In Goa, the Russians were told about the new bans: “Drink at home”

November brought long-awaited direct flights to Indian Goa for Russian tourists, beloved for reasonable prices and free manners by “packagers” who come to rest within two weeks, and long-steers who spend their harsh native winter by the ocean. But it seems that Goa will no longer be the same in this sense.

From November, as many as three flights a week will fly from Moscow straight to Dabolim (the airport in the state of Goa), but so far only from the flagship of Russian air transportation, so prices, although cheaper compared to most of today’s, are still far from pre-pandemic: from 75 thousand rubles in one side. For comparison, before the pandemic, a ticket from Moscow to Goa and back cost 20-25 thousand rubles, and a week-long tour based on a charter flight could be found for 14 thousand rubles. Accommodation for such money, of course, left much to be desired, but many purchased them for the sake of a cheap charter flight, and decent housing was rented on the spot. Alas, there is no talk of returning Goan charters to us, so the most devoted contingent of Goa, and these are not rich people, will still have to save up for a flight. And then the Goan authorities met the first direct flight from Russia with a package of new bans. According to the Goan press, the measures are aimed at curbing the “unpleasant” activities of both locals and tourists. The fine for such is 50 thousand rupees (a little more than 37 thousand rubles), and from now on the Goan authorities are unpleasant from the side of their own population “too intrusive service”, and from the guests – “too free behavior”.

– And how to understand it? – we are interested in the owner of the hotel in the popular resort town of North Goa. – Were you informed what exactly is now impossible? And those are very general terms.

Yes, they sent memos. From now on, illegal trade and advertising, drinking alcohol outside specialized drinking establishments, outdoor cooking, unauthorized ticket sales and generally anything from mobile stalls or peddlers are prohibited. That is, vacationers will no longer be disturbed by beach vendors, street barkers, mobile trays and barbecues with homemade food smelling all over the area, as well as people chewing and drinking right on the beach. We are now a decent resort.

But Russian winterers are not at all happy with the new circulars.

“This is only good for owners of hotels and stationary restaurants,” says Olesya, a Russian woman who has lived in Goa since the beginning of the pandemic. – And we have only losses. Some shacks (beach cafes with thatched roofs, erected in the season – from the English shack – hut, shack – author) have already been recognized as “street stalls”. If the rest go there, then only expensive restaurants will remain. And now you can’t even intercept some hot corn on the street or the beach, peddlers and carts with street food have been banned.

Compared to the prices of seasonal “shek”, stationary Goan cafes and restaurants seem expensive. And without competition from the “temporary buildings” they, in theory, will also inflate prices.

– If there are no sheks, then you will have to drive to Mapsa to the market and cook at home (Mapsa is a local “regional center” with a cheap food market – author), – continues Olesya. – But our owner has already told us to stop using the barbecue, he does not want to pay a fine for us.

Olesya and her friend rent a tiny house, consisting of one room, but not having a kitchen – there are plenty of them in Goa, this is the cheapest type of rental housing. Instead of a full-fledged kitchen in such houses, there is usually only a refrigerator on the terrace and sockets for an electric kettle or microwave – if the residents themselves buy them. But Russians usually prefer outdoor grills to microwave ovens, it is more convenient and environmentally friendly to cook the most inexpensive and healthy Goan food – a fresh catch bought directly from fishermen’s fishing boats. True, now fishermen are also banned from trading outside specialized fish markets. And residents, as it turns out, are no longer allowed to light their outdoor barbecues, this action falls under the ban on “cooking in the open air.”

– In the air, by the way, now you can’t even drink, – adds winterer Arthur from Siberia. – That is, they don’t pour on the beaches anymore, and now you won’t come with your bottle. If you want a drink, go to a stationary restaurant, sit there and drink. Well, or at home. But I think it will gradually fade away. Hindus periodically introduce something so that tourists bring profit to the state treasury, and not to any self-made merchants. But every time, over time, everything returns to normal, this is India. But we have problems with earnings along the way. It will not be possible to earn money in the old way – at least openly.

The fact is that Russian winterers, for the most part, people who are not rich and not burdened with profitable remote work, earn their living right on the spot – whoever is in what much. From the sale of homemade pancakes, syrniki and chebureks to the organization of private kindergartens, yoga schools (tantric sex, magic, Vedic astrology, vocals, etc.) and all sorts of visiting and not very “retreats” – collective spiritual practice. As a rule, all this, except for kindergartens, which ours arrange right at home, takes place in the open air, since the climate allows. And since officially foreigners who arrived on a tourist visa are prohibited from working in the state, usually instead of the price, the organizers indicate “donation” – a donation to a good deed, as much as they can. But in reality, this “no matter how much it is a pity” is quite fixed and is passed from mouth to mouth. And announcements about the services of Russian-speaking yogis, magicians, astrologers, numerologists and other gurus and craftsmen, as a rule, are posted in the busiest tourist places – at the entrance to a supermarket, in popular cafes, near hotels and clubs. But from now on, both announcements and activities themselves are subject to a ban on “a wide range of illegal trade, advertising and other activities that force visitors to the state to purchase unauthorized goods and services.”

– In chats you will give announcements, – I try to console the Russian Goans, who have practically been deprived of local income.

– In chats, everyone is their own, they work here themselves, – Arthur throws up his hands. – We, of course, counted on the bagmen very much. They usually like to do yoga for 10 days, which they arrived, and open their third eye, and make a natal chart. And all this is for us, since the Indians are not Turks, they don’t remember Russian, no matter how many times you visit them. And ours also with English. But there are no packet messengers in Goan chat rooms, now you can’t stick an announcement for them right in the hotel, there is also a fine for distributing flyers on the beach. Well, nothing, anyway, we’ll come up with something, the first time, or something.