------------------------------------------------------------------------ * G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GARCA BRANCA VACATION ACCOMMODATION LOUTULIM, SOUTH GOA. For R&R; modern/clean amenities; serene, healthy and wholesome location
Visit http://www.garcabranca.com for details/booking/confirmation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sawantwadi is a small town that you cross late in the evening, if you're taking the bus to Mumbai. We hardly stop off there, or encounter the place at closer counter. Recently, one got the chance to have a nice look around the small and scenic town (that is centered around a large lake and has hills on all sides) and also go by the school and the old church (in ruins, like the one at Vengurla, for some reason) where we also met schoolboys doing their afternoon study with all seriousness. After that, a ride on my made-in-India and well-designed Bajaj Platina 100 cc ended up at Sindhudurg fort (which is situated on an island outside Malvan), and the trip back to Goa took the green and scenic forest-ensconsced Sagari Mahamarg (Coastal Highway) that's being completed not far from the western Maharashtra shoreline. At Vengurla, we even ran into an abandoned Dutch factory, and earlier were in time to undertake a detailed tour of the Sawantwadi palace (open for visitors till 1 pm), where they charge just Rs 25 for entry together with guided tour! The royal family encourages the promoting of the ganjifa tradition [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganjifa] of art, and we could walk into the darbar hall and take a whole lot of photos there. Must have taken around 330 photos, before my camera capacity got completely exhausted, and I just had to stop my hyperactive trigger-happy index finger by the next morning. Rather disappointing! No images of the blue waters of Vengurla, or the narrow peninsular jutting right out into the sea. In Sawantwadi, I picked up a nice book being sold at the palace ('External Relations of Sawantwadi State, 1651-1838, Dr Ankush Sarang, MA Phd, pp 176, Rs 160) which had a lot of references to "Portuguese Goa", and was therefore interesting. It was this book that mentioned the Dutch factory at Vengurla, while guide-books (Outlook's is fairly useful) didn't seem to include the ruins. If you'd like to undertake some virtual tourism, please see the 330 photos I shot here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/sets/72157602804292100/ Needless to say, these are all sharable, and I would encourage anyone wanting to use them (for non-commercial purposes) to please do so. Sawantwadi town itself is known for its wooden toys and the fish-based Malvani food is simply yummm... Everyone recommends Hotel Gomantak there. For some background reading see the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawantwadi FN -- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org Ph 0091-832-2409490 12000+ downloadable, sharable hi-res photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/