I stayed in Goa for 4 nights and 5 days. Before I went many people asked me, once over the surprise I was going on my own, why I was going, often followed by a a knowing wink.

I told them at the time, I don’t know, but in reality my hope had been to find somewhere to relax and not do very much. When I first had the idea of taking a short holiday after a week spent at work in Bombay, my thoughts were generally that I needed a break and more importantly I had to go somewhere seeing as the original plan was to be in Australia and I didn’t want to end up just going home instead. The main thing is that it has worked, having a break; I feel recharged and relaxed, I still wish I had been to Australia, but that feeling will pass.

I had a great time in Goa, and to be honest I wasn’t in the nicest part of the state, not even the best part of the not so nice part. And I didn’t to my own detriment stray far from my Calangute hotel and the Baga restaurants half an hours walk or so away. I missed the really nice beaches on Paloleum by being so far north, and too lazy to go anywhere(!), indeed the beaches here are covered in oily sand and oil stained floatsam, but the pool was clean and refreshing and it was here that I chose to swim and sit in the sun, the beach was just a means for a pleasant stroll to or from lunch.

It was great, getting up late and taking a lazy breakfast, working up an appetite by reading on my little balcony for a bit before walking up the road, or beach, for lunch in Baga. Strolling back again late in the afternoon, swimming a few lengths in the pool before heading for dinner and a beer.

So far so idyllic, peaceful and relaxed, and that is the point. This is meant to be one of the more chilled out, relaxed states, but yet everyone seems to think I want to rent a bike or take a taxi, and after 5 days I was rather weary of having to reject the offers of each after every 100 yards walk, not to mention the continual offers of Hash, LSD et al, or the invites in to the shops ‘just to practice my english sir, not sell anything’, or on the beach the constant trinket sellers (thankfully it turns out my natural walking speed is somewhat quicker than even the most persistent of these people). All in all it was enough to wear one out and make me yearn for the relative peace of Bombay. Much as everything runs at a frenetic pace in Bombay, it runs in its own world not bothering the stranger walking down the road, at least not to me so far.

It got me wondering, if this is meant to be off season in Goa, am I being bombarded more because I am one of significantly fewer obvious targets of a tourist buck, or are there more people swarming over the tourists in the high season? If so, I don’t want to go back to North Goa in season, the half rain, half sun, always warm weather and non-busy restaurants where I can take time out are fine for me.

R,