Whatever happened to the hippies in Goa?

THE first hippies came to Goa in the 1960s and were followed some 20 years later by the first package tour holidaymakers.

Luxury hotels have sprouted up on greenfield sites and beaches between coconut palms and rice paddies, and Bollywood film stars from the rest of India relax and put their feet up in sumptuous villas.
Goa in western India was Portugal’s colony until 1961 and many Catholics live here alongside the indigenous Hindu population.
The standard of living here is very good by Indian standards, but there are no king-sized shopping centres to wander around. Goa has also been saved from the rowdy bands of binge-drinkers often seen elsewhere, at least for the time being.
The locals are still sometimes irked at what they see as the inconsiderate behaviour of some younger visitors. Parties with ear-splitting rave music booming from giant loudspeakers turn what are usually lonely beaches into outdoor discotheques, robbing the locals – not to mention the fish – of their sleep.
The police invariably put a stop to such goings on.
Wednesday is flea market day at Anjuna-Beach, an event sometimes referred to as the “Hippie Market.”
The air is filled with the enticing fragrances of curry, cinnamon and cardamom from open sacks. Men and women from the poorer northern regions such as Kashmir and Rajasthan spread out their wares on the sands and grass-swards using colourful cloths as a backdrop.
A lot of people who visit this market are not actually interested in buying anything. They just don some casual beachwear with the intention of seeing and being seen. At the numerous bars nearby they can be observed nibbling at portions of scrambled egg or prawn salads, spooning muesli or simply downing a chilled beer.
A few kilometres away at Calangute beach, Indian women clad in colourful saris are standing up to their waist in the water, others wear shorts and bikinis. The women in Goa tend to wear more casual clothes than women do in other parts of India.
Further down the coast is the luxurious Fort Aguada Beach Resort where wealthy guests laze by the pool. The view from this establishment is spectacular, taking in the ocean, beach, waving palms and the ruins of what were once fortifications.
All this activity takes place along the northern part of Goa’s coastline. Resorts such as Arambol and Vagator which offer more basic accommodation, along with Baga, Calangute and Candolim with hostelries in most price categories, are a 20 or 40-minute ride from Anjuna on a motorbike.
A cross-country bus service links more or less every village to the Goa capital of Panaji.
A lot of foreigners spend months at a time in Goa.
Francis Vaz, who works in a restaurant in Colva, explains how these people manage to make ends meet. “If a foreigner plays his cards right he can get by in the off-season with paying as little as the equivalent of $300  for the use of a little house with a garden and a moped.”
Almost all the sightseeing buses stop at Colva Beach where visitors like to take a refreshing dip in the sea after a visit to the historic churches and the world heritage architecture of Goa’s old museums. There are also many Hindu temples and forts hereabouts.
This southern part of Goa with beach resorts such as Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim or Mobor attracts many package tourists as well as those in search of more luxurious accommodation. The sand on these beaches is sparkling and fine and some stretches are fringed with palms.
“We used to be poor and hippies brought us money so we were willing to put up with a lot,” said Celestino de Souza.
The 68-year-old began renting out rooms at his home in Villa Bomfim in Baga to “flower-power children” some 40 years ago. “The little bungalows were out the back. The visitors would spontaneously prance around the garden naked and later did the same thing on the beaches,” he recalls.
Celestino’s face takes on thoughtful expression for a moment before he offers a piece of advice which could apply to tourists all over the world and not just in Goa. “We love to see holidaymakers, but please respect our culture and customs.”
Information: India Tourism Board. Internet: www.india-tourism.com, www.goatourism.org

By Bernd Kubish