a couple of things

1 so many friendly people
2 feeding the monkeys at the waterfalls
3 seeing my wife in the sea. it has never been warm enough for her anywhere else
4 the beach bar at the wenesday market listening to all the types of music
5 having curry everyday (heaven)

i know i said onlya couple of things but could go on and on

this is naughty
hubby telling a cow to P*** off and leave his melon alone......then the cow turns round and pees right next to him, covering the melon, kingfisher and spring rolls and hubby feet...hahaaha

i am sitting here at my desk grinning and giggling to myself about it...everyone will think i am nuts !!!!

For me it is our first time.At least ten years ago maybe more.Stayed at a little guest house in Sinquerim (Village Belle sadly now closed)sat on the balcony as dusk fell reading my book the smells of the wood fires and tandoori ovens honking of horns.For some reason it just got to me and I knew we would be coming back.My wife lived on boiled eggs for two weeks being scared to try anything local.We were very green then.But guess what we came back.Magic.

So many, so I'll start at the beginning.

First time ever in Goa, 2001 and staying at Victor Exotica in Candolim. Got talking to a guy in the hotel and mentioned we were heading out for a wander. It was quite late, about 12, and we had not long arrived. Go out and turn right, nothing up left at all he says. Being as pig headed as we are, we head left, and stumble across Stone House. It was just me and my wife, a photographer from the sunday times, a long termer and the owner. We stayed there till at least 4 drinking and choosing music to play. We were then invited to the christening of his son the next day. We knew then that we would love Goa!
Same trip, we decide to venture out of the hotel and try some of the local restaurants. We wandered into a place which was nothing more than a shack beside the road. We were in no hurry an drank many, many kings while chatting with the owner. He served up one the best meals I've had, and we spent about 4 hours in the place. The bill was less than a tenner for two!
Sitting in Bharats bar with a big crowd and Stuart (some of you may know him) came down with his guitar after playing somewhere. He stars to play some songs in the bar, and Bharat tells him not to as the police will shut him down. So Stuart stands on the road and starts busking for us all, we showed our appreciation by throwing money at him We all headed down to the beach and built a fire while drinking and singing songs. The shack boys were not too happy at being kept awake all night with our warblings
Sitting on Little Vagator beach with a chai and watching the sun go down
Being in 9bar for sunset
Finding La Plage in Ashvem
Being in Calangute or Arpora at dusk with a cold drink watching the world go by
First visit to Mackies market in aropora, before Ingos was open. Cracking night with excellent music. Someone got up from the crowd and sang the Girl from Impana, note perfect.
The smells! As soon as you get off the plane and walk across the tarmac you can smell the burning wood. Will always be a Goa smell for me!

I could go one for ever!

this is such a good thread- some great memories!

Every memory I have of Goa is fantastic - the friends I make are the most special though. It's when you step off that plane and feel like you've come home.

Oh that and our wedding last year!!

I know everybody will have a few but one of mine is "Walking along Agonda beach, as the sun rose, spotting dolphin's just off the shore and a couple of sea otter's fishing for there breakfast at the estuary. Then just sitting on the beach next to the river, watching a couple of boats come in and a couple of boats set sail as a Goan village began to wake up........real life and another day in paradise Anybody else's ?

Yup, the sights the smells the sounds the heat the smiling faces as you travel to your hotel and you are in another world, how do you explain that to some one who has never been, when we tell them in our local they look at us is if we are not all there. (they might be right) .

Alan

The view of the beach as I sit outside my tent watching the sunset, with a G&T of course, and again in the morning,, watching the Fishermen, with a cup of nescafe, finding a new shell while walking on almost deserted beaches and spotting another Kingfisher.
Then there's Margao, noisey chaotic colouful, and a cup of chai in Longuinhos

Sailing on an old wooden boat up ( or would that be down?) the River Sal past Mobor Beach,watching the Fishermen sewing their nets getting ready for the next days big catch,while herons and Kites flew around their heads.

I took a picture that day of Mobor Beach that captured the moment perfectly which I have had printed on canvas and takes pride of place on my Lounge wall. The sights smells and sounds of that day will stick with me forever.

Ahh feeling all nostalgic now...

Hopefully it will be of the River Princess

Discovering Coco Beach in 1995. It didn't have a name back then, we called Reis Margos as it seemed to be the closest spot on the map. We were backpacking in Anjuna and would go exploring on our scooters. We spotted from the hill near Fort Aguada When we got down there it was deserted apart from one closed restaurant. We spoke to a local near the houses on the north side who told us the restaurant only opened on one day a week when a boat would bring tourists on a dolphin spotting trip.
The place was beautiful. Totally secluded. You could lay back and float in the sea for hours with just the sounds of nature and no fear of bumping into someone or a boat bumping into you.
I was gutted the first time I turned up one year to see some shacks had been erected.

sitting at saritas beach shack, philip keeping me supplied with bacardi and coke, while i enjoy the smells and the ambience, and watch the sun dissapear over the horizon. aaaahhh.
BOB

Sitting in the Arabian shack on Candolim beach on Christmas Day watching the sunlight dance off the waves.

hi..all...my favorite moment was walking from my hotel room very early in the moring just as the sun came up on to a deserted beach no one else about .
perfect peace with my-self and life.........oh.the beauty of it all .
now where is that bottle...........
regards.......................john-doe............

Sitting in the beach shack Kingfisher in hand watching the sun go down and another beach day wind down.

nothing better than saying tomorrow will never come but it always does then u have 2 go back 2 goa

The 1st time you go...
You land at Dabolim and think "what the have I let myself in for?" Then feel it all change

Zappas shack, sitting with friends sipping cocktails, watching the sun go down, mood music playing - absolute magic