Goa Chill

Chapora, Goa - March 16

Another late breakfast morning in Goa. It seems to be the natural rhythm of life here. Even the locals here - primarily Christians from the long Portuguese presence to take monopoly of the spice trade, Oops, I mean to Christianize the natives - are way more relaxed than their Hindu counterparts. The women wear short-sleeved shirts and knee-length skirts for God's sake! (no pun intended) The men, even more impressively act like adults in the presence of bikini-clad women - not as adolescent males (regardless of age) who literally plunk themselves down on the sand right next to a woman to ogle. What a refreshing + liberating change! I'm sure this relaxed attitude is due in part to the fact that Goa began attracting groups of hippies + leisure-seekers since the 60's and has had plenty of time to get accustomed to our liberal, randy + rowdy ways. And maybe even more significantly, they've decided to accept it and capitalize on it to improve their standards of living + those of future generations in the process. (Photo: Me at Holi Festival dance party)

Goa is an international beach hot spot and it's fascinating to walk through a scene like Ingo's Night Market and hear such a melting pot of languages spoken. The two most notable - one for it's abundance and the other for it's surprising lack thereof - are the Russians and Israeli's, respectively. We could not believe the number of the former. The groups of slicked-up, beefy men + bright blond, blue-eyed women in skimpy attire + spiky heels was unlike anything we've seen in our 2 years on the road. And how they love to shop! There are lots of other Euro's here too and it's easy to see why - Just look online and you'll find great deals to Mumbai (an overnight bus ride, or short flight, away) from most European capitals, making this a much cheaper alternative to the Costa del Sol. (And even for an American, though the flights aren't cheap, I'd pick this over Cancun orHawaii any day) So while that all makes sense to me, the obvious absence of Israeli's right now is baffling. This is their big scene. Aren't they the ones who gave birth to Goa trance? So what's the deal?! Have they all migrated up to Manali already, or gone home? For that matter, we've hardly seen a one since returning to India this time compared with the numerous + highly apparent groups of them on our previous visit. I guess if I find one I'll ask. (Photo: Beach beds and Ayurvedic massage)

Besides all that, we personally are enjoying the variety of beautiful beaches, warm ocean + perfect temps; our long, lazy drives on narrow roads through scenic countryside dotted with gleaming white churches + quaint villages; spotting langurs leaping through trees + dolphins jumping from the Arabian sea. And yes, I saw the last just the other day. Dolphins playing offshore - nose up, whole body in the air, perfectly silhouetted by the sun, arcing back down and entering the water with a splash. Again and again. (Photo: Low tide at Morjim beach, at high tide the water crashes right at the foot of your bed)



One week later -

The Israeli mystery has now been answered. It seems the government here has found them to be more hassle than their difficult-to-extract tourist dollars are worth. 6-months visas are now only issued once every three years, with no chance of renewal. Ouch! That also explains why so many Russians have moved in to take their place now that their economy is on the rise and people are more flush with cash. Seems Indians would rather take the easy money... and who can blame them.


Two weeks later -

Still here :) God, these beaches are nice! We've explored a big stretch of coastline now and stopped at several of our favorite beaches twice or more. For having been "developed" for 40 years, the impact here is sure minor. Entire Thai islands have been ruined in a period of only 5 years, while in Goa, most all development on the beaches happens at a local level. There are very few places to stay right back from the beach. Most guesthouses are set in small villages, leaving the sand uncluttered but for locally-owned, thatched beach shacks and some wooden beds with shade structures. It's honestly one of the nicest, most varied + interesting beach scenes I've every had the pleasure of enjoying.


Another bonus of Goa, at least for a dance-deprived duo like ourselves, is the party scene. Things have quieted down a bit with the winding down of the season and the law strong-arming a 10:00PM club curfew at the moment, but that doesn't seem to be stopping everyone. We've had a couple energetic boogie-down sessions with friendly, beautiful people and a great vibe continuing all through the night and day.