R, R, & R (Rest, Relaxation, & Reflection)

It’s easy to fall completely in love with Goa and be critical of it here all at the same time. Goa is a thriving tourist destination best known for its amazing beaches, wild night life and relaxed atmosphere. It is also known for its importation of globalised cultures and the way it tailors itself to its demographics comprised of substantial amounts of tourists from around the world, the Portuguese cultural foundation that underlies it, as well as, remnants of Goan culture which existed prior to the colonisation and occupation of this region.

Beautiful views of the Arabian Sea from Ashwem Beach

 

Since being here, I have had the pleasure of experiencing some of what Goa has to offer – particularly that which is marketed to tourists who visit this beautiful state.  In hopes of experiencing some of its many sides, this past Saturday night many of us from the RRU group hit up the popular local night club “Club Cubana”, which I must admit, lived up to the befitting reputation I have heard of Goa’s nightlife.

An atmosphere mixed with fusions of Western, European and Indian music, light shows in the sky, individuals from all over the world and an open bar all combined to serve as one of the more intoxicating and disorienting nights of my life. It was quite easy to get sucked into the atmosphere and overall “mood” of the joint. Having no sense of time immediately after I arrived, all I know is that it must have gone by quite quickly because before I knew it, it was 4:30am and time to make it back to the hotel.

Oscar and I heading in 

Dance floor at Club Cubana - it was hard to feel like we were even in India inside here, it felt like it could have been Europe or something similar

Michelle, Sasha and I dancing up a storm

Perception of time is an interesting phenomenon here in Goa. From what I’ve been able to experience so far, it has an ability to fly by but also make you feel like you are floating in a timeless moment. In order to help cure my “Club Cubana” hangover in true Goan fashion, on Sunday, alongside Dawn and Sondra, I travelled the 30 minutes from the hotel to the incredible Ashwen Beach to spend our day soaking up some Vitamin D, relaxing in lounge chairs and swimming in the Arabian Sea. Although in a completely different way, this experience again felt fleeting and eternal all in one. It’s easy to see why people are flocking here from all over to see what it is that makes Goa so extraordinary.

Although I have only been here for a short number of days, one thing that sticks out to me about Goa is its adaptability. It seems to cater to practically any desire of its many and diverse guests. One perfect example of this happened the other day at the popular Baga Beach. Shopping around the markets a little bit, a few of us went into a jewelry store. As soon as we entered, we were immediately greeted in Russian. Completely taken back, we were shocked to uncover that due to the incredible amount of tourism from Russia, and a lack of English or any other of the languages from India, the store owners had learned a bit of Russian in order to accommodate them. This seemed like quite the interesting role reversal from what I would have expected and definitely speaks to and highlights the impact that tourism and globalisation is having on the culture here in Goa.

It’s easy to discover the wondrous and sensuous experiences Goa is known for but its actually quite difficult to uncover its history or traditional embodiment unless you actively seek it out. As compared to my other experiences here in India so far this is quite the opposite from what I’ve seen where traditional and cultural heritage are celebrated and revered in very public domains. Since this side of Goa does not seem to be found so easily, I will have to go pursue it for myself instead.