पंछी बनू उडती फिरू

Living footloose happened recently when I stayed back in Goa after a birding trip package.

It was first time that I had no plans while staying back for 3 days in Goa.

But.........

Staying with my old friend Couple Vijay n Asmita , chatting endlessly ,
Drinking specially kept urrak.
Spending a carefree time roaming in Mhapusa Market with the duo ,
Meeting baba's friend Commander Gupchup and Dr. Sandhya Gupchup ,
Travelling to places without any great plans
Made my days just too much worth than expected.

The first day morning we spent at Mhapusa market,
 a place with riots of colours, fragrances and odors as well.
 It was great fun seeing unique stuff for sale from local homemade goan food items like prserved raw mangos , coconut vinegar , homemade liquor to earthen and baked pots and giant colourful marketing bags.

Vijay and Asmita my first hosts.

meeting sweet people speaking even sweeter konkani language .

  Couldn't resist buying fresh  samudra methi and serving it hot to the hosts at lunch .

My Hosts maruti 800 was so very happy that she got passionate driver to take her for a ride ... As we went to Pedne to visit a art gallery of sorts. Big Foot... which is a property of well known family of Alvaris.

The guard narrates full name of the original owner of the property.

Lazy bums management ..... commode in office area....

Liquor storage 

Guess the material used for these window panes ..... tortoise shell!!

old time Milk Bottle 

Typical Portuguese style of water arrangement

well besides the kitchen 

Old time Grinder 

Bebinca making pot

After the tour of Portuguese House with audio visuals,  there was tour of open air art gallery depicting culture of Goa with wonderful realistic statues and sets to tell us about different professions and locations peculiar of Goa for e.g. liquor store with a typical Goan punter.

A woman washing clothes near a stream ,  Festival processions etc.
The statues are very realistic , proportionate and beautiful. A must to see destination during Goa visit  I must say.

Next day was again a day with open plans. Vijay's offer of giving me full authority of driving the car and keeping it with me worked really well. I drove down to Porvorim to meet Gupchup couple ( btw their surname is Gupchup not the deeds..:D )
There house is a master piece of simple but elegant architecture based on the designs of German Architect Mr. Laurie Baker. . Mostly built with local stone and unique ceiling structure , brick walls and mosaic tiles constructed on the spot.

With Gupchup kaka and Sandhya Maushi  it was time to celebrate Goa's real flavour, Food n drinks.  So we landed on Vagator beach and a scenic resort where I relished on typical goan dishes ... including Pork chops and Chilled , sparkling joyful spirit... yummmmm.

 while discussing about my destination for exploration for the third day , Gupchup kaka suggested me about Dr.Salim Ali bird sanctuary.
 This gave me another super experience of various things

First of it was Commuting through ferry with your car... in mere Rs. 10. where one needs to have good control over brakes, maneuvering the car on the  ramps of the ferry while climbing as well as descending

First I went to Diwad island where driving the car inside ferry and out was easy.
The straight long drive through grassland and bit of mangrove till the village offered a good birding opportunity with Juvenile of White breasted water hen with an attempt to cross the road.

Next was Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Chorao.... It was an experience of it's own kind. Though there was very less  bird activity , I could see many different unique  organisms like.fiddler Crabs, mud crabs creeping on tree barks and different varieties of Mangrove trees...

White-bellied Drongo

Golden Oriole

Common Kingfisher

The terrific terrain and that one and half kilometers walk through the mangroves itself was amazing.  The roots of mangrove forest grow wild above the ground .

 It gives such a haunting feeling,

 With not a single sole around me in the whole stretch of the walk it was like live suspense thriller scene been played around me,

 ha ha  at the same time I experienced certain feeling of carefree , confidant being.

This grand feeling had to celebrated and when in Goa how else can one do it? Cheers!!!

My stay of 3  Golden Goan days ended with a visit to our jewelry shop in Panjim , meeting Vijay there and seeing him and Asmita off.

This walk , exploring the destinations alone is generating a desire to fly high and  for more such excursions .

let's see how far it comes to reality.

 Adios!! Yetha!!