Our Trip to Goa

     Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. Boy, exams sure do keep you busy! Anyways, so my birthday came up a few weeks ago, and since I was turning 13, it was extra special and my parents took me to Goa! One of the best parts was that Barfi was coming along! The trip was a wonderful experience, and although the car journey was a little hectic, we had a lot of fun. I have written an article about road trips with dogs here. I hope you like it!

    

    It is a reasonably long drive from the place where we live to Goa, and so the journey took us two days. Now, normally it would have taken lesser time, but since we were traveling with a dog, we made a stop in the evening at this breathtaking resort called Heritage, on the outskirts of Kolhapur. As soon as Barfi saw this place, he was in bliss (And I don't mean the belly rub kind of bliss, I mean real, tail swinging, licky happiness!). It was a big, open area, with rolling mint-green fields of grass, long, tall gardens full of bushes, flowers, and of course, sticks that Barfi insisted to chew on, and even a small pond. He couldn't wait to go out of the room and romp in the fields, and he bravely encountered all kinds of birds and insects. He even chased a poor frog! The staff prepared a delicious hot meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables for Barfi, which he thoroughly enjoyed as well. In fact, he loved the place so much that he refused to get in the car until all of us were in. But he sure was in for a treat when we arrived in Goa.

 All through the car ride, Barfi was restless and drew comfort from the warmth of my father's arm by snuggling up to him and resting his wet nose on his sleeve. As soon as we stopped outside Taj Exotica, where we were staying, he bounded out of the car and ran to sniff some bushes. It was a large property, and we didn't know where to begin. So we took a buggy ride, with Barfi enjoying the cool breeze in the back seat, until we arrived at our garden villa, which is when all of our jaws dropped in amazement.

    There were large, open gardens here too, with big leafy trees and thick hedges, all smothered with enticing scents and sounds. Large, brown branches, tiny, sweet coconuts, and sticks lay scattered around the area, perfect to play fetch with, and there was always a new discovery I made about the garden when I roamed about the fields with him. For example, we found a tiny passage that led to some other fields next to the beach, and a small stone pathway, which, when followed, led to a lily pond with flowers blooming. And so we spent our days in this seemingly magical, enchanted paradise, playing until we collapsed exhausted on the ground. Barfi, of course, jumped in the lily pond and came out soaked, covered in mud and fallen flowers. After rolling in the grass and getting even dirtier, he promptly shook himself all over me, spraying me with dirt and blades of grass.

    Once, as we were taking another ride in the buggy to the play area, with Barfi sitting at the back, we saw another golden retriever just a few houses away from where we were staying, jump out of the door, and run in front of our buggy. The driver, of course, didn't know, but Barfi barked loudly and then took a great leap from the seat, landing next to the dog!! We stopped the vehicle and got down to see the two dogs sniffing each other suspiciously. But we needn't have worried, for they soon became best buds. The other dog, as his owners told us, loved to play and was named Astro. Barfi and Astro were partners in crime. They chased pigeons together, fetched sticks together, and basically had a ball of a time (pun intended!). Their friendship became so strong that on the next day when we were sitting in the room watching TV, we heard a strange noise and found Astro staring right at us from the balcony! His family had also adopted a tiny kitten from the street, which Barfi was very curious about.

    Probably one of the most enjoyable parts of our trip was taking Barfi to the beach. He had been in a swimming pool before, (read about that hilarious experience here) but being on the beach was a completely different experience for him. At first, he was very scared, and would not go anywhere near the water. But he did love the warm feeling of the sand between his paws, and so he happily walked along, sniffing shells and trampling on sandcastles. When we finally managed to convince him to go in the water, he tried to catch the waves in his mouth, and when he received a mouthful of salty water, he threw a look of disgust at the beach and he spat the water out! After that, he continued to sit in the waves, but he would not go near it unless one of us came along with him. The only downside of our trip to the beach was the hour spent cleaning him in the bathtub! :)

    We spent our last day in Goa taking long walks in the garden and the beach, watching Barfi chase golf balls around the arena, and relaxing in the room. Then we set off again, making a stop at Kolhapur in the night and returning home the next afternoon.

    This trip is officially one of the best ones I've ever had and I thank my parents and Barfi every day for making my 13th birthday so special. I'm really lucky to have you guys.

Love always,

Sneha

P.S -> mail blissfulbarfi@gmail.com for any queries!