THE OTHER GOA

Paying ode to the slow life, The First House Goa in Saligao by The Busride Lab is a testament to the other side of Goa that is a stark contrast to its beaches and parties

- AYAZ BASRAI

We all enter Goa holding a million ideas. The heady mix of excitement and anticipation slowly mingles with a dropping of inhibitions. We then begin letting loose and end up having a hazy memory of the entire trip.

The entire experience is not unlike attending a masquerade ball, (strangely mirrored in Goa’s carnival, that traces its roots back to the introduction of Roman Catholicism, occurring before the abstinence of Lent). The carnival is presided over by King Momo, who on the opening day orders his subjects to party. The masquerade plays out everyday at the beaches, the high energy bars and clubs, the glitzy casinos and the streets of otherwise quiet village by-lanes. The masquerade mask introduces us to our own split personality, offering us a vacation from ourselves.