Goa diaries and New year 2025 by Mannat Malhotra

 

New year is celebrated throughout the world. It is celebrated just like a festival. It brings happiness on the face of millions of people across the globe. According to the Georgian calendar, new year is celebrated on 1st January of every year. People celebrate this day with huge pomp and show.

On the first day off the new year, people entertain themselves throughout the midnight. 

On the next day, everyone wears new clothes and congratulate each other with a “happy new year” everyone gives presents to their loved ones which included sweets, flowers and greeting cards.

Many types of programs are organized in schools on the occasion of new year . Many markets are also decorated with colourful lights and decorations. Many countries also have national holiday on this day.

This time we celebrated by travelling to Goa. It was group tour. We stayed at a hotel near Vegator beach. The hotel was just a five minutes stroll from beach. The location was chosen with lot of precision as all the happening restaurants and clubs are in nearby vicinity of Vegator beach.

We started our first day with swimming session and water sports in Arabian sea. I have become comfortable in free style swimming and now would like to focus on butterfly and breast stroke. In water sports we thoroughly enjoyed the steamer ride and parasailing. The organizers ensured all precautions including the life jackets for all riders.

Thereafter we visited restaurants like Nama, Titlie, Kiki, Mayan, Thalasa etc and relished the Goan music and food. Despite being a vegetarian there were enough food options available for me. The sunset which we saw from restaurant Mayan was awesome and mesmerized everyone.

My mother desired to have a tattoo on her wrist and ankle. I helped her finding the design. I am glad that my parents liked the design proposed by me and finally it decorating the ankle of my mother. The theme of design is a bird flapping wings and ready to take flight. All of us I felt that the tattoo is inspiring and beautiful. We got that tattoo done through Mr Sandy a renowned tattoo artist in Goa.

We concluded our trip on a nostalgic note. We enjoyed the beautiful summer weather in Goa and travelling back to Delhi in a freezing climate was the barb pricking everyone. I was amazed to see geographical diversity of my country India. This time our return flight was scheduled from MOPA airport which is a new airport in Goa. The airport has world class facility and I really liked the infrastructure available there. The flight was scheduled through AKASAair. The staff of airline was cordial and the journey was cosy and comfortable.

When we reached Delhi our first reaction was to take out our winter jackets like an armour. Its freezing weather in Delhi. Our group had a dinner at aero city in a restaurant and finally we reached home. The moment I stepped into home the school syllabus of 60 markers strike my thought signalling the end of vacations and start of school session after the breaks.  

I am now wating for start of summer season, so that I may hone my swimming skills and get ready to travel armed with new swimming strokes!