Swayed over by a Blue Façade

The one thing I always make it a point to do on the first opportune moment when I am in Goa is to walk to the tiny jetty beside our house in Betim and cross the Mandovi River by ferry to the city of Panjim. It’s a pleasure to sail across the supple waves meandering our way through cruise liners, floating casinos and fishing boats. I alight after a sea spray filled, five minute, noisy ride and walk along the river banks to the ageing Mandovi Hotel. This hotel is one structure which I hold close to my heart as its walls contain the many memories of my maternal family. Many a story has been retold to me of the wonderful sepia toned life enjoyed by my mother and her siblings in the very same city I walk upon now.

I settle myself in the cozy, Goan themed restaurant on the 1st floor called Rio Rico, which boasts of the finest and the oldest Goan cuisine in Goa. The table by the verandah facing the riverside is conveniently empty as though it was permanently reserved for the members of my family. A suited old gentleman in a top hat is strumming his guitar and melodiously singing a local song thus completing the ambiance. I order the usual, which is a family staple – a rich tomato soup which comes accompanied by a full bread basket teeming with hot local breads such as poi, unda, pau and bread sticks with oodles of butter, and a Russian salad chilled to perfection with their in-house mayonnaise, fresh pineapple and sliced hard boiled egg. This is one spot where I can lose myself into oblivion and blank out completely from the so called ‘world’.

I cannot imagine an experience at such levels at my birthplace – Mumbai!

Yes, I do have my own collection of memories in my home town but the picture is far clearer of the memories I have of me in Goa. The blue tinted sea water, thought now vividly grey and on the verge of being polluted still has a bit of charm left, the sound of swaying palms though diminished in numbers still ring fresh in my ears at night and as much as I hate the power cuts (Goa STILL does not produce its own electricity), I welcome them as the heat wakes me in the middle of the night at the oddest of hours and I make the most of it by walking out into the calm night to take in the city view from the rickety swing in the cottage garden with bottle of chilled water and a bar of chocolate.

Yes, a holiday and a life out here may sound quite contrary to the life back in the constant drone of Mumbai but it’s become a part of me which is very difficult to break away from. Sometime, in the future or near, I might just embrace it on the first opportunity I get.

I did capture my Goa experience, all in all, the blueness of the sea, the foam and spray, the swaying coconut palms and the kick I call ‘life’ in one drink. I do intend to share the experience with you in a glass. The only thing I regret is that I cannot share the memories of my yore as its too much write about, well but then let’s just leave something for me. Enjoy this while you can.

Blue Hazed Surf

Ingredients:

• 20ml Malibu
• 10ml Coconut Feni*
• 2 tablsp Blue Curaçao
• Fresh Coconut Water
• Splash of Tonic Water
• Ice Cubes

In a shaker combine a few cubes of ice with Malibu, Coconut Feni and Fresh Coconut Water. Give it a good shake and keep aside.

In a tall cocktail glass spoon in the Blue Curaçao and fill the glass halfway with ice, carefully strain the coconut cocktail mix over the ice (ensuring you don’t pour it in too hard as we want the curaçao to remain undisturbed). Splash some tonic water, drop in a swizzle stick, garnish with a coconut ring and serve immediately.

Now that the couple of posts preceding this keeps us well liqueur’d and adequately sozzled, I shall whet your appetite with some interesting local recipes, look out for the next few posts…

*Coconut Feni – This is local (Goan) liquor made from the sap of the coconut palm. The word Feni is derived as such because when the liquor is shaken in a bottle (or in this case a shaker) and poured in the glass some froth is formed which in the local Konkani language is known as Fen. The traditional type of feni is cashew feni made by crushing cashew apples and the juice is then fermented in earthen pots.

Feni is definitely an acquired taste and takes a while to get used to, but nonetheless an interesting tongue tickler.