Goa 2021 - Christmas/Sunburn/Birthday

From almost missing the flight to Goa(even when I reached the airport 2 hours early) to getting Covid on the way back, this tour was definitely something. I went to Goa for a week with 4 friends to celebrate Christmas and my birthday. Okay, the trip wasn’t for my birthday, but it happened to be on one of the days, so yay I guess. If I had to describe that week in a word, it would be “BLUR”, because that’s what it was like. How a week flew by, I can’t explain. Each day started at 1 PM and ended at 6-7 AM that week.

Day 1

Had to wait a few (read lot) hours for our BNB to be ready, which was a blast. Rested for a few hours in the room. Rented 3 scooties and went to a beautiful cafe - Artjuna Cafe where I ate ravioli for the first time. The fresh smoothies were really nice too. After that, we went to Calangute Beach at night. Bought some glow stick glasses and bracelets and danced/drank a lot.

Day 2

Woke up really late. Swam in the pool. Burst the floater/tube while trying to lay on it. Ate at a restaurant called “The Burger Factory” where the bacon-avocado burger was really nice. Celebrated Christmas Eve at Baga Beach. Went to a club at night called “The Pink Elephant” which was wild, to say the least. Danced my heart out.

Day 3

Ate dinner at a very popular restaurant (Fat Fish). The fish-n-chips were really nice. It was my first time trying Apple Pie and I have to say I was disappointed. Definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. After that, we went to one of the most popular clubs in Goa, Purple Martini. Their famous “Purple Martini Shot” was definitely the strongest shot I’ve drank. The vibe was really nice. The music was just awesome. The only mistake we made was going there a bit too late. But even with all the good vibe/music, I can definitely say “I hate clubs”.

Day 4

This was a really fun day. We went to Fountainhas (for some really awesome pictures). After that, we changed and took off for “The Big Daddy Casino”. The food there was pretty shit (like no salt). It was an open bar but the drink selection was really low. I just kept on having Pina Coladas. I remember there were around 20 full glasses of drinks on our table of 5. After eating and drinking, it was time to gamble. I had 2 chips worth Rs 1000 total which I lost on the game called “Dragon Tiger”. After that, I lost some more money on the slot machine. I gave up and watched my friends lose their chips one by one. Then one of my friends explained roulette to me and I was back in. I got some more chips and spread all 5 on different corners. And surprisingly, I won. I took the chips I won and placed them again on some corners and some whole numbers a bit strategically. Luckily, I got 2 corners the next time and recovered all the money I lost. I cashed out and was Rs 300 up! That day was a success for sure, however small.

Day 5

This was by far the best day of the trip. Attended Sunburn music festival. It was organized at a small scale this time but was still very very fun. I was in my element there. The music was awesome. The base was awesomeeeeee. The crowd was lit. The animations on stage were too good. I didn’t know music could make you feel this way. After the show was over, I got to eat Neopolitan Pizza for the first time and I loved it. It literally took around a minute in the wood-fired oven. It was just too good. Also came across an awesome beer that had a high alcohol level with a really good taste (Plum and Peach flavor).

Day 6

My birthday. I’m 23, way too old. Went to Morjim Beach for a swim. Swimming in the ocean after 3 years felt awesome. After that, we went to the one restaurant I wanted to go to from the start of this trip - Sakana. It was a Japanese restaurant and the food was just too good. It was the first time I had good sushi in my life. The Tempura sushi roll and Gyoza were just too good. I also had Tonkatsu(fried pork cutlet) which was really crispy. I couldn’t taste the pork in it, and the sauce was a bit sweet. Not what I was expecting. The Chicken Ramen and Dorayaki were a bit disappointing. After that, we went to Romeo Lane (this name haunts me) for some dinner. It was less crowded (which I like but my friends hate) and the location was really nice.