Goa has always been beautiful and will continue to be so as long as we keep nature in sight and don’t allow the get-rich-quick mentality to go on a destruction spree.
Green had kept greed away in the past and continues doing so, despite tourists now relishing it.
There is no harm in relishing our land in the rains, as long as it is respected along with the people who inhabit it. But, while relishing Goa in the rains, our visitors need to look back, not once, but twice, if they want to return home with lasting and good memories.
The government has achieved much in terms of enhancing infrastructure. But, whilst doing so, has compromised on quality, and visitors to Goa beware, because your ride on a rented two-wheeler could land you on the wrong side of the road.
Roads in Goa do tend to vanish, or end up bridled with potholes, which cannot be easily seen when it pours.
The chance of falling in a deep pothole is the unwelcome bonus of fast-paced development, and recovering from injuries is not the best way to spend a vacation.
The chance of falling in a deep pothole is the unwelcome bonus of fast-paced development, and recovering from injuries is not the best way to spend a vacation.
Travelling in Goa is a pleasure with a hidden agenda when it rains, and one of them is escaping being the victim of a tree falling as one is driving or parking one’s vehicle.
Trees are old and therefore do not have to be naturally felled, but prevention is best.
When it rains in Goa, it is best to drive slowly, stop to look and drive once satiated by beauty. Monsoon beauty comes in different dollops, and if you lose one such scene, don’t worry, because more will follow.
Food stalls dot the coastline, and most times they cater to clients. Sometimes, it appears the demand is more than the supply because eating out in Goa is getting expensive.
The food served by most food stalls smells tasty, but it is not just about smell, and tasty food may not necessarily always be hygienic.
The monsoons entail a lot of stagnant water, which means mosquitoes, insects and flies that could find their way into what is served. Here, discretion is the best part of valour.
The monsoons entail a lot of stagnant water, which means mosquitoes, insects and flies that could find their way into what is served. Here, discretion is the best part of valour.
A lot of establishments shut down during the monsoons, and that explains the mushrooming of food carts, many of which do not have the necessary FDA licenses to operate, and so, could be most vulnerable.
The economy shrinks during the rains and that leads to many seeking other avenues to make a living with the tourists ending up at the receiving end, most times.
A con artist – and here being able to distinguish between a local and non-local – comes in handy though, at times, a local could take one for a walk never imagined.
Parties, despite being illegal, the way they are now allowed to be held, have become part of the monsoon fabric. Social media is replete with what is happening, for all but the enforcement authorities to notice.
Drugs are part of the tourism package, but be careful because as in other skins of the trade, here too, the incessant cutting and mixing could see one seized on with the least expected.
The economy shrinks during the rains and that leads to many seeking other avenues to make a living with the tourists ending up at the receiving end, most times.
Whatever you see or hear on Instagram, the truth of Goa will never be conveyed through social media because Goa cannot be described.
It needs to be felt, it needs to be lived, and this is best achieved by developing close connects with a local. There are plenty, but it’s each individual’s ability to see through the green.
