Steven Raucher's World Tour
2000-12-21 in Goa, India
We had made it to the Beach
National Highway 17 is the road to Goa. It is surprisingly empty and reassuringly crooked.
Something that no one will tell you is that the entire route, once you are out of Bombay is mountain passes. People are so proud of the fact that it is a highway, they just neglect to mention the mountains. Beautiful mountain roads are fine if you aren�t in a hurry to finish your trip in daylight, but we were trying to make the beach on time.
We arrived in Goa at 6pm, we had spent 6 hours riding and 2 hours eating lunch. Apparently the drive from Bombay to Goa is normally ten to twelve hours, so in our hurry to find the beach we have established a local record (sorry Mom).
After navigating our way through the rural rice fields of northern Goa (not too mention our first river ferry crossing!) we made it to Anjuna Beach, Goa. Anjuna is the stereotypical Rave-scene, trance music, party all night resort town that one either loves or loathes. We enjoy a good party but don�t like to sleep when one is happening next door, so the next day we went exploring Northern Goa to find quieter pastures. Morjim Beach is, in short, idyllic. A vast beach (about 2kms wide), an average of ten tourists on the beach, and also boasts Turtle nests (which, by the way, hatch at every full moon).
We knew we had found the right place but it was seriously lacking in accommodation. No Problem! - Francis and Lulu, the proprietors of the most beautiful beach side restaurant in Goa (more to come on this wonderful institution, insisted that we camp in the front garden of their beach house. (I will wager money right now that there are some of you with a look of shock upon your faces! Yes, its true, we camped!). After assembling our high-tech-space-age-rocket-ship-looking-tent we headed for the water! Upon our return we met Peter, the owner of The Classic Bike Adventure Company. I had actually been in email contact with him asking him questions about riding bikes in India and there he was having dinner right where we were staying! (Peter�s website is: www.classic-bike-india.de). Within one hour we were schooled in the art of Indian motorcycling! (Less, of course, GPS, two-way radios etc.)
The immediately ensuing days were pretty much the same. Waking at 7am to watch the fisherman pulling their nets in from sea, watching the women sorting the fish (see picture), and eating and drinking all the wonderful fare at the Olive Ridley (ph +91 832 246 732 �see picture). The restaurant is expertly run by Francis, Lulu and Gilbert (the manager, a local Goan, who occasionally sails on the Rainbow Warrior and ALWAYS plays Bob Marley! mailto:[email protected]. It is not every day that one meets a Rasta-loving eco-terrorist (sorry, I mean campaigner!). So it is in these wonderful hands that we let our bellies swell and our wishes be granted. Gilbert, being the most connected guy in Goa can also get you anything from a rented scooter to a beachside bungalow, to local painters and carpenters (who we later commissioned to paint our panniers and build Roberts custom-made backgammon board, of course!) There is of course the story of my beloved transport: a certain not-so-black-anymore India-fied BMW R1150GS, registration K44RMA (KARMA � get it?). But that is in a later story�
 The Bike gets a ride across a River |
 The Olive Ridley as seen from the beach |
 Watching the ladies do their thing |
 Our first sunset in Goa - very special |
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