Unpaved Path to Paradise

On two occasions while in Goa, I (and then Mary and I) travelled on isolated, unpaved roads for several kilometers, only to reach fabulous destinations at the end of these bumpy “off-roads”. The first, was my arrival into Goa. Mary had arrived the night before and informed me she was at the Grand Hyatt hotel, where I would pick her up and we would ride to our place in South Goa that she had rented for the week. She warned me that her cab driver had taken the "Axe Murderer’s Route" from the airport to get there. I knew she had arrived in the middle of the night, and just figured "things surely look scarier at night". So, once my plane landed, I got in an airport cab, and asked the driver to please take me to the Grand Hyatt. We were on our way, and suddenly we turned off the paved road onto a dirt road, basically into the woods. It was a one lane road with heavy trees and brush on each side that was higher than the car. Lots of bumps and holes, and not 1 person in sight. Alone with this driver, I KNEW this could not be the way to a gorgeous, phenomenal, 5 star hotel. This was the first time I was a bit nervous since arriving in India. I asked the driver where we were going....knowing in my mind he would of course say "Grand Hyatt", delaying the revelation of his real plan! Haha

Thank goodness, a short 2 minutes later, I see, PARADISE. (And note at that point, "paradise" could have been a tent farm. I just wanted to see SOMEONE on that road!) I discovered that literally, in some of these more rural parts of coastal areas, you have to go off road to get to areas of the shoreline where hotels, beaches and resorts are located.

It is funny, that as you ride through many parts of India, every other billboard advertisement is about "Cement": "The Best Cement", "India's Hardest Cement", "Indestructible Cement!" etc. I am thinking to myself, "Hey, Hyatt, let's pour some of this fabulous cement on this road that leads to the paradise you offer!"  I am kidding, of course, and sure there is a valid reason why this road is unpaved and scary. It does make you appreciate the magnificent beach and property that you finally reach at the end, alive!

I did not have my camera out to capture the “path” to the Hyatt, however, later in the week, we were driven to a beautiful beach where the road there had a very similar isolated look and feel, of which I snapped a picture, and am posting below, as an example.