Goa - Japanese Garden and Beach in Vasco

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

After visiting the small Mormugao Fort in the vicinity of the Mormugao Port Trust we headed onto the main road to have some refreshments. 

Japanese Garden signboard

As we were sipping on cold drinks, I inquired with the shopkeeper if there is anything around which she could suggest, we pay a visit too. To this she replied Japanese Garden poile" meaning have you seen Japanese Garden. To which I replied, "Na" She gave us instructions and we decided to walk it out. 

Fortification via which is the entrance to the temple and the beach

In the past also I have taken instructions from locals on my treks and been walking for hours and hours at a stretch when they say it is just twenty minutes away. 

I quickly inquired if I need to walk or board a bus to Japanese Garden to which, the lady declined and said that I will reach there i twenty minutes. Not again. But I still decided to go by her word.

Cross near the beach

In a matter of twenty minutes we were at the Japanese Garden. The Mormugao Port Trust looks after the maintenance of the garden.

Now this place is divided into two parts, the garden and then stairway to the secluded beach down below. 

Durgamata Shiv Mandir

We were on the stairway that led to the beach. As Goa had received its share of heavy rains, the entire area as full of creeper and wild vegetation. A zig zag stairway finally leads down the hill. Japanese Garden is situated on a hill.

We need to cross trough an old fortification to reach the beach. This fortification is not around the entire place, just a part of it. Maybe it was all around but had collapsed over the years. 

Coconut trees near the beach

The Durgamata Shiv Mandir (temple) is located very near to the beach. Now as we were approaching the beach the weather had started changing course. The Sun had disappeared behind 
the dark clouds and it had started blowing. No sign of the rain though.

There is a Cross erected near the Temple. No signboard as to why it was erected there. Historical significance is unknown. 

View of the beach

Just below the temple is the beach. "A secluded beach just for us" I said to Namrata. to which she readily agreed. It is a small strip of land or should I say beach with rocks all over it. As it was high tide the wild waves were lashing against the rocks and onto the shore. Each wave bought us more closer to the temple premises and to top it, it had started raining. That too heavily. We got some wonderful shots here. 

The weather was so nice that I felt like tying a hammock between two coconut trees and sipping some ice cold beer. Only if wishes were horses men would ride. But I will make sure that the next 
time I am on a each I will carry a hammock and a can of beer for sure to relive one of my many wishes.

View of the beach

"Castaway" is the word that came to our minds. Soon we could here sounds of men talking in a distance, as it was raining they were racing to reach the temple which offered shade. "It ain't Castaway, any longer" I said to Namrata, to which we both burst out laughing.

Stairs leading to the beach

We waited till the rain had stopped and then we headed out to visit the garden which is located on the edge of the hilltop.

Dark clouds in the sky

The garden offers a panoramic view of the hills, the sea at large in a distance. Plenty of ships sailing in the water.

Bus to Japanese Garden (Sada)

Finally we reached the bus stop again. Mini buses ply to this part of Vasco city. The Japanese Garden is located in Sada. So any bus plying to MPT colony, Sada and Vasco KTC and back needs to be boarded to reach here. Alternatively this place can also be reached by a private vehicle. For the beach below it needs to be trekked.

Goa - Mormugao Fort in Mormugao Port Trust in Vasco

Monday, November 17, 2014

We were informed about Mormugao Port and Fort by the manager at Hotel Gomati. Based on his instructions we set out to see the fort.

For a change we ditched the motorbike and decided to take the bus to Vasco. BTW Namrata wanted to travel by the local bus. Dream come true for her :)

From Margao City we boarded a mini bus at a cost of Rs.10 each to take us to Kadamba Bus Stand. As buses to Vasco depart from here. Sitting in the mini bus is a pain, the seats are not comfortable plus for a tall person there is no leg room at all. Somehow we managed to reached Kadamba Bus Stand.We were hoping to get a bigger and better bus to Vasco.

We got a big sized bus to go to Vasco. But again the same old story, seats are not comfortable and no leg room. I hope Namrata is having fun. LOL

The bus traveled by the internal tiny village route, up and down , left and right we went on the roads and finally in two hours time we were in Vasco. It cost us Rs.50. 

The bus stops near the Express Kadamba Bus Stand in Vasco City. Direct buses ply to Panjim and Margao. NO stops. We planned to take this bus on our return journey. 

We asked the locals around and finally were on another mini bus going to MPT Colony. 

Now this bus was jam packed. on our toes we were managing the weights of our bodies. As we didn't know where to alight we had informed the driver about it. BTW the bus driver doubles up as  the conductor on the bus. Saving on manpower I guess. 

Finally the driver shouted, "Mormugao Fort" it was time for us to alight. We  paid him Rs.10 each and alighted. He informed us that we need to enter the Mormugao Port Trust inorder to visit the fort and we did just that. 

We entered the Port premises and asked one of the guards and he directed us to the Fort. 

We walked on the path and in a matter of five minutes I could see the fortification. 

As it had rained here, it was green all around. The color was very soothing to our eyes.  

The walls of the fort are around a storey tall and are intact. The walls are made of bricks (chire) these are used for construction of houses in Goa too. 

A small doorway in the wall, will lead inside the fort. The fort is very small. It houses a Cross, Nossa Senhora De Piedade Chapel and a couple of rooms. 

The wall doesn't cover the entire fort but just a few portions of it. One can walk on the walls to get a better view of the Mormugao Port. Huge ships are harbored here. 

Each fort has a huge door to it, but this one had a small one. So maybe some portions of the fort have collapsed and this is all that remains of it. 

This fort was built by the Portuguese to keep a watch over the land and the sea. No idea when it was built. No mention about it in history.

We then headed off to sea Japanese Garden as suggested by the mini bus driver. 

Goa Carnival 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Goa Carnival takes place four days prior to Ash Wednesday, a day of obligation which marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent, in the Christian calendar. Lent marks the period of 40 days before Good Friday, when Jesus Christ was crucified and killed. People generally prefer to mark this period with fasting and abstinence from meat and alcohol.

This year, the Goa Carnival was to be celebrated from February 18 to 21, 2012. The Carnival is celebrated with a march of floats in the cities of Margao, Panjim, Mapusa and Vasco. It is celebrated in the villages too, but not on that grand a scale.

The Carnival is patronised by people of all castes and creeds. People come from far and wide to partake of the merriment and revelry, by singing and dancing and even cross dressing.

The carnival was first introduced to Goa by the Portuguese, the erstwhile rulers of Goa. Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule only in 1961. The Portuguese word for Carnival is “Intruz.”

My mother recollected that in pre-Liberation days, Goa used to celebrate the Intruz by singing and dancing. Families used to attend the events and enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Every year floats are floated by communities from various parts of Goa to celebrate the festival. Unfortunately, of late, the Carnival, and the floats, in particular, have become very commercial with a number of companies advertising their products via floats. This takes away the essence of the traditional floats.

This year there were rumours that the carnival would not be held on a grand scale as the Goa State elections were approaching and campaigning was on in full swing. But something far more unfortunate happened.

The Goa Carnival got cancelled because of a school bus which accidentally plunged in the waters of the River Kalki at Aldona Calvim, thus taking the lives of four children and two adults. The Carnival was cancelled on February 18 to mourn the deaths of the innocent children and the hapless adults.

Here are photos of the Goa Carnival 2012. A special thanks to Hithakshi Kotyan for the same.