Mumbai to Goa – our first travel trip during this pandemic. A long tiring road trip, 10+ hours but totally worth it. With careful planning and all safety measures in place we set out for a week. 

We made our home in an Airbnb 70 odd years old Portuguese-era house in North Goa, very committed to the sanitisation protocol. Beautifully restored and well maintained. 

Goa was not the same. It saddened me to see how badly the tourism industry has taken a hit. The glitter and lights were still there but barely few to enjoy these. The resorts and shacks lay empty and only about a handful at the beaches. 

Of course, we too did not frequent the places we love and avoided places which had more than a dozen humans. And wherever we went, we followed social distancing; the mask remained constant, the disinfectant and hand sanitiser always at easy reach. 

Instead, we did what we always promised ourselves to do every time we visited Goa. We visited the many antique stores and finally identified and finalised on a few pieces we want for our home in Assam. We walked the narrow streets lined with beautiful Portuguese houses. We discovered old dilapidated churches. We visited potteries stores and once again, picked up beautiful pieces. We watched the beautiful sunsets and we ate great finger-licking food. We also stayed in and enjoyed sipping our coffees to the sound of dogs barking, birds twittering, frogs croaking with the constant sea breeze reminding us that we were actually vacationing for the first time this year in this beautiful coastal town. 

This trip was much needed after being cooped inside a Mumbai apartment for 8 months. This was what we were yearning for and this trip reinforced our belief in  finding pleasure in the little and trivial. It made us grateful that we are together and safe. 

Stay responsible. Stay safe.