Goa has been getting a bit cooler as it rained the other day. The lazy elegance of the city of sand and sun has sunk into me as I wait for time to stop. But alas! I have only one more week left in the city.
It was a welcome change when my mate and I decided to go for lunch at a very famous heritage hotel in the city called Fort Tiracol. This is a luxury heritage hotel with its own restaurant and bar. One needs to climb a flight of stairs to get to the reception area, and on the ground floor is a huge chapel with a large statue of Jesus with both His hands flung in the air. There are seven rooms around the chapel area, each named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on, which I found very unique. However, I did not inquire why they were named after the days of the week. The luxury and deluxe rooms are priced between Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000.
Fort Tiracol
One gets an entire view of the bay area, and it is worthwhile just standing on the balcony to enjoy the breeze and the sea. A lot of stone and old teak wood has been used to make the walls and the furniture of this particular heritage hotel.
Lunch was chicken, fish with wine sauce, and chocolate cake with hot sauce. It was scrumptious, and I paired the entire lunch with a large glass of beer—just the treat I needed! Although I have been focused on my fitness and diet, consuming a thousand calories a day, I still manage to treat myself to a rich meal once in a while.
The charm of Fort Tiracol is that it has that old Goa feel, and one gets transported to the ancient era of the Portuguese as soon as one enters the large iron gates that lead to the fort. Just at the entrance, one can see a large memorial—a huge gun made of wrought iron with a ribbon made from steel sheets tucked onto the gun. The memorial was built in honor of the Goan freedom fighters.
After lunch, we drove to a sculpture shop to look at some marble statues. Goans are very artistic, and Goa has always been a place for artists. From writers to filmmakers to fashion designers, Goa is a very artsy place, and the government has also put a lot of resources into promoting art and culture in the city. Its cafés, art galleries, cinema halls, and exhibitions make it the perfect place for artists to gather. Along with Mumbai, I would choose Goa as a place for artists and thinkers to hang around.
We have been doing a lot of driving around Goa, and I have been behind the wheel most of the day. After a long time, I am enjoying driving and even managed to do some go-karting in Ani’s car at an empty parking lot. I drove the car at full speed and swirled around the parking lot a few dozen times like kids do. It was fun, as I was driving once again after almost a decade.
It gets hot in the afternoon, but one can go for a swim at Tiger Beach just to escape the heat. I did manage to take an hour’s swim at the beach, and by the time we returned, it was almost seven in the evening. But it was a full day—we were busy from morning to night, and that was the energy of Goa.
