The nightlife at Chapora Street is changing fast. From a street that once sold the best quality hash, later denigrated to a market for chemical drugs, it is now a veritable cauldron where social interaction simmers with laughter from a free exchange of ideas.
This street, better known as Chapora Street, has always been the tinto (the meeting spot) of the locals. It may not host the best places to visit, but is definitely the best spot to hang out at or unwind during the day or night.
“We all meet up here after dinner, have a few drinks, chat and go back for the night. Despite many places being run by outsiders, the feeling is quaintly Goan,” says Sangeeta from Bengal for whom Goa is second home.
“The party scenes around the village are loud and not of my taste. The few restaurants run by locals here are reasonably priced, their stuff is good and they are trustworthy,” reasons Sangeeta.
During the mornings, the street sees some groggy-eyed people walking around to the few coffee or juice shops or to the grocery store to equip themselves with provisions for the day, and a few elderly foreigners walking into the local bar that opens at around 10 am.
As the sun sets and the street lights are turned on, the flow of revellers begins to gain pace. And by midnight, Chapora Street is the place most tourists are or should be at.
Eating out is now the trend at the street, mainly because it is the food stalls, selling different types of omelettes (you can get some of the best in Goa here), draw the crowd.
Cheese omelette, or omelette with cheese and pepperoni, or omelettes with bacon and lettuce, the choice is wide. The food stalls on the street, run by the locals, make one feel like being at a jazz junction of omelettes!
“Business is back to normal. There may not be many foreigners during this time of the season, but many Indians, for whom Chapora is now a home, have adjusted to this way of life,” smiles Vibha as she prepares omelettes to the taste of her guests.
Well past midnight, as spirits soar, driving on the street requires an element of caution as many stand on the road – with bars popping with customers – their drinks in hand, and smokes being shared to the accompaniment of hysterical laughter at times.
At one end of the road is a juice junction, where fresh fruit juices and fruit salads are prepared and sold at reasonable prices.
“I like to finish my night with a fruit salad and a juice. These guys are simply too good,” says a guest who asks that his privacy be maintained as he is in Goa on a research project.
One of the most sought-after locals in Chapora is a lad who is simply known as 'Darling', and the name fits him because, whatever be the problem anyone faces – whether a tourist or local – the Goan darling always tries to be of help.
Societal integration was effortless during the good old hippie days in Goa. That effort appears to getting reignited now.