Neeli Gang !!!

Three months after that mesmerizing trip to kemmangundi, the neeli was back on roads.. the sexy black Accent was ready and so were we..the challenge was bigger than the previous trip.. but the destination was worth the trip...it was to the heavens of Goa, the beaches, the sand and sun and to the breeze(r) which flowed perfectly to the lovely culture of Goa...the fact that Nettu and Shoba were going there for the first time was also exciting...

We gathered in Quaters by Friday later noon at around 3pm and mom had made a sexy chicken curry with mushrooms..and later tea with biscuits gave the tummies the rest required and of we went..Go Go GOA.....!!!

while only Shantha had to worry about the city traffic before we got into Pune highway, everyone had one think to worry about...Nettu was worried what seafood he need to try..Shoba was worried on the long journey, where she has to be awake for both drivers, Jyothi was worried that we didn't buy any breezers, I was worried about Abhi for the long journey and abhi was worried if he had taken the red chaddi to dive into Goa beaches:-)

we settled down once we hit the Tumkur road. A stop at Shell petrol bunk and some tender coconuts and off we went...we were enjoying the drive untill we saw the board which red " Pune -Go Slow"... only those people who drive beyond Chitradurga will understand the meaning of this road... the NH 4, which should be the backbone of trade in south India is in sorry state. one would be lucky if he has finished the journey without any damage to the car...but thats only in patches..we just have to wait till Vajpayee comes back as PM..then the work will resume and will will have smooth trips to Goa by road..Shantha had a strong belief that this was the lobby to make people fly...well, atlleast, there is no road humps there...no matter which party is in power:-))

Of the many options, we choose Bangalore-Tumkur-Chitradurga-davangere-Harihara-hubli-ankola-karwar-margaon-panajim route, as this sector had least otholes and more tar on road. what is the best thing about night journeys in highway is the road side Dhabba which are unclean,great taste and parking only for lorries..( you car will look like a small toy when u park between these lorriess)... we stopped in one of the dhabba, who was a 5 star tubelighted place. while abhi enjoyed running around looking at huge trucks, we feasted on some delicious roti's and egg burgi,...this was around midnight...

After the rugged roads of ranebennur and harihar, we finally hit the Shimsha road to hubli..sexy road and the fog hit us by dawn...first god sent us an innova to follow and then he hinmself came in a red hot KSRTC bus to guide us at 100kmph in total blissful sight.

by the time Shantha stopped for early morning tea, we were in Ankola, few miles away from karwar. The breakfast was awesome and i think this gang is blessed for food, no matter where we landup and no matter what time that is. by the way, Nettu had a lot of gyan on the 100 dosas that we were readymade..

we crossed over the kali river to wnter Goa border and the mood slowly started to change..the clothes became heavy..Sarees in the road were replace by skirts...only english boards gave the place foreigh looks and by the time we landed in the hotel after close to 17 hours of non stop journey, we were dead tired...we had bath and hit the beds and got up at around 5 pm, only to undress and walk into the waves.

The sand was clean and the beach was long...the waves very gentle but exciting, the sand beneath was shifting...ands when we were dipped into the holy beaches of goa, came in the motor boat..one full energytic ride on the sea gives a pump into the heart..and I guess the only activity that we tried on water...the karwar banana boat ride, the parasailing and the white river rafting have to wait for a while..

we watched the sunset...and surprisingly we had watched the sunrise also that day in karwar...need to think about it...with the sunsetting, nettu and abhi had a long walk in the beach...while we found a shack to get some nice hot eateries, and walked back to the rooms...had a bath again..refreshed for dinner and headed to anthony's in baga. Brittos was similiar, except that anthony's had a guy who sang all night in English...he dedicated a song to Neeli and no, it wasn't Sheela..O my Sheela...

Nettu and Jo were blown away by the breezer bug in Goa...I think more breezers were drank than the aquafina...liquid diet was first time popular in the gang...

Tired from long journey and the little rest, we had a awesome sleep that night...we got up for the beakfast and decided to explore some lonley beaches in North Goa... After a long paprerdosa and a whole lot of food, we were heqading towards anjuna, when we spotted Abhi's freind, black Anne

Anjuna was not to our liking of playing and we promptly headed towards vagathur beach. The place was crowded. But we knew where we needed to go. The entire crowd went to the right of the hill and we turned left. Luckily Jyothi followed us without the right left confusion. After a mile walk down the hill and among the shacks with yet to be tanned white bodies, Nettu and Shantha found an ultimate place, which was soon going to be the best moment of the trip.

The jacuzzi and Neeli was made for each other.. it had a shallow , no waves pool, where Abhi could play happily…it had the clean rock to keep our stuff..it had nice waves to the rightside where you could float..ask Shantha and Jo about the floating feeling…and the best was the Jacuzzi spot in the front edge, which was just too good…

I have never had such nice fun in the beacjes like in that place…the waves came ravishingly and jumped upon you pushing and pulling you right back..but harmlessly….what a place..

With hot sun over us, we could only play till the skin started to burn and we took shelter on the grass, on our way back to the car. The best picture of the trip came over here…no..not the one where there was a man between shantha’s legs… the picture with beach and 2 cocnut trees..what a picture..perfect Goa wallpaper…

With some nice fishcurry rice for lunch and another round of Breezer, we headed to hotel for a short nap….Evevning, we were off to Old Goa and to the ferry…we found the ferry to Diwar Island and Shantha and Nettu took a while to adjust to the lifestyle of some few islanders in goa, leading a normal life like us..but within their own backyard…

After we met my Aunt’s family, we met the supersonic express and goa youth icon, Vijay. Not many can forget him once you meet him and as Shoba puts it….that boy has some glow in his eyes. But my eyes were shut and the glow went away when I saw him ripping cbz with Jo in the back..I almost held Nettu’s hands in fear inside the car…but the guy was amazing….and nobody’s wildest guesses will say that he is my brother…

Then we went to Wagah Border for the dinner. We were sitting among so many other fellow Indians and then suddenly the ceremony started.. the soldiers came from everywhere, smartly dressed and started the salute ceremony. There were many people who crossed over the border and I am sure, the guy at the Ruchi restaurent always wears uniform and sleeps…the country can call him on duty anytime…

Vijay took us to casino in Cidade Goa. Me and Abhi stayed back and nettu managed to enter with chappals. It took just a couple of minutes for Shantha and gang to enter the Casino, win all games, empty the cash of casino, close the casino down and came outside..real proffessional punters….

We went to the room for a long debate. It was way past midnight and the agenda was simple..what do we do next..we were finsihed with beaches and breezers..so wanted to do something else..we we did…we sat for 3 full hours and planned…all future managers…

The execution was simple..we packed our bags…had good breakfast at Sagar again and off we were…stopped at panajim city for the complusory visit of church…while the gang with Vijay went to the holy spirit, I went to the local spirit… and thanks to Shantha’s confidence in eyes and power steering, we managed to smuggle the entire spirit to its holy destination..my dad’s throat J)

The gang did another non stop..and the planning previous night didn’t go waste.. we hit Bangalore in the early dawn…missing the traffic…that was one hell of a trip man…we travelled a distance close to 1500 kilometers..did 17 hours non stop journey twice in 4 days…

On the way to blore, as we're approaching Karwar, we're all hungry but had no idea about the lunch plans. Then we hit Sadananda California. We went inside with little hesiation as it looked like a haunted house from outside. But a nice AC cooled family room treated us better than expected.

The beaches drenched us outside and Mallaya drenched us inside…Nettu was asleep in the car on the way back …In his sleep, he would have been seeing beach wave hitting him down in vagathur…or he must have been seeing the skirts in Margaon..or may be was seeing the sun setting over the long sea..or he could been seeing the road full of red mud trucks…or may be he was seeing the one feet difference of the road and the bridge in the NH…or may be he was preparing the intrview questions for the next meeting in Leela barista… whatever he was dreaming, only he knows…but when he suddenly opened his eyes, he could not see clearly...the road ahead was lit up with diwali lights.. the trucks were going backwards on either side of the ears...there was complete silence inside the car but the sexy black Accent was blazing away the darkness at 160 kmph.....