So Finally, today I have taken out time to update Vin's blog and share with you my views as well as the fotos of this wonderful trip (otherwise supposed to be perfect except that we ...cudn't,yet again, meet Hrithik inspite of having been to his doorsteps..literally..)
So let me start with Goa.Amazing place...Tourist Hotspot....n the moment we put our feet on the 'Madgaon' station (main station to halt at for Goa), we were greeted by a cobbled platform...broken at some places, and horror of all horrors!!NO WHEELCHAIR RAMP! So..so.. how do we get out of the station??!! "Not to worry m'am, says the coolie,'There's a road for the luggage trolleys, we go that way'.OK. If not for wheelchairs, in the name of luggage trolleys. Wait a minute, ARE WE GOING THROUGH THE RAILWAY TRACKS???!!! Yes m'am, not to worry.SO we wait on the railway tracks for our long train to pass through before making our way on that broken path(where a luggage trolley really overturned at the bend!) and I was disguted thinking that "WOW. AND THIS IS THE TOURIST HOTSPOT EARNING CRORES FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A RAMP!!' Oh my Asansol station, You Are The Best!
The second let-down was on Day 1 itself. We walked down to the nearest beach beside our guest-house in Miramar-The Miramar Beach late in the evening. Right at the entrance was a small flight of stairs.OK, we can deal with that.BUT THE WHEELCHAIR won't budge an inch in the sand!!! What do we do now?? 'OK, let me go and see how far the sea-shore is from the beach', says Vin's papa, leaving us n Vin at the entrance.He comes back after a few minutes shaking his head- 'Its too too far to take Vin in my arms..' Silence...if Vin can't go to the sea-shore, neither will I...But of course, we forgot that Vin might get the disappoinment in our words.So we decide to take Vin as far as we could,n we cud sit there n enjoy the beach.And we cud also keep an eye on the wheelchair at the entrance . So we found a nice spot under the tall light and Vin his sister played with the sand.We got ourselves some snacks and drinks. It was a lovely evening and we were really enjoying our family time,when Vin's pa coaxed me to go upto the water with Vinisha. I went.more out of curiosity how far it was than to enjoy it.However when I finally reached the far end(IT WAS THE WIDEST BEACH IN GOA, we realised later), I couldn't stop my tears from coming and I silently vowed that if this was going to happen in all the beaches in Goa,I was NOT going to the water. When I returned to Vin n his pa, My dear Husband realised everything, and he said he would carry Vin upto the water and I suggested maybe he cud stop when he got tired. So off went Vin in his father's arms and Vinisha scampered behind and I watched them go...a little less heavier heart...
The next few days in Goa were happy and fun-filled except wherever Vineet had to be carried around(which is a little exhausting for his papa,I have to admit). So we couldn't climb up to the upper boundary of the lighthouse jail or to the or temples with lots of stairs and no ramps.... And of course.. there were The Beaches, but less wider than Miramar Beach.
AND THE BEST BEACH WAS BAGAH BEACH "COZ IT HAD WATER NEAREST TO THE BEACH. Oh yes! I have to mention our pleasant surprise in Goa on the last day.We planned to board our train this time not from Madgaon station, but Karmali Station, which was nearer to where we were staying.And surprise of all surprises- KARMALI STATION IN GOA had a RAMP!! :))))
So let me start with Goa.Amazing place...Tourist Hotspot....n the moment we put our feet on the 'Madgaon' station (main station to halt at for Goa), we were greeted by a cobbled platform...broken at some places, and horror of all horrors!!NO WHEELCHAIR RAMP! So..so.. how do we get out of the station??!! "Not to worry m'am, says the coolie,'There's a road for the luggage trolleys, we go that way'.OK. If not for wheelchairs, in the name of luggage trolleys. Wait a minute, ARE WE GOING THROUGH THE RAILWAY TRACKS???!!! Yes m'am, not to worry.SO we wait on the railway tracks for our long train to pass through before making our way on that broken path(where a luggage trolley really overturned at the bend!) and I was disguted thinking that "WOW. AND THIS IS THE TOURIST HOTSPOT EARNING CRORES FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A RAMP!!' Oh my Asansol station, You Are The Best!
The second let-down was on Day 1 itself. We walked down to the nearest beach beside our guest-house in Miramar-The Miramar Beach late in the evening. Right at the entrance was a small flight of stairs.OK, we can deal with that.BUT THE WHEELCHAIR won't budge an inch in the sand!!! What do we do now?? 'OK, let me go and see how far the sea-shore is from the beach', says Vin's papa, leaving us n Vin at the entrance.He comes back after a few minutes shaking his head- 'Its too too far to take Vin in my arms..' Silence...if Vin can't go to the sea-shore, neither will I...But of course, we forgot that Vin might get the disappoinment in our words.So we decide to take Vin as far as we could,n we cud sit there n enjoy the beach.And we cud also keep an eye on the wheelchair at the entrance . So we found a nice spot under the tall light and Vin his sister played with the sand.We got ourselves some snacks and drinks. It was a lovely evening and we were really enjoying our family time,when Vin's pa coaxed me to go upto the water with Vinisha. I went.more out of curiosity how far it was than to enjoy it.However when I finally reached the far end(IT WAS THE WIDEST BEACH IN GOA, we realised later), I couldn't stop my tears from coming and I silently vowed that if this was going to happen in all the beaches in Goa,I was NOT going to the water. When I returned to Vin n his pa, My dear Husband realised everything, and he said he would carry Vin upto the water and I suggested maybe he cud stop when he got tired. So off went Vin in his father's arms and Vinisha scampered behind and I watched them go...a little less heavier heart...
The next few days in Goa were happy and fun-filled except wherever Vineet had to be carried around(which is a little exhausting for his papa,I have to admit). So we couldn't climb up to the upper boundary of the lighthouse jail or to the or temples with lots of stairs and no ramps.... And of course.. there were The Beaches, but less wider than Miramar Beach.
AND THE BEST BEACH WAS BAGAH BEACH "COZ IT HAD WATER NEAREST TO THE BEACH. Oh yes! I have to mention our pleasant surprise in Goa on the last day.We planned to board our train this time not from Madgaon station, but Karmali Station, which was nearer to where we were staying.And surprise of all surprises- KARMALI STATION IN GOA had a RAMP!! :))))
mumbai
Well, frankly speaking, I was a bit disappointed with what Mumbai looked liked.I thought and I still do, that our Kolkata is much neater and good-looking, contrary to what people say and think. While the dinner parties at the ITC and Taj were a stuff of what dreams are made of, I was SO SO disappointed the day we went sightseeing to Juhu and Bandra and saw some of the filmstars homes, but our driver could not locate Hrithik's place. Whatever....
The link to the fotos and the stories behind them - http://www.flickr.com/photos/57634602@N00/sets/72157625778042871/
