Goa: Driving on the coastline

The Mangalore masala dosas had re-ignited my taste buds that I decided to eat indulgently whereever I was to go on the tour. Someone told me that lunch is served for free at the Udupi temple! Or well, that is what I understood from the se7en kannada words I had learned during the stay at Mangalore. But whatever be, how could I miss it for anything. I therefore began to scheme to preach the other guys about the divinity and the artistic intricacy of the Udupi temple without the littlest clue of what to expect.

But before that; we decided to go to the Malpe Beach and St. Mary's Island. It is best to pack your breakfast to Malpe. The food there reminded me of the worm infested, sour and stale idlis I was served for 10 days at an NCC camp earlier during my school days.

St. Mary's Island is an uninhabited island and is a 20 minute boat ride from the coast. It was quite exciting and scary to be standing close to the bow of the boat, with camera in one hand and the cabin's slippery door handle for support on the other as the boat tossed us up and down where the backwaters met the sea.

Serene is the word to describe St. Mary's Island. It is nearly unexploited, beautiful and takes your breath away. Be there to believe me.

St. Mary's Island

For once food took a backstep and we decided to look out for as many beaches as possible before it got dark. Malpe effect. And so we skipped Udupi.

We stopped at Maravanthe beach in the afternoon before heading for Murudeshwar. I read on the internet that there is a restaurant in the middle of the sea at Murudeshwar. Bull. The restaurant is on the shore. The main attractions here are the temple with a mammoth Shiva statue and a crowded beach.

It was close to ten when we reached Calangute; the place we are to stay in Goa for the next four days.

More bulls from the internet-
bull 2 - The highway splits the river and the Maravanthe beach
bull 3 - You drive with the sea constantly on your left as you move from Mangalore to Goa

Some G.K.: Goa is not one city as I thought before I got there.

Route: Mangalore-Udupi -(detour: Malpe, St. Mary's Island) - back to the highway - (detour: Murudeshwar) - Karwar (port; never seen so many trucks in one place) -Panaji - Calangute

Distance: ~ 350 kms