We were dropped off at a beach called Calangute. It was nearly 11 in the morning and the heat was getting to us. We had originally planned on spending the night on the beach but we were quick to realise that the heat would eat us alive before we got to that. We had to get ourselves a room. But first, the beach! We quickly found ourselves a McDonald's to change in and grab a bite. From there, we didn't really know the way which road we were on. We just kept walking until we reached the beach. For inland city dwellers like us, it was total bliss! We spent almost an hour there. We rented a bike and started hunting for a room. Mind you, riding around in wet clothes full of sand was very uncomfortable!  It took us nearly an hour before we found a room which fit into our budget.

After dumping our stuff there and taking a bath, we headed to the next beach. And that's how the first day whizzed by. We just kept riding until we found a beach to check out, we tried food from the streets and just kept loafing around. We even found a cute little bookstore “Literati”! That was the essence of it all, just being able to “be”. And then the night set in.

It had been such an incredible trip! The silences we had shared while listening to the sound of the waves, the taste of salt from the water in the sea, the relief that a short breeze gave us in the heat; all were experiences that we'd take back, that belonged to us.  It was all worth it. The running, the last minute packing, the panicking, the sunburns, the hunger pangs, surviving a night on the cake and let's not forget the fever! This was a trip which had tested us and our patientce. It was also the most memorable trip I'd ever been on.