Ni Dieu Ni Maitre

I had gotten quite comfortable in Panaji, learning to do the sweaty walk over the hill to the main town for lunch and business and taking breakfast, cappuchino, drinks and so on in the old town. I was so much at home that inertia had set in and the idea of going off to one of Goa’s beaches looked increasingly difficult.

But one morning, I woke at five, and started to pack. I decided on Colva beach after reading a number of Travel blurbs describing it as a kind of paradise with lots of amenities. I was wary, envisioning an amped up Negombo Beach or, even a mini Miami Beach, with rows of giant hotels.

The reality was quite a surprise. In one way it was a pleasant relief, but at the same time somewhat of a letdown. This is Colva beach? A bunch of shacks, a handful of mostly shabby hotels, many under extensive repairs and closed, food shacks, clothing shacks, a mostly barren beach and lots of cows everywhere.

It’s not a horrible place, just fairly dull. It’s mainly a place for Indian tourists, although there is one place down the beach full of Euros and Aussies, with menus in Russian. Their ‘Indian’ food is not spicy. Night life? Well, I have trouble staying awake after 9, but it doesn’t look like there’s much at all.

The ocean is here, but so are the stinging jellyfish… I haven’t seen many bathers even getting waist deep. My hotel has a pool. Checking out the nightlife, there were plenty of bright lights up and down the main road, but hardly any activity. It’s mainly a family place.

But then there are the cows… and the amazingly fine-grained white sand.

The lights are on, as I walked down several streets after dark, but absolutely nothing is happening. I’m comfortable enough here, with fan, A/C, the pool, the room door which I’ve managed to get locked as I go out a few times,, but mostly have to get a staff person to struggle with it. And then there’s the unlocking! I did it once, but often several staffers spend time struggling with it, pulling, twisting, pounding and kicking the door (this worked once) and eventually the door gets opened. Tomorrow I will walk the 2km down to Benaulim beach to check out an alternative.