Palolem, Goa

After Arambol, we decided to try a quieter beach in Goa. Palolem happens to  be one of the prettier ones, set up in a sweeping arc and insulated from the rest of the world by a coconut forest (remember to duck!). In the Bourne series, Jason Bourne laid low here for a couple years before the authorities caught up with him—I even jogged along the same stretch of beach he used for his workout just before the Russians show up.

Paradise?

Aside from spending time in the sun, I finished my gastro-tour of Goa with a fiery yet delicious Beef Xacuti: coconut-based curry. We tried a freshly caught and grilled fish as well on the way out. Every night, each restaurant lays out its own table of iced seafood ready for tourists to select for dinner.

I also finally spent a day on my first geared motorcycle ride, and on my dream-bike at that! Royal Enfields have impressed me on my last two trips to India as a delicious piece of Indian machinery. Their well-defined throbbing engine note and classic looks make them stand out in every way. I managed to convince the renters that I had enough motorcycle experience (ha!) before they handed me the keys to a shiny 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 5S. Having only ridden a 100cc scooter days before this, I was very excited but still a little apprehensive about driving one. Then the man showed me an even nicer ride: his own brand-new, 2 day old silver Bullet, with some plastic still protecting brilliant chrome. This was to be the first bike that I ever drove, and the pressure was on! If I protested any more that I needed time to learn to ride such a beautiful beast, my lack of riding experience would have been apparent. I had to jump on and just go for it, and thankfully I managed to find all the levers and pedals at the right times. Everything went smoothly, and he was convinced that I could safely take the older model for the rest of the day.
I took the bike up the coast to the beach at Agonda before cruising along some lazy winding roads to the ruins of a Portuguese fort at Cabo de Rama. I rode alone through jungle, fields, and towns just as the afternoon sun was turning the sky a fiery orange. I was on my own time, fully in control of where I went and how fast I got there. The freedom was exhilarating! I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience on a gear bike. Thankfully the whole thing went off without any horror stories or crashes.

Heading out. Just about to put the helmet on, honest.

Agonda, first stop on my bike tour. Not as busy as Palolem.

Portuguese fort at Cabo de Rama