Goa in 2010

We hadn't been to India since 1987 and many folks told us how much has changed. Plenty has happened in the last couple of decades; a shift to a market economy, plenty of IT outsourcing, the country has gone cricket mad and Bollywood keeps churning out the hits. We flew out of Delhi on Jet Airlines, one of many good airlines now serving the Indian public. The Delhi airport is typically Asian: new and modern. There are hundreds of planes on the tarmac in the early morning, before they set out all over India. Of course, there is always a certain amount of commotion and excitement at the boarding area and loading a plane seems like a minor miracle. Disembarkation is more exciting as Indian passengers get off public conveyances with much vigour, all trying to exit all at precisely the same time.

Goa is a tiny, tropical Indian state with only 100km of coastline. The population is almost 1.5 million of which a quarter is Christian, a direct result of the Portuguese Inquisition. The Portuguese left in 1961 and left behind a heritage of colonial buildings, particularly at Old Goa which in its heyday was larger than London or Lisbon but largely abandoned in the 17^th century. The manicured lawns and working churches including the Basilica of Bom Jesus (with remains of St Xavier) and a steady flow of Christian pilgrims provides an interesting contrast from the rest of India. But enough of history, our focus was on the beach. Over 3 weeks, we visited the beaches from the south to north....

Palolem in the south of the state is probably the most beautiful beach in Goa. It features an arcing beach, lined with palm trees and local fishing boats pulled up on the sand. In the early mornings, local people haul in the fishing nets line a chaotic but successful manner. Indian beaches are never quite what you expect but they are colorful and terrific for people (and cow) watching. Palolem has kept the large resorts at bay but has a typical hash of ramshackle buildings with beach dogs and cows supplemented by a flood of foreign visitors including many Israelis and Russians. Indian tourists drift in, particularly on weekends. Indian women in arrive in saris and go in the warm water, fully clothed. Wealthy Indians display their healthy midriffs while young guys play football (soccer) or cricket at low tide. All along the Goa coast, lifeguards are on duty with an efficiency like none other. They mostly leave the foreigners alone, but when an Indian tourist strays away from the flag area, even if they are only knee deep in water, the whistles start blowing hard.

We rented bikes a few times. At Palolem, Glenn was fortunate enough to ride a vintage Atlas bicycle (made in Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh) complete with a huge coiled spring seat and delightful rear wheel wobble. There is nothing quite like cycling along rice paddies and past water buffaloes and stopping for a Limca or Thums Up (sic), both of which are vintage soft drinks, now owned by Coca Cola.

We dropped in on and stayed at a bunch of beaches: Palolem, Benaulim, Candolim, Calungate, Baga, Anjuna and Arambol. We walked a lot of beach at low tide. We ate plenty of seafood and curries. Every time Glenn ordered a vindaloo, the waiter would always warn him that it was going to be hot, but they never blew his head off (just watery eyes, running nose). Calungate was the most interesting beach culturally speaking. Calungate was simply over the top, it has be seen to be believed The beach was frothing with Indian tourists (many waiting for boat trips, jet ski rides or para sailing). Fabulous. Better than Varanasi.

We made an excursion to Hampi, inland in Karnataka state on a 10 hour train journey. Hampi is a UNESCO world heritage site and was capital of the Vijayanagara Empire till1565, . Nowadays it is nice small temple town with a whack of atmospheric ruins that are nicely visited by bicycle. We took the “ Howrah Express” from Margao. We grabbed sweet chai and veggie samosas for breakfast on the train platform and awaited the (almost) on-time train. It is fun to watch the anticipation of the crowds and then the excitement of train boarding (everyone on the platform wants to get on at the same time). Once you have kicked out the squatters out of your reserved seats, you can sit back and watch the countryside and the steady stream of wallahs (vendors) coming through the carriage. Despite the tumultuous appearance, train travel is well organized and you can even pre-order your meals on the go. And it is very simple, once you have eaten, the trash goes out the window (try and do that on an airplane).

So has India changed? The answer is an unequivocal, Yes. That's because.....we did not see a single snake charmer. There used to be as many as 800,000 across the country. The exotic sight of the snake charmer once captured the imagination of locals and foreigners alike. Now, the former icons of Indian culture are on the verge of extinction, due to the enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Act and because more rural people can afford TV's and they'd rather watch Star Cricket than a charmer handling a cobra.