Ever since our prime minister asked us to observe a ‘Janata Curfew’, life has gone topsy-turvy. A virus has played havoc with people all over the world, killing and maiming lakhs of them. The crafty virus has been changing itself to outwit cures and vaccines and appearing in waves, each one deadlier than its predecessor.
As people have become habituated to wearing masks and keeping distance from one another, recognizing even close friends has become a problem. Very little of their face is visible, and their voice, coming filtered through the mask, sounds unfamiliar. The pandemic has created a ‘new normal’ for most other aspects of everyday life, too.
Among the things I badly miss is my annual visit to my hometown in Kerala. Before academic activities went haywire and ‘online’ classes came into vogue, we used to look forward to the summer vacation in schools and colleges. My son and his school-going children would be free only during the vacation. Since the price of flight tickets, if booked well in advance, was only a little more than that charged by the railways, we used to do so months before the holidays began. The added advantage was that the journey could be completed in a few hours, giving us a few more days to spend with our relatives.
If unforeseen developments forced us to change our programme, we preferred to travel by road. My son likes long drives, particularly along National Highway 66, passing through the coastal region of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. As soon as we hit the Konkan region, the ambience changes to a soothing one. Even people and buildings look like those of my home state. Food items are also not much different, with lots of spice, coconut, rice, and fish. There are fishing villages on the way. The road passes through hills, forests, rivers, rivulets, and streams generally flowing westwards towards the Arabian sea. Plenty of swaying coconut and areca trees and paddy fields along the way make the journey more enjoyable.
Things have changed for the worse during the last few years due to the widening of the road. Driving has become a slow affair due to various diversions and rough stretches. There are plenty of potholes on the road due to the heavy rains that lash the area. Environmentalists opposed to the project for obvious reasons have approached various courts, slowing down the work further.
We always spent a couple of days in Goa before proceeding to Kerala. Our stay was usually in a particular hotel in Calangute, with its beautiful beach and golden sand. The owner had become a friend over the years. He used to take personal care of the guests. Once, he even accompanied us to a hospital at the dead of night when one of us fell ill. The beach was enchanting with its shacks, where one could sit on the lounge chairs, nursing a mug of cold beer, munching local food, and looking at the speedboats carrying adventurous visitors and parasailers floating high above the calm sea.
We are eagerly looking forward to see the end of the pandemic and spend some carefree days in Goa.
