhind Times – they have the best rental listings. I used them when I was looking for a house to rent.
She – Oh No, I want you to find me a house.
Me – How? (confused in my head)
She – See, I need a two-bedroom house close to a beach and costing not more than peanuts. The locality should be great and safe, I need to stay alone you see. I do not have a car so it should be close to a bus stop etc etc etc. Can you look for some houses, shortlist the best ones and show me when I come next month?
Me – M’am, you are mistaken, I do not run a property management company.
She – Oh yes, I know you are a travel blogger and all that. But, since you live in Goa, you can do this for me.
Me – Well, I do not do this usually, but I can do this as a special case for you. The fee would be Rs XXXXXX. Please share your email Id to send the invoice.

You guessed it, I never heard back from the lady.

Now, am I missing a big business opportunity in helping people relocate to Goa? I would definitely make more money than, what I make in travel blogging.

Can you show me offbeat Goa?

Now, being a travel blogger – this is a pretty obvious and legitimate request. Ii is good as long as you need information. I would, more often than not, end up pointing them to what I now call my Goa Puran – a collection of offbeat Goa posts on IndiTales.
Sometimes, the conversation takes interesting turns.

A regular reader writes to me.

Reader – Hey Anuradha, am coming to Goa for 10 days from My Wish to Meri Marzi. Please keep yourself free.

Me – Sure, I would take you for a heritage walk one of the days if I am in town.

Reader – How can you say that! I am coming to Goa for you. Can you not take out 10 days to travel around with me? If you are not spending 10 days with me, I am not coming.

Me – (Should I be flattered or should I feel vulnerable)

It is one of those Goa Stories where am still at loss for words ????

Hey, I am in Goa, Come & Meet Me!

This is the more common one.

Someone – Hey, I am in Goa!
Me – (my reflex action actually) – Which Part of Goa?
Someone – Arambol – where else? (or it could be Palolem too)
Me – Well, that’s about 50 km from Panjim. Are you coming to Panjim?
Someone – Hey, I came all the way from Delhi (or Bangalore or USA) can you not come to meet me?
Me – Well, I am just waiting for Uber to launch its Sky Taxi in Goa. You know they may get the permission for sky taxis more easily than road taxis. Will come as soon as they launch.

How I wish the transport options in Goa were easy with easy taxis, waterways or maybe even air taxis

You Live in Goa – You must be on perpetual vacation!

Believe me, no. of times people have assumed that since I live in Goa – I do not need to work.

How I wish, their assumptions become reality. Until the time bills do not forget my address – I will have to work and most days work takes priority over the breath-taking sunsets of Goa.

Here is wishing you a very Happy New Year. May 2018 be filled with the warmth of your loved ones, of sunrise and sunsets, of peace within!

Would you like to hear more such anecdotes from the life of a Travel Blogger or some more Goa Stories? Do tell me in the comments below.

48 COMMENTS

  1. Very interesting stories Anu! I don’t know what I would have said in those situations. 🙂

    Wish you a very Happy New Year and meaningful travels to you.

  2. Hi,funny stories but when I went to Goa the last time ,I too wanted to meet you,We stayed in Bogomalo beach resort.Thank God I did not have your phone number,otherwise definitely would have contacted you.Wish you a very happy new year and a year full of excitement ahead.

  3. It’s very interesting to hear about your experiences of people coming to visit in Goa. I’m sorry that you’ve had so many negative experiences, but I do understand how frustrating those situations can be. It’s great that people trust your knowledge of Goa so much!

    • Paige – these are not negative experiences – they are just amusing. I am sure as blogging takes shape as a profession, its funny bone will also take shape. Guess the 50+ posts on the smallest state of India brings the trust.

  4. These are great, and I would love to read more! I always wonder at some of the crazy requests travel bloggers receive when readers think you have nothing better to do with your time. Would make a great series!

    Happy New Year! I look forward to continuing to follow your adventures and stories in 2018.

    • Veena – every profession has a funny bone, imagine the stories psychiatrists get to hear or lawyers get to hear. I just shared these in good humor. So glad to be connected to you – look forward to new interactions with you. Happy 2018.

  5. I Get Your lovely Pictures and détailles research articles with lit information on thé subject choses.
    It is VERRY éducative and encourages one to explore on Depth all Your places and monuments and expérience thé sale..
    PLEASE keep continuing and if ever Our Time is set to thé right click WE will certainly strike together if thé need is sincère.
    Wishing you all thé Energy and mind throbbing words Thái you Shape with us… Bonne Année à REY wonderful Year Ahead.
    Best rgds

  6. LOL I laughed so much at the tale of the person wanting you to find a house for her! Such presumption, so rude! And a family wanting to come and stay at Christmas? Gosh, you get crazy requests! Thanks for the stories!

  7. You have made it sound funny but it is very tricky. We don’t want to hurt followers but let them understand beyond travels we also have our personal space. It is nice of you the way you dealt so far. It was fun reading too 🙂 Happy New Year!

  8. congrats for turning teen! 13 years is quite some time. You & your blog has carved a niche and a place for itself in Indian blogging world.
    Most people assume Goa as a city whereas Goa is actually a state. I can understand when people assume those who are in Goa are on a perpetual holiday.
    Wishing you a great 2018, Anuradha. I’m sure your blog will only reach new heights!

  9. Hi Anu,
    Very interesting anecdotes from your life at Goa. Lucky for you that I didn’t bug you to that extent. But I am planning to nag you lol. Jokes apart, you seems to have become very much of Goa. One also shouldn’t expect that much from you. Anyway Happy new year.

    Regards

    • Sherab – I hope this post is not sounding like a complaint. Well, I have lived here for 4 years now, more than many other places, some effect is bound to be there. Need to travel more outside Goa I guess 🙂 Happy New Year to you too – and keep interacting.

  10. Congratulations on entering the teens, ma’am 😀
    I am glad to know you and your passion for ethical blogging, Indian Culture and Art…I am not sure if I will ever churn out quality articles like you do…but I know you are an inspiration 🙂

    Oh..I loved reading these hilarious anecdotes and conversations.I can associate with most, having lived in hill-stations and touristry circuits… As faujis too, we hear many of these weird assumptions most of the times..from ‘You get to use free electricity to free canteen items to free air-travel’..the list is endless! lol

  11. Happy 13 years inditales! =D

    That was a refreshing read and sadly all these conversations are not invented. After all everyone wants peanuts, or yes sure how about you stay in my house and cook even your meal in my kitchen (while we are at it) for your family all that while you honor us with your presence in Goa.

    I get emails from companies demanding a free stay so that they can take their employees to visit our spice garden (what spice garden?!?)

    I still think a lot of people have no clue what or where Goa is. I got some weird reactions when traveling in India.

    • Helene – as someone living in Goa, I am sure you understand this post better. We get all kinds of weird requests. Imagine someone expecting me to drop everything and go house hunting for her. Someday, we all should meet and talk about these Goa stories.

  12. Those Goa stories are great. I especially like the “show me around for 10 days”. It is amazing what some people ask of you!

    But congratulations on carving a niche and having your blog going for so long.

  13. Hahaha…this got me laughing so hard Anuradha! The best recap post I’ve read so far…not sentimental at all, and I read every single word of it 🙂

    Thankfully, I don’t get such innovative requests from people who are coming to Mumbai…and I won’t be able to handle them at all anyway!

    Btw next time I come to Pune, please cook some local vegetarian Goan food for me. Plus, I am not sure if you know that I love desserts too…so some local dessert too. See you soon 😛

    • Sidhhartha – this is Goa special. No one expects anything from you when you live in big bad cities :-). Come over, you can have Vegetarian Saraswat food at our place any day. I know your sweet tooth – I remember the Pooran Polis in that long train ride.

      Come over.

  14. Love this hilarious recap. The brass neck on some people! They must be completely unaware of it though, surely? It does put you in a difficult position although it is entertaining for us to read.
    But now I know where to stay when I visit Goa 😉

    • LOL Emily! You are most welcome in Goa and at my place. I have been a couchsurfer for more than 10 years now and I am quite used to hosting absolute strangers in my place.

      It’s entertaining for me too, although in that moment I need tactically handle it.

  15. Wow, can’t believe you’ve been blogging for 13 years, that’s amazing! And a really long time, so congratulations. As for your ‘frustration’ of hosting guests (although you don’t put it like that), I totally understand. We have the same -we live in Dubai and it’s one of the most visited destinations by Indians, especially if they know someone living there (i.e. US). Haha, we have the EXACTLY same conversations too! lol.

  16. Happy new year and congrats on the 13th anniversary of the blog! It is so striking how ignorant people can be about what travel bloggers do and what they certainly don’t do. I would love to visit Goa in the future and I will stick to your blog for info without annoying you with question like the ones above 🙂

  17. Goa is cool place. There people, Whether all are very awesome. Goa’s Night is very enjoying, there we can fun full night and day. Awesome beach view.

  18. This was a very entertaining read! I can’t believe the cheek of some people, especially the lady that wanted you to find her a home. It just shows some people have no shame or are just plain cheap. Happy New Year!

  19. Very interesting blog, Thank you so much for Putting together so wonderful information together and inspiring budding travel bloggers.

  20. There are many experiences as a blogger that adds some sorts of twists and turn to the story of the life. The experiences sometimes are funny while sometimes the people irritate much more than expected. Thanks for sharing your stories and experiences and the stories are quite interesting.

  21. I am impressed from this post. Your blog gives a lot of information regarding Goa traveling. Thanks for such post and please keep it up.

  22. Hello,i am really impressed the way you have written the blog and explained it to get things easy for us to explore the place.Goa is super amazing place to enjoy you holiday.

  23. it was really amazing to explore ….because in the end experiences are only remembered with us ….and the best thing is is to explore as much as you can..

  24. What a wonderful whirlwind of adventures you’ve had in the past year! Your travels to Sharjah, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Canada sound absolutely incredible. It’s inspiring to hear how you’re evolving your approach to travel, focusing more on connecting with each destination deeply. And congratulations on the milestone of 13 years for your blog! It’s evident from your stories that living in Goa comes with its fair share of interesting encounters and requests. Wishing you continued success with your Hindi Travel Blog and many more unforgettable experiences in the years to come. Happy New Year filled with joy, love, and endless exploration! 🌟

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