January 9, 2011
Central Goa
Colva > Margoan > Ponda > Old Goa > Panaji
Sometimes I surprise myself. Last night I thumbed through the LP book and made some notes on my piece of photocopied map about Chandor, being 15 km or so east of here. The book says it's dotted with crumbling old mansions. Sounds good!.... Anyway, more about that later.
Right now I need a coffee and there's a Cafe Coffee Day in the nearby beach spot of Colva.
It's open when I get there at gone 9:30 and my order is a King Cappuccino but there's not much of a selection of food for breakfast and I end up with a wedge of chocolate cake covered with warm chocy sauce, served with a ball of ice cream. I sit outside.
Colva's beach is just 50 metres away, but my desire to see it is nil and the place seems like the place I just left, but I do take some photos of the church as I ride by - local people are stood outside.
It's an 18th century one and is painted white like they all are around here, except for some stonework to its high side wall, which is built of that local red rock that seems volcanic to me.
It's just 6 km to the town of Margoan and the road there is narrow and busy just like many B roads in the UK and elsewhere.
It's hot already.
The guide book talks about the old area of town at its top edge and I find it easy enough as there's a huge church and this being Sunday morning there's a crowd outside it. More photos are taken.
This is when things go pear-shaped. No idea why, but I forget all about Chandor and follow a sign for Ponda, a town due north. Only once I've cycled the 15 km do I grasp my mistake, but there's no going back.
This road is busy - NH4a or something - and Ponda is a nothing sort of place, so I keep on riding, heading for the historic town of Old Goa, another 15-ish kilometres away. First I have a tumbler of fresh sugarcane juice from a young boy by the road at a junction and feel better for it. Then I have another.
There's a cathedral and a big stone church in Old Goa and I visit both as they are either side of the road.
Very handy.
There are other churches, but I feel I've seen enough and decide to get to Panaji, the state capital. It's another hour away I guess - along more narrow busy road and this feels like A-to-B stuff, not good cycle touring if you ask me.
Panaji has that Sunday feel to it and everything is shuttered up. The few guesthouses in the old part I inquire at are full, but then I find one that's 850 a night and I say okay as it's been hot and today was a nothing sort of day on the bike, which is now inside my ground-floor room.
I missed Chandor. Maybe there wasn't much to see. You know what LP books can be like.
My clapped-out Eee PC's screen is now white not black when I turn it on. Maybe it'll work again soon.
That chocolate cake in Colva's branch of Cafe Coffee Day seems light years ago.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 2,925 km (1,816 miles)
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