After the general chaos of travelling in central India , I flew to the state of Goa
for a week of R&R in a beach area. Goa was a famous hippy backpacker hang-out in the 60’s,
but today it attracts load of people from all over the world. It’s green and gorgeous, and
hassle-free. For me, it was a perfect
get-away from the ‘Real India’.
So, what is ‘Riding the Beaches’ all about you ask? I had not heard of this activity before
coming here, but when I saw a couple people riding their bikes along the beach
at low tide, I had to try it. I had my
doubts when I looked at the bikes I could rent.
Think single gear, covered in rust, and weighing in at a hefty 50 pounds. Yikes, I could hardly pedal this beast. I’ll post some photos of my rusty ‘Beach
Tank”.
I was staying in the laid back village
of Benaulim in the south of Goa . It is right
in the middle of a 30km long white sand beach.
At low tide, the beach is as much as ½ km wide and very flat. When I first tried riding on the beach, I
found it way to tough in the soft sand, and ended up pushing the bike, then
giving up. When I came back later at low
tide, with the tide still going out, the sand along the gentle surf, was hard
and flat. And that’s the trick. You have to ride right along the edge of
water while the tide is going out, and only when the surface is hard and flat. Perfect for bike riding, even with a tank of
a bike.
Riding in the tropical sun with the sea breeze to keep me
cool, and the surf for company is pretty amazing. There are lots of sea birds, and eagles. And did I mention the Beach Bars? When you get tired and hot, you just stop for
a swim, and then lunch and a refreshment at one of the many beach bar shacks
along the way. There are fishing villages
with colorful wooden boats, and a few tourist beaches with fat humans being
slowly roasted. But there are also long sections of beach that are completely
deserted and a dream to ride. This style of riding might not make it as an
event in the Tour De France, but for a Beach break activity, I would highly
recommend it.
Photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1wXqKL4cR6B9YGri6
Photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1wXqKL4cR6B9YGri6
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