Day 136: Benaulim – a surprise detour

Originally we were going to Agonda, a small fishing village on the coast of Goa. On our sleeper train to Margao (Goa), we met a local (an architect for Levi's) who were going to Benaulim. He knew a good place to stay, right on the beach and quiet. So we changed our plan and went to Benaulim first. When we arrived at the guest house, it was full. For the next two hours, we went searching for a place to rest our tired bodies at 6am. All the places on the beach were either disgusting or charged extortianate amount. Some of them looked more like a refuge camp, rather than a beach resort. Eventually we found a nice one (Lloyd's). It's not on the beach, but within walking distance.

the beach at Benaulim

The beach at Benaulim was not bad, but having spent one month in Bali there is just no comparison. So it's not surprising that we did not go into the water during our three-day stay. We had dinner at two of those bamboo shacks on the beach. They were the most expensive so far – easily double our normal dinner bill. I guess someone had to pay for the ocean view, the white sand and the starry night. Sigh, we miss the food at Manju in Hampi.

a stray dog taking a dip in the Arabian ocean

ever seen cows on the beach? next to bikini girls?

ice cream vendors

We rented a scooter to visit Chandor and Margao. In Chandor, there is an old mansion owned by the Braganza family who used to own lots of crop lands in the colonial days. In 1962, land reform came into effect in India, and they lost their fortune overnight. The tour of the old mansion was interesting – lots of porcelain and vases from China, but a bit rushed. As soon as we paid the “donation”, we were shown the door. No time to admire at the house. Compared to Benaulim, Margao is a big city and naturally has big city problems. Bad traffic. Polluted air. We did not linger around too long. Some of the streets and buildings of Margao reminded us of Melaka in Malaysia. It's not surprising since both were colonized by Portugese in the past.

a building in Margao that looks like something from Melaka

Before we left Benaulim, I got a haircut. My last haircut was in Penang, Malaysia. This time I broke that record again. At Rs 50 (US$1), it was the cheapest haircut I ever got. Since the barber did not speak much English, I told him to “just make it short”. Well, it was short all right, but I liked it. Afterwards, he asked me if I wanted a head massage. “Sure,” I said. There was a lot of oil and head slapping and pounding. Just when I thought it was over, he took out this home-made looking contraption – almost like a sanding machine – and put it on my head. God, it was a strange feeling, but good. The “sanding machine” was followed by more pounding and kneading on my shoulder and back. Whew, I was relieved when it was over. So there you go, my first Indian haircut and head massage.

the Indian head massge

the box for the massager - it's not home-made at all