Sun and sand at Devbagh

Last weekend was spent in Devbagh, an island in North Karnataka, about 2 hours south of Goa. I had gone there with my office colleagues (26 people in all) for a team offsite (read: merrymaking at the company's expense).

We left Bangalore at 4:30 PM on Friday and reached our destination at about 8 in the morning. The 520 km ride was made bearable by the ample supply of food and some beer. Once off the bus, we took a 15 minute boat ride to Devbagh island. The boat ride was less than comfortable with one having to put on a smelly life jacket and carry the luggage, all in a small excuse called a motor boat.

On the island, the Devbagh Beach Resort helpers were there to receive us. All the luggage was carried in a golf cart (thank God!) while we walked amidst the trees towards the resort. The place was serenely beautiful. On one side the Arabian Sea was lashing the stones and the sand; and on the other side there were trees as far as the eye could see. Walking through the trees, you could hear the calls of many birds- a rarity for city dwellers.

The accommodation itself was austere yet fairly comfortable. There were log huts and cottages. They were quite spacious with large bathrooms equipped with geysers. The rooms were a little dingy but then the sound of the waves and the birds more than made up for it. After a much needed shower, everyone hit the beach. The banana boat ride and the paragliding and the parasailing were all out of the question because of the bad weather. In the meanwhile, cricket, football, volleyball, frisbee kept all interested. And then there was the extended beach bathing session. The water was expectedly quite salty. But it was fun all the same, challenging the waves as they bore down upon you.

Once everyone had had their fill of fun (and salt water), lunch came as a great relief. Food was Ok, nothing to write home about. Tired from the journey and the frolicking on the beach, we retreated to our respective rooms for an afternoon nap. Some went in for a massage at the Ayurvedic centre. I chose to sleep outside on one of the many hammocks. It truly was a magical experience to lie by the sea on a hammock. God bless the soul who thought up the hammock!

Evening came and everyone hit the beach again. This time for a bonfire and booze (yippee!). There were enough spirits to keep our spirits high for a long time. However, a thunderous burst of rain cut short the merry-making and everyone retreated to the shelter of the "Gol Ghar" restaurant. Dinner done, most people called it a night. There was the "nature walk" in the morning that the resort folk had arranged for us. The more adventurous amongst us kept the party going and the booze flowing. Before we realized, it was 1 in the morning. We went out to the beach for a stroll. The sea looked magnificent. In my opinion, the sea looks best at night, by the moonlight. Truly magical.

Next morning when I woke up, most of the others had already left for the nature walk. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the rest of us as I later heard that the walk involved wading through neck high water. Haha. The "walk" took its toll on a few digicams and cell-phones.

Soon enough, we approached the dreaded team building activity in the afternoon. I am not even going to try to get into it (especially since I have bored you enough already). With that done, there was the customary speech "thanks yous" from a few folks. Lunch done, we retraced our steps, got into the boat (this time sans the life-jackets), got into the bus and drove back to Bangalore.