airesrod@goatelecom.com>
Date: Thu Nov 9, 2000 


After 11 months of  the stresses and strains of adjusting to life in Goa after 15 years overseas, it was time for a holiday. With no nephew to visit in Australia, no sightseeing to do in London or Berlin and no shopping to do at Dubai or Macau we decided to spend the three weeks in the North of India. Having visited many countries across the globe it was time to visit parts of my country I did not get the opportunity to see earlier.

As it was not a holiday at taxpayer's expense the affordable mode of touring was rail and bus. Besides, the benefit of traveling by  trains and buses is that you experience  real life  on the ground and interact with the common man. You do not get that  opportunity while traveling by car, let alone  when flying.

Our holiday took us to Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Simla.  We spent only a  few days in Mumbai and it will never be the same  as the old Bombay.

While in Mumbai it was nice spending some time with my good old friend Alfred Rose at his Mahim residence. The renowned Konkani Stage Artist is recovering from yet another stroke.

But it was disgusting to hear a Mumbai five star hotel employee confess that the management had given instructions to clear the mini bar in anticipation that the room  would  to be occupied by a former  Goa Chief Minister who was visiting Mumbai with his daughter. The room was complimentary but not the booze!. After all Goa is not a dry state, isn't it!

A very punctual Rajdhani took us to New Delhi but in order  not to be indebted to the Chief Minister, we chose to stay at Pondicherry House rather than  Goa Sadan. It was an affordable Rs 150/- a night. However we did  visit Goa Sadan for breakfast one morning. It happened to coincide with the coup against Sardinha. 

Goa Sadan wore a deserted and sombre look. It looked like the flag was flying at half-mast.  Why was there no rejoicing?  Was it because the corrupt, carefree, freeloading days were over?  Was it because of apprehension of the future?   I shall never know the answer.

For fish loving Goans Goa Sadan should have at least provided something Goan. But a good fish curry rice at Assam Bhavan is available daily  for Rs 50. It was palatable and we enjoyed it.

It was  nice to experience the warmth of friends when traveling but this hospitality had to have its limits. Some of the Officers at Delhi who had earlier postings in  Goa were very generous and offered me vehicles to ferry us around which I politely declined as it  would have meant expense to the taxpayer. I cherish their friendship and that of some politicians in Delhi but would not like this friendship to be maintained at Government expense.

In  the three weeks what impressed me the most was the city of Chandigarh. It is a very well planned city and relatively very clean. It boasts lots of open spaces and parks.  That is something that in Goa,  at the first opportunity our convertible politicians would have granted land conversions to set up concrete jungles.

Chandigarh, a city planned by French Architect Le Corbusier,  is a city of invigorating aesthetics. It combines elegant architectural forms with wide tree-lined avenues, green belts and gardens and offers a pleasant living experience for its residents and visitors. The city is divided into rectangular modules called sectors with self-sufficient shopping complexes and other facilities.

The  market in Sector 17 of Chandigarh was particularly impressive. A market like that in Goa's main cities would be a pleasant  alternative to our chaotic markets, which are an eyesore.

Chandigarh has a huge children's traffic park where with criss-crossing pathways and traffic lights changing at intersections  young  children are taught and have drilled into them the sense of traffic discipline early in life. Our Education Minister should encourage our schools to ensure that more of our students visit various parts of our beautiful and  resourceful country. Perhaps the government should try and subsidize such trips to make them affordable. When our youth discover the beauty and the best of India, the craze for phoren will  get diluted.  At times in places of  Himachal Pradesh you felt you were in Switzerland.

Goa's former Governor Gen. Jacob is, in  fact,  the administrator of Chandigarh, which remains a Union territory. He is working overtime to transform it into India's cyber city and has now allowed cyber cafés to be open till 2 am. And to make the city livelier the pubs will be allowed to remain  open till 1am. I would not mind visiting Chandigarh again!

Wherever we traveled, finding a cyber cafe was not a problem though it was not as easy as finding a bar in Goa!. In fact, some New Delhi petrol Stations have started providing  Internet browsing facilities. The browsing speed at all places we visited was quite good. Goa Telecom will catch up eventually.

In Goa it is the motorcycle pilots who offer cheap transport but in Chandigarh and some other cities in the north it  is  cycle rickshaws that hit your wallets the least. And  you have to bargain for the fare as they try to take you for a ride! But in Simla one has to walk as there are no rickshaws around. It was  a sensible way  to keep fit as I doubt I could undergo the knee replacement our Prime Minister has just gone through.

At Chandigarh a cyber cafe owner turned friend volunteered to give me a lift  on his two wheeler to Yatri Niwas  where we were staying. And in Chandigarh helmets are mandatory. My friend said, "you are not a Sikh so please wear it".  Hesitantly I had to give in against medical advice. The helmet was uncomfortable but the ride was so smooth and comfy.  I did not miss all  potholes one gets so used to in Goa.  I was relieved to hear though that the Goa Government had decided to withdraw the proposed mandatory crash helmet rule. We hope that they will apply their energies to  tackling the causes of accidents.

In  Simla our daughter was fascinated by the hundreds of monkeys swinging on the hills. I felt that she should enjoy them while we were there as in Goa we have only forty of them! And they swing only seasonally!

It was cold in Simla but the news that the new Chief Minister had launched a crusade against corruption was warming. If it was a short operation I might have prolonged my holidays to return  to a corruption-free Goa. But by time our next holidays are due, Goa may still  be deeply entrenched in corruption with the current Chief Minister's name added to the long list of ex - CMs. 

A few  years ago in going  away on a holiday one would have been totally cut off from the Goa scene. Today it is comforting that wherever you are, it is possible to log on and browse through the Internet editions of Goa's three English daily newspapers. And, if you are in a hurry, you can check out Goanet and scan the news clippings of the day's happenings in Goa posted every morning by Assagao-based freelance journalist Joel D'Souza. I relied on the service a great deal when I was abroad.

Traveling through India, you get the feeling of how well Goans are respected as their views are solicited on all topics under the sun. Weak bridges and changing governments are not all we are known for. By the way at any restaurant just ask for fish and you don't have to tell them you originate from Goa.

Holidays are for relaxation. I was  able, however, to make a lot of new friends and contacts. One has to make up for the enemies you cultivate when you write and express your views very candidly on any Goan issue.

We were advised by some to visit Timber trail and travel by the cable car up the hills. Others cautioned that it was dangerous as the cables had once snapped leading to casualties. As traveling on Goan bridges was a bigger risk, we went ahead and it was an enjoyable 16 minutes  return trip on the cable car. We got back intact except for the Rs 125 damage per person.

Indian railways have really progressed. All our trains departed and arrived on time. The only big  problem was the toilets. But then you face this problem when you fly on Air India too. Perhaps the best solution is an adult diaper!

There was a sad absence of luggage trolleys at railway stations and  they would come in very handy particularly when traveling with a young child. I certainly would not have minded paying a deposit and a small fee in order to give us some relief in our travels. The larger stations could also do with a Customer Services and Information point that is more user friendly and accessible.

A distressing  sight traveling on the Indian railways are the beggars. But then, we  tolerate and pamper the beggars in the corridors of power whereas these really handicapped and unprivileged people deserve our sympathy and care even more so.

We traveled thousands of miles and spent the same amount of Indian rupees. However, it was not from the contingency funds!

As anywhere else in the world to enjoy traveling you have to  travel light. But after three weeks on the move and  lighter pockets with no question of any shopping, it was time to return home. There, nothing has changed except the government. But then, is this not the one thing Goans can be assured of?

It was pleasant being away but it is also nice to be back. Travel is such a learning experience even for Chief Ministers!


Aires Rodrigues
Ribandar