Claiming the Right to Say No-30 Nov 09-EQUATIONS - Equitable ...

In Search of Israelis
We can question our self on who benefits from tourism? Who suffers and
who enjoys? Are tourists coming here to spend money or to save money?
Israelis do not like to spend much and many a time people call this type of
a tourist a ‘bhikari tourist’. “They only come to Goa to drink just one
coconut” commented a fruit selling woman.
Knowing the Place
Anjuna, Vagator, Arambol, Chapora are the places preferred by most of
the ‘cheap tourists’. Locals or Indian tourists generally do not visit these
places, so the foreigners can do what they like. These places are
adventurous as they are in the hilly region and along with the beaches
designed with marvellous stones. The natural set up calls one to enjoy
the moment to the fullest. On the first day, we met at Vagator, we were
fortunate enough to experience the sunset and watch the number of people
who came to spend their precious moments in enjoying the breeze and
watching the changing phenomena of nature. It was nice to see the hilltop
crowded with different type of people relaxing, sitting and chatting, as
if giving farewell to the setting sun. Same thing happens in Arambol.
Tourists belonging to different countries and region gather during sun-set
and enjoy themselves in what they call ‘sun-set play’. Some play their
instruments like guitar and violin and it is quite soothing to hear and watch
this play. In Vagator, the hill-top is quite famous. Likewise in Chapora.
The place called ’Vodda Codde’ is famous for the night parties and drugs
and ‘dum’ i.e. Ganja at the later place.
On the second day, we tried to familiarize ourselves with that place and
studied the interior and exterior routes. Here, most of the people are
doing business by keeping the rooms for rent. This is something very
common in Goa. But we can see the change in the language especially in
Anjuna and more in Vagator. The tags or board which were usually written
as ‘guest house’ or ‘rooms for rent’ have been changed to ‘rooms to let’.
So, ‘to let’ can be deconstructed in a different perspective. It can be an
invitation for prostitution. Similar is the experience I have of Anjuna. In
2001, when I visited Anjuna as a member of Youth Red Cross, I happened
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