Why we enjoy visiting Goa
by Philomena Lawrence and Gilbert Lawrence*
Illustration by Charles de Souza** December 21, 2021.
This is the time of year when Goa traditionally attracts millions of tourists, both Indian and foreign. For example, in 2018, approximately seven million Indians and one million foreigners visited Goa. For the past two years, however, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to tourism in that idyllic state.
Both of us are Goans who grew up in Mumbai and immigrated to the U.S. in 1977. We do our best to visit India every alternate year and spend at least a week in Goa: in Aldona, one of the largest villages in Bardez, and our maternal grandparents’ home in Guirdolim in Salcete.
Goa is located along the Konkan coast, on the west coast of India, and comprises several islands renowned for their scenic white sandy beaches and swaying coconut trees.
Each day begins with the arrival of fishing boats laden with their catch of pomfret, mackerel, baby sharks, and a variety of other fish. During the peak tourist season – October to March - restaurant owners and residents alike haggle over the price of the fresh-from-the-ocean fare. These are hurriedly transported to kitchens where they are cleaned, marinated and grilled or cooked as a spicy and fragrant curry. At night, we have sometimes been fortunate to watch turtles lay their eggs in the warm sand.
Depending on the size of their wallets, tourists can choose to be pampered in luxurious five-star resorts or rough it out in wooden shacks, which line the beaches. A few hundred yards from the beaches, winding roads which border paddy fields on either side, lead to villages and towns.
Along the way, visitors can view well-maintained churches, chapels, Hindu temples, shrines, crosses and other religious symbols. There are also large, abandoned homes, some still displaying signs of their once-glorious splendor. It is quite common for the locals to continue to identify each of these homes by the name of the family which owned it several generations ago!
We have always been amazed that Goa has unique traits that excite all five senses, especially that of hearing. A drive through a village or town’s central square, guarantees a cacophony of sounds -- auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, and trucks weave through the congested traffic, which includes bullock carts. It certainly seems as if the drivers’ keep one hand constantly on the horn and hurl good-humored curses at errant pedestrians. Neither tactic appears to have much effect on the flow of traffic.
Nor are the locals or tourists unduly upset or in a rush. The Goenkars, as Goans are referred to in Konkani, are happy, easy-going, friendly folk. They delight in engaging in conversation even with total strangers. Typically, the initial topics include complaints about uncaring local politicians and the rising prices of food items. And the tourists happily keep in step with the unhurried pace. They know that all-too-soon they will be returning to their hectic lifestyles either in Mumbai, Bangalore, Paris, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv or Sydney.
As any seasoned shopper would, we arrive in the open-air markets early to bargain for the best prices for fresh fish, coconuts, papayas, pineapples, cashews and vegetables. Women, who own most of the stalls, transport fresh supplies by balancing heavy, wicker baskets on their heads while simultaneously walking, talking, gesticulating with their free hands, and smiling. They are a sight to behold!
After all the needed items are safely stored in grocery bags, we sit in outdoor cafes and food stalls to sip glasses of hot tea and munch peanuts and biscuits while Bollywood music blares in the background.
One of the highlights of our visits to Goa is sipping on feni at the local bar. The potent brew is made from either the cashew fruit or coconut. The Goans see it as an elixir, including its ability to cement friendships: “The feni brings harmony to the hormones. It makes the blood rich and healthy. It will calm you and your dreams will be happy.” To the natives the drink goes well with their delicacies made of fish, chicken and pork.
Often, a witty, handlebar-mustachioed man might join us at the bar. In the old days, we would have addressed him as dom or “professor.” To any visitor willing to listen, his monologue usually goes: “We have progress now with TV and cell phones. But life in Goa is getting to be like in the rest of the world.” With a pause as he imbibes another sip of feni, the professor, often a local schoolteacher adds, “Goa has lost its innocence, its charms and its creative spirit.”
A row of locals, seated on bar stools nearby, nod in agreement. Some of them discuss the many things they miss like,”the old ways of life, the quiet towns and peaceful rice fields.” They oppose the floating casinos which operate on ships around Panaji, the state capital. To the chagrin of many residents, Splashdown, Froggyland, Wild Adventure and other amusement parks have been built around the state. They also question the need for a highway, now under construction, which runs from north to south through the state.
Goa, roughly 100 miles long, is located about 250 miles south of Mumbai. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats that run parallel to the coast. The smallest of the Indian states, Goa has a population of around two million people, but with the country’s highest per capita annual income -- $7,000. About two-thirds of the population are Hindus, a quarter are Christians, mainly Catholics, and about 7% Muslims.
History buffs will be interested to know that Portugal ruled Goa for four and a half centuries before handing the colony to India in 1961. This week, December 19, marks the 60th anniversary of Goa becoming a part of India. During much of the era of colonization, Goa was a key hub for the spice trade from India to Europe. Drawn by the thriving trade, the colony saw an influx of people from various parts of India, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Several of Goa’s historical sites, both Catholic and Hindu, have been designated World Heritage sites, including the Church of Bom Jesus, which was built in 1605 and serves as the resting place of St. Francis Xavier.
Hindu and Catholic Goans respect each other’s beliefs, places of worship, and sacred practices, as well as celebrate all religious festivals. This ought to serve as a role model for other parts of India. Hindus and Catholic symbols, side by side, are a common sight in Goan homes, shops, buses, car, taxis. As one taxi driver explained, “Even good spirits do sad things if they are neglected or offended.”
*Philomena Lawrence is a freelance writer and Gilbert Lawrence is a radiation oncologist, both Goans who are based in New York. They are also authors of a books and articles.
**The illustrations are watercolor paintings of homes in Goa by Charles de Souza. Also a Goan, he is a trustee of Parisar Asha, an education philanthropy in Mumbai. He was formerly with Citicorp Overseas Software and Science Today.