Last week, I spent a long weekend in Goa, and since I returned from the trip, I've had trouble summarizing my thoughts on this famed beach destination.
Goa has a reputation as being a hippy-centric party spot. I pictured long, sun-filled days with raging parties on silky-sand beaches. While I did see some parties and a few hippies, Goa, in particular Baga Beach, reminded me of Myrtle Beach.
When you land at Dabolim Airport, you taxi through rows upon rows of military planes and are greeted with an announcement from the captain that "photography at the airport is strictly prohibited." The co-location of the military and civilian airbases to me is a stark reminder of the number of conflicts the state of Goa, like much of India, has experienced.
The State of Goa gained independence from its colonizer, Portugal, 14 years after the rest of India gained independence from England. The sources I consulted said that the Indian army finally decided to take back Goa from Portugal in 1961 "with little resistance."
To me, that sums up Goa. I get the sense that the people have given up the fight to preserve their legacy and historical status and try to go through life with as little conflict as possible. Why do I say this?
Beautiful buildings in the picturesque downtown Panjim are in disrepair.
The river flowing through the city, once a revered trade route, is mired in trash.
Tour boat operators, shop keepers, and casino promoters seemed to be just going through the motions.
Drunk driving is embraced by many as part of the Goan life.
It was almost as if there was a "take us or leave us, this is what it is" attitude among many of the Goans I encountered, which differs to me dramatically from the attitudes I've encountered from the people I've met in Bangalore and Kerala.
(Note, the hotel staff at the Marriott really did seem to care and provide excellent service, although many of them confessed to me that they were looking for transfers to other places far away from Goa.)
I recognize that we went towards the end of the typical tourist season, so a general fatigue may have settled across the region that was waiting for the crowds to dissipate and refreshing from the monsoons to come. But the indifferent attitude I encountered among many Goans confused me because I heard from a number of them that tourist traffic was down and "they couldn't understand why not as many tourists were coming to Goa."
I did enjoy my visit and I do want to return to experience the Monsoon season (I heard it was beautiful), tour the less-crowded and picturesque Southern beaches, and escape to the scenic Northern beaches. Perhaps I'll escape when, like the Portuguese in 1961, I feel the need to surrender from the stresses of holding on to daily life and I need to kick back and relax for a few days.
Because that is the great part about Goa - it doesn't care if you wake up early or stay out all night partying. If you want to wear a string bikini or a full-body bathing suit, go for it. You're not really questioned as you are in other states; they're used to seeing it all. A friend compared it to being in Las Vegas.
So maybe that's the beauty of it - beyond the parties, beyond the beaches, Goa is a place whose indifference is refreshing in what otherwise can be an overbearing and intrusive country.
Goa has a reputation as being a hippy-centric party spot. I pictured long, sun-filled days with raging parties on silky-sand beaches. While I did see some parties and a few hippies, Goa, in particular Baga Beach, reminded me of Myrtle Beach.
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| Delicious rose water |
The State of Goa gained independence from its colonizer, Portugal, 14 years after the rest of India gained independence from England. The sources I consulted said that the Indian army finally decided to take back Goa from Portugal in 1961 "with little resistance."
To me, that sums up Goa. I get the sense that the people have given up the fight to preserve their legacy and historical status and try to go through life with as little conflict as possible. Why do I say this?
Beautiful buildings in the picturesque downtown Panjim are in disrepair.
The river flowing through the city, once a revered trade route, is mired in trash.
Tour boat operators, shop keepers, and casino promoters seemed to be just going through the motions.
 |
| Weather-worn facade in the capital of Goa |
Drunk driving is embraced by many as part of the Goan life.
It was almost as if there was a "take us or leave us, this is what it is" attitude among many of the Goans I encountered, which differs to me dramatically from the attitudes I've encountered from the people I've met in Bangalore and Kerala.
(Note, the hotel staff at the Marriott really did seem to care and provide excellent service, although many of them confessed to me that they were looking for transfers to other places far away from Goa.)
I recognize that we went towards the end of the typical tourist season, so a general fatigue may have settled across the region that was waiting for the crowds to dissipate and refreshing from the monsoons to come. But the indifferent attitude I encountered among many Goans confused me because I heard from a number of them that tourist traffic was down and "they couldn't understand why not as many tourists were coming to Goa."
I did enjoy my visit and I do want to return to experience the Monsoon season (I heard it was beautiful), tour the less-crowded and picturesque Southern beaches, and escape to the scenic Northern beaches. Perhaps I'll escape when, like the Portuguese in 1961, I feel the need to surrender from the stresses of holding on to daily life and I need to kick back and relax for a few days.
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| Faded umbrella dot the Baga Beach strand |
So maybe that's the beauty of it - beyond the parties, beyond the beaches, Goa is a place whose indifference is refreshing in what otherwise can be an overbearing and intrusive country.
Are you sure you aren't a tour guide?
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