My Goa tales

What I found in Goa and what I found out about Goa:

1. Goa is completely an Indian state. No ifs and buts. Though my brain knew it earlier, but somehow my mind always put Goa in a different category among the rest of the states in India. I found common Indian people there working day in and day out. Yes, we get to see a lot of tourists from foreign countries because of the beaches and the tourism department.
2. Goa is best seen in a two-wheeler. We rented a Honda-Activa for a day and a half and traveled almost across the state. The narrow yet clean roads, the picturesque coastal roads, the daily life of the inhabitants, and the not-so-daily life of all the tourists --- all these can be best witnessed in a two-wheeler drive. That’s what even foreigners do.
3. Goa beaches embrace you. Really. You feel loved inside it. You can wade deep into the Arabian Sea if you are in Goa. Thanks to the shallow coasts Goa is proud of.
4. Goa has more than just beaches. Although every tourist place is related to a water body, Goa promises you different experiences too. Not just getting wet in the beaches.
5. You get confused between river and beaches. Goa has Mandovi river in the heart of Panajim city that meets the Arabian sea somewhere. It makes it really difficult to differentiate between the two.
6. Alcohol also flows like river in Goa. It is so damn cheap there. Another thing you get confused about.
7. Tidal forests. Believe me (how much ever stupid it may sound), I didn’t know what tidal forests are until I visited Goa. A forest submerged inside a river. Although it looks spooky at times, I loved the view. You find a lot of such tidal forests in Goa, like in every nook and corner.
8. The minimum charge in an auto-rickshaw is Rs. 60. Not officially though. We boarded an auto-rickshaw to a near-by place where the hotel guy said it would cost Rs. 30 or so. As a reply to that, the auto-rickshaw driver said, “I can also say you can get a hotel room in Rs. 500. Will the hotel guy agree?” We sat there silent and speechless.
9. Ferry. They do exist. Free of cost in Goa.