Goa - Accomodation at Madgaon

Monday, October 27, 2014

We then headed out of Madgaon Railway Station. As we are trekkers we decided to walk it out till Madgaon City. I had estimated that it would take us around 45 minutes to reach.

It was not raining, though it rained while we were travelling to Madgaon, the weather was humid. We walked and walked and in another 15 mins we decided to board a rickshaw to take us to Madgaon City. 

The rickshaw had a State of the Art look. It had doors on the side of it with small windows in it. The ride make you sweat and gasping for breath.   

We crossed the bridge, the architecture of which I had always admired.  Other side of the bridge is  Madgaon City.

Why I admire the bridge so much? I don't know, who built this bridge and why they built this bridge in this manner. But never the less that is the only way we can commute to the city. So finger on my lips.

The rickshaw driver don't work as per the meter and quote any fee. He charged us Rs. 60. Not bad. He dropped us outside the Margao Muncipility Building.

From there we headed off to Gomati Hotel. Why Gomati Hotel? We had stayed here when I was visiting Goa during the carnival. The rooms are nice at a cheap price and restaurants and travel utilities are easy to find.

Hotel Gomati is located near to Hotel Saaj (check Google Maps) on the junction of the Luis Miranda Road and the Minguel Loyola Furtado Road. Hotel Gomati is not tagged o Google Maps.

I headed off to Gomati Hotel and advertised  that I was a blogger and that I had a webite and I am here to travel and wite about Goa. 

They offered us room no.101. Rs.1100 would give us AC, hot water, TV and Fridge in a double bed room. for Rs. 840 we would get all the above minus the AC. As I would be covering their Hotel they gave me all of the above for Rs.840.

Wise thought, I should keep promoting my blog more to get better deals in accomodation. haha.

The time was 3 PM on my watch. We had two agendas for the day. Lunch and Motorbike. We were hungry and so decided to head out for some lunch. Though we had crossed the lunch time, we still decided to try our luck.

Goa - Bread of Goa

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

I remember as a kid, when we used to go to Goa for our summer hoidays, the "Podher", english translation is Baker used to come house to house at 6:30 AM to sell bread.

I saw a Podher selling bread near Madgaon Garden. I couldn't stop myself from taking pics of the bread.

The photo of bread above is called the Kankon, which means bangel as they are shaped that way.

This bread is to be had fresh when prepared as the shelf life of this bread is just 9 to 10 hours. Post that it becomes hard as stone fit for the pigs.

I remember serving the pigs, bread , when I was a kid.

 

Goa - Pathod Bhaji at Madgaum Cafe at Madgaon.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Breakfast at Madgaum Cafe at Madgaon.

I have had Pathod Bhaji all across Goa in the past, but there is no uniformity in the texture and taste of the dish across Goa. Btw Pathod Bhaji means liquid vegetable.

It was rajma served with two loaves of bread.

The rajma was hot and nicely cooked in garam masala. It was not that spicey though but good in taste.

Finger licking good, I should say.

Goa - Dosa at Madgaum Cafe at Madgaon

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Breakfast at Madgaum Cafe at Madgaon.

We ordered Dosa. It didn't look like a dosa to me. It was a cross between dosa and uttapam. Excluding the masala that comes in it.

The green chutney was cold and spicy and tangy. Just wondering how they managed to keep the color light green while it is spicy.

Though offbeat, I still like the combo so much that I ordered a second round.

Goa - Food at Hotel Marina near Lohia Maiden in Madgaon City

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The time was around 3:30 PM when we reached Hotel Marina. Hotel Marina is located opposite to Lohia Maiden in Madgaon City.

I immediately headed in and asked, if they still serve lunch. To that I got a horizontal nod. Taking that to be a NO, I headed out, the man immediately replied that they do serve lunch. Strange. Why did he say NO, I had asked him in konkani which is the local language here. 

I didn't want to think any longer and immediatley placed our order for food. Fish Thali for me and Vegetable Thali for Namrata. 

The Fish was just amazing, it was fried in coconut oil, it was fresh and tasty, I was enjoying every bite of it. The orange gravy was made of coconut and was equally tasty, it was prepared the way my Mom cooks at home. The reddish liquid is hotel Marina's version of Kokum Solkadi, it was nice and spicey. The vegetables served with it were okay, the prawns fried in onions was good to eat too. what say Namrata. O , she has no comments.

Namrata had a two special vegetables in her plate, sadly I didn't taste them, as I was too busy eating the fish.

We then ordered for Lassi as they didn't have Buttermilk. The Lassi was thick, nothing like the one we get in Mumbai. I surely enjoyed the Lassi, a little bit heavy on my tummy thugh but it was okay. I was prepared to walk for hours in the Garden nearby to digest it all.

Dinner at this place was a complete disaster. 

We had ordered for Chinese, Now we knew at the back of our minds that the taste would differ but such a difference was something I didn't expect. 

We had ordered for Shezwan Chicken Fried Rice and Veg Fried Rice.

The waiter came with our order and started serving the Shezwan Fried Rice to Namrata. On which I told him that it is my order and not hers, to this he adds that this is the way it is prepared here. Shezwan Fried Rice without the Red color.

I was like WTF. I immediately called for the manager to confirm, on the dishes. The waiter was wrong, so the Manager apologized for his fault and inter changed the plates for us.

The taste of the Fried Rice, what should I say. I couldn't eat it at all, none of the sauces used mixed well with it, it was not properly prepared, RAW form.

God alone knows why he kept Chinese on the menu when he doesnt know how to prepare it.

The lunch served here was amazing, but cant say that about the dinner.

Goa - Beef Roast at Hotel Venice next to Hotel Marina at Madgaon City

Monday, August 25, 2014

I was first introduced to this hotel by my cousin Sholto many many years ago. This place serves good beef and pork dishes and it was on my list for foodie trips.

Chunky peices of Beef Roast fried with potatoes, onion and chillies, like Chilly Fry.

But the taste. O la la

Goa - Apan Yana Pahilat Ka

Friday, August 22, 2014

I saw this Pic at a local barber shop in Madgaon Market. Not sure who the person in the photo is. The best part it the guys working in shop are not aware of him either. They asked to contact the Manager. But the Manager was no where in sight. 

Goa - Train to Goa

Thursday, August 21, 2014

I decided just a week in advance that I wanted to visit Goa in the rains.

Now as you all know that I don't travel alone, so I decided to ask my friends as to who can join me on such a short notice.

Finally Namrata who had accompanied me to Aurangabad, managed to get herself leaves to join me.

We booked the tickets six days in advance, though we were confident that we won't get tickets. 

We had two budget travel options, Konkan Railway and Bus.

Our first choice was the Mumbai CST Mangalore Junction Super Fast Express (12133) which departs from CST at 22:10 PM to arrive at Madgaon at 7:10 AM the next morning. We got Wait List tickets 67 and 68. We were confident that these tickets wouldn't get confirmed so we had to look for options. 

Our next choice was Dadar Madgaon Jan Shatabdi (12051). To our surprise tickets were available for this train. We wasted no time in booking the tickets. We booked the tickets on the IRCTC website. We booked a window and a middle seat at the train had chair car seats. The train departs at 5:25 AM from Dadar on the Central Line to reach Madgaon at 14:10 PM.

I boarded the train at Dadar. We had confirmed tickets in coach D7 seats 48 and 49. We didn't get the window seat but we got middle and aisle seats. First thoughts on this coach is, that the seats don't move backwards like in the buses going to Goa, and to top it the seats are very uncomfortable. I couldn't sit on them for for then 2 hours at a stretch. But this train reaches Goa in the shortest possible time. Namrata was to board the train at Thane. 

Kuch pane ke liye kuch khona padta hai. :( 

As it as the peak season the train was packed with passengers who had Wait List tickets too. These people accommodated themselves near the Entry points of the train and outside the Loos. Making life difficult for the commuters to commute between the compartments.   

The view around was truly awesome. Sadly we couldn't click any photos due to our seats. 

But we still managed to get beautiful glimpses all around. The Konkan Railway passes through the Konkan belt of Maharashtra, which is truly beautiful. It had rained here so it was green all around. 

The skies were blue, the rivers green, the hills a combo of green and brown. coconut and mango trees all around and tiny houses among st them. I don't mind living here. Totally disconnected from the city life.

Not sure if the train has a good pantry. But they serve cold drinks and eatables. Cost being above MRP. But hurry, as stocks don't last long. But good quality vada pav is served at Chiplun and Ratnagiri at Rs. 10 each. Do pack food articles to eat on the way along with water supplies.

I like the life in the village, a hard life though, which I find difficult to live. Get up early in the morning around 5 AM which the rooster as the alarm, to do homely chores and then go to the farm. Eat simple but nutritious products of their farm, then come home in the evening. But 8 PM call it a day and head to bed.  

I don't mind having a house near the riverbed. Fishing for food daily, nice na. Hope to do something like it when I retire from work.

This train journey has loads of bridges and tunnels on the way. One of the tunnel took us around 25 minutes to cross. Not sure as to what speed the train was running on. 

The train was delayed b 20 minutes and at 2:30 PM we were at Madgaon station.

The journey was tiring but as I said above Kuch pane ke liye kuch khona padta hai.

Next, we had to look out for a accommodation near Madgaon and I know of a place here, as I had stayed there when I had come for the Carnival in 2012 which happens somewhere in the months of February and March.