Journal: Cabo De Rama
July 28, 2019: A heavy downpour in the morning threatened to ruin the complete day. By afternoon the rain had subsided, the clouds dispersed, and the Sun shone with complete authority. It’s been a week since I arrived in Goa to live among the fishermen along the state’s short coastline. Today, however, I decided to do something different—hire a bike and wander through one of South Goa’s beautiful scenic routes.
Destination: Cabo De Rama Fort, a bulwark on a small hillock that extends out into the Arabian Sea.
Palolem, where I’m staying right now, is devoid of the usual chaos of North Goa. And it’s a bit difficult to find rent-a-bike shops during the off-season.
“Do you have any bikes to rent for a day, bhau?” I asked a guy who was pulling the blue tarpaulin sheet from the low-pitched roof to drain the rain-water.
His Portuguese-styled house had a small lawn in front, filled with scooters of different models. Each had dents on their body from rough use.
“Only scooters.”
“How about this one?” I asked, pointing my finger to a blue Honda at a distance.
He quickly glanced to where I was showing and said, “That’s mine. It’s not for rent.”
“This looks like the only one among these that’ll survive the entire ride,” I answered him while running my fingers on its seat cover, which still had water from the rainstorm.
He called his wife and discussed something in their dialect, Konkani.
“Umm... ok. I’ll charge you more for this.”
“How much?”
“Rs 250,” he said.
A scooter at Rs.250 for a day during the off-season is a great deal. Charges go up to around Rs. 450 and upwards during the peak-season (depending on location and quality) from October to late April.
Bhau brought a small soft-drink bottle filled with petrol. He looked up at me and extended his hand for the rent.
“Wait,” I said, coldly, “I need to check the scooter first.”
I gave him my Aadhar Card and took the bike for a ride. It wasn’t bad. The tire had low pressure but could be fixed. The brakes were ok-ok. I paid him the due and took the scooter to my hostel.
My roommate helped me pack a few things for the journey—two sandwiches, a water bottle, and my journal—and put it inside the beautiful multi-hued embroidered satchel bag I got as a gift in Manipur. After adjusting the helmet (which was a size smaller than my head), I started for my destination.
A cool breeze wrapped my face as the scooter moved through Canacona’s innumerable winding roads, dotted with coconut trees and green pastures on one side and the sea on the other. The monsoon rain had transformed the landscape into a bright green carpet. Every turn on the asphalt revealed a new composition of nature. I lost count of the times I got down from the scooter to photograph the view. As the ride entered a hilly terrain, the road now had serious uphills and downhills. On one of those up-down rides, I could see the sea at a distance. There were houses that resembled Lego pieces scattered on a green mat. I moved my fingers away from the throttle and took control of the brakes. Descending on a 50-degree slope on a scooter with flimsy brakes was no joke. The gravel road descended and moved up the hillock for one last turn. The trees, now, gave way to the barren land. I arrived at Cabo de Rama in less than an hour.
Cabo de Rama Fort
An archway welcomed me inside what used to be a Portuguese bastion until the later part of the 18th century. The fort then went into the hands of the British. Post-Independence, it served as a Government prison, until 1953. The entrance had an antique candle stand, and an altar mounted on the wall. The wall, however, had ambiguous writings by ‘modern Romeos’. Inside the fort, there was a beautiful white Church of St. Antonio. Locals come here on special occasions. The white and blue paint of the Church was in stark contrast to the dull and now lifeless walls of the fortification.
To the right of the church, a flight of stairs, covered with green moss, led me to the second level of the fort. Once on the top, I could now see why this hillock was chosen as a base to construct this massive laterite-stone bastion. Steep cliffs on the western side and a panoramic view of the Canacona coastline, the fort soon became an important landmark for the rulers. The Portuguese installed a massive 21 cannon battery here, out of which only two were visible—slowly being reclaimed by nature. According to locals, Cabo de Rama (Rama thought to be as Ram from the Ramayana) was built much before the invasion of the Portuguese.
I carefully unpacked my lunch and had it while enjoying a commanding view of the Arabian Sea. The strong sea-breeze filled my mind with happiness and my body with salt. But chills ran down my spine when I thought of the person who first saw the approaching imperialist powers on carracks from this fort, some 540 years ago.
The rider in me was far from being satisfied. I took an entirely different route on my return journey to Palolem: the Panvel-Kanyakumari Highway No. 66, considered as India’s busiest and deadliest National Highway. Riding my rickety Honda Dio, I followed the silky-smooth road towards Canacona, as it cuts through forests, villages, and jhum cultivations. And now, as I’m swiping through the pictures of the day, a sense of contentment has settled in: a long-awaited dream to ride a scooter in Goa finally accomplished.
Information:
Off-Season is from late May to late September.
Peak-Season is from early October to late April.
Accommodation:
I stayed for a day at the Roadhouse Hostel (now, The Lost Hotel), Palolem. 6-Bed Mixed Dorm starts at Rs. 297 (off-season). Great way to meet travellers from across the globe.
Food:
The route from Palolem to Cabo de Rama is devoid of any serious food joint, except near Agonda Beach. It’s better to carry a little something for the trip. Although alcohol is pretty darn cheap, driving while intoxicated invariably attracts a hefty fine as well as the ire of locals.
Transportation:
There are no public transportations to reach Cabo de Rama. It’s better to rent a vehicle. They are cheap and convenient.
Scooters: Rs. 250/day
Bikes: Rs. 450/day
Cars: Rs. 1500/day
Avoid driving on the district route and the National Highway No. 66 at night. If you have to, be extremely cautious.
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