Visit to paradise lost

Visited Goa recently on vacation. Expected verdant beaches and laid-back enjoyment, that is so typical of the place. Also expected to glimpse Goa's colourful folk culture and experience first hand the warm hospitality of the locals.

Barring the last, i.e. the warmth and friendliness of the locals, all the other experiences remained elusive. The popular beaches were overcrowded and shockingly dirty (for which we tourists are solely to blame). Coconut and palm trees have almost disappeared from most beaches. The plethora of shops selling cola and chips have elbowed out the cocum and green coconut sellers. The refreshing natural drinks are way better than the synthetic soft drinks, but obviously the vendors of the latter have more muscle power.

It was also a shock to learn that most seafood was overpriced and unavailable. I was looking forward to sampling local seafood fare, but almost fell off my table to see the prices of the pomphret at INR 550+! Now that's an exorbitant price for a locally abundant fish. Lobsters and crabs also remained out of reach. We had to make do with small prawns and mackarel.

Perhaps the inflow of foreign exchange has something to do with the shooting prices. But earlier, Goa was accessible to mid-income domestic travelers too. Also disappointing was the famed boat cruise on river Mandovi, which promised to display local dances and music, but turned out a bland Bollywood song and dance routine. Things must change, granted, but not so much that they become virtually unrecognizable.

The saving grace was the undiluted beauty of a hitherto lesser known beach - Betalbatim. The real beauty of Goa was on display here - clear waters, clean sands full of seashells, and peaceful solitude. In a few years perhaps, this beach too will be marauded by rampaging tourists and commercial establishments. Lets hope that does not happen, and a small bit of paradise remains as it is.

                                                Sunset on the beach of Betalbatim, Goa