The Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
We have an early breakfast this morning on the beach. The noise of the crashing waves is broken by the crows crowing noisily with success from grabbing a discarded fish from the fishermen’s recent haul and on the gentle breeze, I can hear the fishermen’s ritual chants of encouragement as they drag their heavy wooden craft up the beach. On a frond in a nearby palm tree a Kingfisher waits to spear his share.
The Kingfisher can be spotted anywhere in India and it’s stylized image is an icon. It is printed on beer bottles, it is the name of an airline and its caricature is painted on the sides of brightly coloured houses. The White Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) is larger than the common Kingfisher and I think it embodies Goa and the Goan people magnificently. It has azure blue wings that represents the sea, brown underparts symbolizing the earth and a white patch on it’s breast and throat which epitomizes the purity of the Catholic piety that dominates the lives of so many here. The Kingfisher, like the people, is illusive and hard to pin down and is skilful at catching fish and is very noisy when it is agitated or excited. Taking a good photograph is nigh on impossible without elaborate equipment but the attached picture has caught some of the birds beauty.
Three of the nine varities found in India
Kingfisher painted on the side of Shack
Into Another Year
This little chap who is sleeping in the shade of our sun-bed is
- Dreaming of the future.
Nicholas. He is Paru’s second son. When we were here last he was not yet born, she is now carrying a third child which she knows is a girl and she says she will definitely be her last.
What does the future hold for young Nicholas and over a billion of his fellow countrymen and women? From the headlines in the newspapers here it seems very uncertain. Both India and Pakistan are making, then denying bellicose statements about the possibility of a ‘surgical nuclear strike’ (a ghastly ridiculous phrase) if required. The population continues to expand at an alarming rate and the infrastructure is creaking ever louder with the increase in wealth of the middle classes. The roads are becoming more congested with the increase in car ownership, particularly four-wheeled drives and the basic necessities like water are in ever limited supply due to the construction of bigger and better homes and hotels. Life for Nicholas will be hard. His mum can neither read nor write but she is extremely bright and hard-working. Paru is 27, she can speak reasonable English, and Russian & German well enough to make a living from selling sarongs and cheap jewelry on the beach. She is determined to make enough money to send all her kids (including the yet unborn daughter) to school so they can have a better life than hers. India’s main asset is her people, who like Paru, are very resourceful. Let’s hope that the politicians who lead this intriguing and diverse country harness the talent of its populace and put it to good use rather than destroy it in an un-winnable needles conflict with Pakistan.
As for us in the UK, the credit crunch continues. Since our last visit to India the pound has fallen by 12.5% against the Indian rupee – a third world currency – I think that says it all!!
Driving & food
Saturday 27th
Went to Agonda on the scooter today – filled up with juice at 78p a litre. The 75 minute journey took us through some of the best scenery Goa can offer. The roads have impressed immensely in the two years since our last visit. We crossed the River Sal on the free ferry and then continued South through the Cashew forest, we climbed steep hills which the Honda really struggled with and passed monkeys by the side of the road.
Driving in Goa can only be described as chaotic and dangerous. If you can imagine a combination of Jousting, playing chicken and Russian Roulette all in one then you have only just thought of half of the experience. Driving here is a true manifestation of the Darwinian principle that the biggest, fittest and meanest survive. You cannot imagine how terrifying it is to to have a fully laden speeding Indian bus hurtling towards you on your side of the road for no apparent reason other than it can, blasting his deafening horn which tells everyone to get out of the road.
Des-Res
week and stay in wooden huts on the beach. The huts have a double bed, a fan, a mosquito net and a shower and toilet. For that you pay about 600/- a night (5.80p). We had lunch at the Little Italy shack. The Avocado and Greek salad were excellent but the hummus and pitta were grim. The shack manager who hailed from Jammu and Kashmir was hoping for an improvement in trade in the New Year – I think he’ll have to up his game in the hummus dept to succeed!
One of our favourite restaurants where we eat in the evenings is a place on the beach called Johncy’s. It is a well established eatery with a good reputation. It is always buzzing, mainly with Indian customers often in large extended family groups. Whatever the time of the day the service is impeccable and the food top quality. The staff are exceptional and well worthy of praise, most of them are from Nepal and work like Trojans and always with courtesy and a smile. Johncy’s must have a least two hundred covers. It is open from 7.00a.m till 2.00a.m. They have just eleven front of house staff (waiters and pot collectors) and 23 kitchen staff. The waiters rely on tips as their salary is 1600/- (rupees) a month, which equates to 5.71p a week. They also get their meals and accommodation. I am not sure where these guys sleep but I know of places where the staff either sleep on the restaurant floor or on the tables. These guys would be worthy of working anywhere top class in the world if only they had the opportunity. What a contrast to the second rate expensive food and gormless, insincere and often surly service we get in the UK.
Lifeguards & rugby for girls?
Xmas Morning – 9.45 a.m. Hawaii Shack
The tide is up and it is very calm. A few early swimmers are enjoying a cool swim while on the horizon a couple of small pleasure boats with eager tourists are heading south towards the Sal River in search of Dolphins.
The new and now ubiquitous lifeguards bring out their
Lifeguard - busy doing nothing
paraphernalia: a seat perched on a ladder, a large surf board and a red flag on a long pole. The ministry of tourism with much hype, have introduced over 180 new lifeguards to the beaches of Goa along with walkie-talkies and numerous Maruti red jeeps. I am not sure where the new recruits have been trained or if they have been trained at all. Most of them (and they are all men) are just five feet tall and probably weigh 60Kgs at most. They would be absolutely useless in trying to save a flailing, panicking, large and overweight tourist like myself. In truth, they are not there to save the Western tourists, most of whom can swim. They have been brought in to stop Indian tourists from out of state from drowning themselves. Most of them cannot swim. It is quite often a humorous spectacle observing their antics in the sea. The men strip to their underwear and the unfortunate women have to go in fully clothed. They often walk in hand-in-hand to about just over knee height. As the waves knock them over they get up with much screaming and shouting, then the next wave knocks them over again and again and again…… you get the picture! The drowning normally occurs when groups of drunken men just show off and go out too deep. The Goan Minister of Tourism claims, to counter the great expense to the state, that it has been a great success, with over forty lives saved already. I find this statement really hard to believe because since we have been here the sea has virtually been like a mill-pond.
There is a more sinister side to the introduction of the lifeguards and their jeeps. The lifeguards inform the police on the whereabouts of the beach sellers and the jeeps are being used to transport the overweight ‘plods’ to their hard-working prey. The sellers are ever watchful. When a red jeep is spotted, they often hide their goods under the sun-beds of compliant tourists and they lift the bottom of their saris a little and run away to the back of the shacks in a wave of flapping colour. Two days ago I witnessed them getting caught by the police. The police used their wooden sticks (called lathis), hitting them on the legs and feet to get them into the jeep. They let one girl go free because she is pregnant but they still confiscated her goods.
Xmas eve was a quiet affair for us – another excellent meal at the Meridian and then home to bed for 10.30p.m. I slept really well thanks to large port and brandies but TG was kept awake by the setting off of very loud firecrackers which continued until well after 8.00a.m. the next morning.
The rumours of terrorism and supposed terrorist are still circulating yet the Indian State Minister for Goa has said that Goa is safe and there are no intelligence reports indicating that Goa is a target.
Thurs 26th
We met an interesting girl yesterday who was sat next to us in the Hawaii shack. She had both knees strapped and she was using a longhi (sarong) which was wrapped her outstretched feet to do so exercises to strengthen her legs. TG was curious as she had been doing similar exercises earlier in the year after her operation on her ankle. The girl was from Indiana and was in India working out a two year contract teaching PE in a school in a small town south of the Himalayas. Here knee was strapped after ligament damage playing rugby. Apparently, rugby is very popular in the Mid-West!! Conversation turned to events in America and she informed us that ‘everyone she knows is excited and hopeful’ about the forthcoming Obama presidency. I hope for all our sakes she is not disappointed.
A swim for lunch
Sunday 22nd
Woke this morning to loud (club volume) music being played from the house behind our place. The type of music varied from heavy bass reggae to Xmas songs with one in particular being played frequently imaginatively entitled ‘We wish you a merry Xmas’. We are constantly, while having out having our evening meal, approached by groups of young kids with red Santa hats and a leader in full Santa gear singing the above song except they are terribly out of tune and they sing ‘Vee viss you a Mary Xmas’ which I now annoyingly find I am singing whenever I ride the scooter.
Today we went to a beach south of Varca. There were four or five shacks. It seems that their main clientele were Russians as all the signage was in Cyrillic. The place was deserted except for a couple of sour-faced but extremely fit Russian girls. If only they smiled. I wonder what makes them so miserable all the time? Living in Russia no doubt!
Six of these makes a great lunch for two
There was however some lively action going on in the sea. Some six or sevenyoung Goan men were out in the sea catching fish. The process involved three of the lads swimming out and holding a forty foot net while the others splashed, shouted and swam towards the net, sort of herding the fish towards the net. I joined in with the ‘herders’. Once we herded the fish into the net, we lifted it out above our heads and hauled it to the shore. It was a good catch, maybe a hundred Catfish. They offered me part of the catch once they had untangled the fish from the net – I took ten fish. I took them to the Sea pearls shack and asked them to cook them for me in a medium spicy sauce as recommend by the lads. I bought a couple of Kingfisher beers for the lads still at the net and the shack charged me 50 rupees (66 pence) for cooking the fish. How cool is that? Having a swim and catching lunch at the same time. The fish was excellent in an Ambot Tik sauce.
More power cuts, this is the third and hopefully final attempt at getting this online – fortunately the internet café is on the beach.
It has been confirmed in today’s papers that there will be no beach parties from 23 December to 5th January. The Goan government have sadly capitulated to the very minute threat of terrorism.
Electric Spaghetti
Saturday 20th
Electric Spaghetti
Both woke up with ‘dickie’ tummies yesterday morning probably due to the extremely spicy Prawn Balchao curry the previous evening. OK by lunchtime after consuming the cure-all lime sodas.
The power has been off several times today. Sometimes it lasts for just five minutes, other times it can be off for hours. They do not seem to have an affinity with electric here. My friend Alan has just bought and moved into, his brand new two bed-roomed apartment – he has yet to make the final payment and the snags are ever ending, particularly with the electrics. There is one socket working in one bedroom but no lights – one boiler works in one bathroom but not in the other and there are no lights working in the lounge. The attached picture highlights Indian electrical prowess and ingenuity
The weather has been very overcast but we still got burnt and I have prickly heat for the first time ever.
The terrorist threat still lingers with loads of rumours going around about what is happening here regarding the Xmas and New Year celebrations. Some say that the beaches will be closed at 10.00 pm and others that the big 5 star hotels are closing over the Xmas period. We went up to Colva beach yesterday and they have half built gun emplacements using sand bags – the Goan’s never finish anything properly. My worst fear is if there is another attack and India over-reacts. We were talking to some Indians from Mumbai who advocated ‘nuking’ Pakistan. There is growing animosity towards the Moslems here. The Kashmiri’s are not allowed on the beach and are virtually prisoners in their own shops and the local Moslems who own the supermarket and the money exchange are disliked, mainly I think because they are successful and the Goan’s are jealous. One strange thing is we have not seen one Moslem lady here at all.
There is no doubt that it is a lot quieter here than previous years. The Goan’s blame the attack in Mumbai and I don’t think they realise how hard the ‘credit crunch’ has hit the UK and beyond. The very idea that British tourists can no longer afford to come out here is unimaginable to them.
The shacks on the beaches are half empty which is great, as it allows uninterrupted views of beautiful sunsets which are always accompanied and enhanced by the obligatory G & T.
Fish and Teeth
Pulling in the net
Wednesday 17th
I hired a scooter yesterday for three weeks. I have taken it back as the battery was duff and the brakes not brilliant. They told me to come back at twelve and it will be ready. I went at twelve – now it will be ready at two-thirty – nothing changes here. It’s no problem really as they let me have another while they fix it just inconvenient – they tend to forget you are on holiday.
I have just dropped Theresa off at the dentist for a clean and polish (her teeth that is!) should be about ten pounds.
It is very hot. Abnormally hot for the time of year according to the Goans. There has been a predominant easterly offshore wind for the last few days – it should be a cooling onshore westerly.
Regardless of the heat, the local fishermen spend long hours out in the full glare
Sharing out the catch
of the sun repairing nets while their wives layout the catch on the side roads to dry out. This fish is then used for salt-fish in the rainy season when it is too precarious to go out to sea to fish. Yesterday the fishermen spent all afternoon on the beach pulling in the net, sorting out the meager catch then repairing the net again. Very labour intensive and hardly worth it for the few baskets of fish they caught.
Back Again
We’ll we are here again. I’m on the beach and right beside me I have a wizen old woman who is wearing heavy thick-lensed glasses, she is leaning on a stick with her hand held out and repeatedly saying hello, thank you, hello, thank you. I know you thought it was Theresa but it’s not. It is yet another beggar. The patience and tenacity of these poor unfortunate people is impressive. I probably can’t even start to imagine the severity of the hardship and prejudice that she has suffered.
Our flight from the UK was OK but the transfer at Bombay was ludicrously disorganized and bureaucratic. If Bombay’s answer to the terrorist threat is to treat weary travelers to more unnecessary investigation and ticket stamping then nothing will improve. The recent terrorist attack started from a boat from which originated from Pakistan not a BA flight from Heathrow. Most terrorists, as far as I am aware do not tickets or passports when on a mission. It seems to me that inconveniencing the general public further seems totally pointless but governments have to be seen to be doing something and the quickest and cheapest answer is to inconvenience the innocent. Chaos ensued when we transferred to the domestic terminal – the Indian Airlines staff were late for work at the check-in desks and when they did arrive chaos broke into overdrive. Ad hoc queues formed for security checks, there was lots of shouting, hand- jestering and head wobbling. The confused travelers stood about in bemused incredulity. Traveling anywhere in India is not for the faint-hearted but it is particularly more taxing after a ten hour flight, fortunately our short India Airways flight down to Goa was non-eventful – tea and biscuits were served by stewardess’s dressed in sari’s – I wonder if there is a health and safety issue there?
FRIDAY:
I read in the paper this morning that the Indian government are trying to discourage Israeli’s from coming to Goa. Every season some 40,000 come to the beaches and the local government see them as a possible target. I am told that on a beach in North Goa the Israelis have there own security network installed – how weird is that? It’s very quiet here with a lot less western tourist than usual. All the Goans are blaming it oon the incident in Bombay. I don’t think they see the effects of the ‘credit crunch’ as an issue. The very idea that British people cannot afford to come out here is unimaginable.
SUNDAY:
Not sure what was wrong with me yesterday. I seemed to have slept most of the day on the beach which is very unusual for me. I think it was a combination of getting over the journey and the heat. It is very hot here at the moment. The Goan’s are saying that it is too hot for the time of year – after all it is their winter. Today, however, I’m fine again. About fifty yards across from our digs is a lake which is teaming with wildlife. There is a magnificent Marsh Harrier, several Purple Swamp Hens, Coot, Paddy Birds, Waterhen, Egrets, Jungle Babblers and some wintering Gadwall ducks which is a first spotting for me. Below our balcony the cacophony of a typical Goan morning ensues. A clucking mother hen with four chicks proudly but warily wanders under the almond tree while three young pigs squeal and snort around the place looking for scraps of anything barely edible. The owner’s young puppy yaps and wants to play with the pigs but one of them noisily gives him short shrift and above the raucous crows argue over everything. On the other side of the lane is a half built five storey block of apartments. They are half hidden from our view by the Mango and other trees. This illegally built shell of a property resounds with the sound of loud Hindi music and is home to the workers – men, women and their children – they live in the most basic of conditions and work from sunrise to sunset for six days a week, the music being their only entertainment. The local Panchayat (council) have forbidden the building of new properties which are more than two storey’s high, however, the owner/developer is the brother of a government minister and refuses to pull it down.
Today is the workers day off. A woman surrounded by three small kids sits on a pile of gravel and does some sewing while her husband relaxes in the early morning sun amongst the building blocks.
The last post to this blog
We woke up this morning at 7.00 and went for a walk down to Varca and back. It took about an hour. The sky was very grey and there was the threat of rain in the air. We had breakfast at the shack and we were back at our apartment for 9.30. Our Goan neighbour explained that she had been up since 2.00 a.m because of a power cut early in the morning in her block of apartments, yesterday they did not have any water. Such are the trials and tribulations of living in Goa!!
This will probably be my last post to the ‘grifsingoa’ blog. I have enjoyed writing it but at times it has been a little frustrating due to the vagaries of Goa’s power supply. I would like to think that the blog has truly reflected my thoughts, aspirations and disappointments – I hope it has but I am not quite sure that my literary skills are accomplished enough to express myself fully. Despite this, I feel that there has been enough information to get a feel for life in Goa from a Westerner’s perspective.
We came here in December full of enthusiasm, hope and guarded expectation that this may be the place that we would like to live. But sadly, our ‘Goan Dream’, in reality has turned out to be not exactly a nightmare but more of a restless sleep. We are very disappointed but not disheartened, it has made us realise that for all it’s faults, the UK has a standard of living and government which is enviable across the world.
The UK weather which dominates conversation is, in part, one of the main reasons people like us wish to decamp and move to sunnier climes. Yes, we are fed up with the rat-race, the traffic and the obsessive target driven bullshit and it is dreadfully painful to every UK citizen. But the rat race in the UK is far better than the daily grind of just trying to survive which exists here for so many of our fellow human beings.
We will come back to Goa but always as tourists. We had a little dream that we could live here. We cannot. Even if we did, we would be isolated, always treated as strangers and I think quite lonely. We would truly miss family and friends in the UK. However, taking account of everything I have just written, I know that after a couple of weeks back in the UK, I will be wishing I was back here again, baking in chaotic, corrupt but very beautiful Goa.
Final musings on buying a property.
Monday 19th March
Make sure you have a thorough knowledge of the area and that you buy in a good location. It is no good buying in a place which has no shops or restaurants.
Buying here is all about expectations. Some buyers have been promised and expect a year on year increase in the value of their purchase. Some have bought just because they love Goa and are quite prepared to have it for their sole use for two weeks to six months of the year and have it locked, shuttered and unused for the rest of the time. Others have bought purely with the idea of letting it out to gain income from the western holiday trade. This I think is the most problematic and probably the most stressful option if not done through an agent or an established tour company, both of which will seriously deplete your income.
Letting your property depends on successful marketing and giving any potential client the as much correct information about the property and the location as possible e.g. full rental costs and what that includes, cost of taxi from airport, distance from beach, nearest pharmacy, restaurants, buses, etc.
Decide who would most be attracted to your property. All tourists have different expectations. Some want air-conditioning, some don’t, some want apartments with all mod-cons, washing machine, microwave etc., and are prepared to pay top rates for this and will probably never use them. Others are quite happy with the most basic amenities. Be prepared for a lot of work if you want a good return. The internet is a good medium to advertise if you have the skills needed to create your own website. If you are just going to let it to family and friends then expect low returns. It all depends on how much you think you can charge. There a lot of places here that charge 2200/- (just over 25 pounds) a night and remain empty more than half the season, yet those that charge 500/- (6 pounds) are constantly full. People that stay here on a long term basis expect and get a reduction in the rate.
Finally, think about who you could trust to enter your apartment on a regular basis to clean it, laundry will have to be changed so you will need a maid and who you could use to carry out repairs. Breakages and repairs are an inevitability, particularly in bathrooms. The standard of materials and workmanship can be quite erratic.
One piece of advice I have been given is to ignore the housing market and invest in the Indian stock market whiich is growing at 8% per annum.
