http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:32:14 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A visit to Germany was nothing if not overdue, since I was born there and hadn't been back for 37 years. This effectively meant that I knew nothing of the country, which had reportedly changed completely since I had my face ground in the schoolyard dust at age eight, by ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/07/06/achtung-%e2%80%93-germany/ Going by the amount of press Goa beaches get, one could be forgiven for believing that Goa is the Alpha and Omega of Indian beach destinations. This belief is, to some extent, justified – in terms of getting its tourism act together, Goa still rules. However, tourist orientation alone does ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/06/06/tranquility-among-the-coconut-groves-poovar-island-kerala/ So, you’re going on a Goa vacation. You’ve made an online booking in what may be the last of the decently priced hotels in Goa, have your flight tickets in your hand and are raring to go. Goa beach culture – here you come! Good for you. I salute your prudence ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/04/15/goa-vacation-survival-guide/ Knowing what to do if you have lost luggage in transit is one of the most vital travel tips you will ever learn. You can lose luggage anywhere and at any time during a long trip, no matter how you travel. Tourists lose luggage regularly in taxis, on buses and trains ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/02/28/what-to-do-about-lost-luggage/ Goa and I go back a long way – back to 1972, in fact. That’s when we came over from Germany and settled in India. My dad saw wisdom in easing the extreme culture shock for us by ferrying us to Calangute within a week of touchdown. It was an ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/02/24/goa%e2%80%99s-calangute-beach-a-vintage-snapshot/ Last month, I took a week off and went to Goa, and one of the places I visited was my cousin's farm in the hinterlands. His farm is maybe 20 kilometers away from Margao, at Netrolim – and it is an amazing place. Completely off Goa's beaten tourist track, it is ... http://www.goa-beach.com/vulcanmind/2008/02/04/back-to-the-basics-at-netrolim-goa/