Shopping in Goa

March was a good time to be visiting Calangute because the Calangute Carnival is in full stride. Although the streets are hardly what you’d described as "festooned" they are vibrant and a cacophony of sound and colour. We managed to take in the Carnival procession – a poorly orchestrated affair, but fully reflective of the participants drive and enthusiasm. We thought that occasionally the locally police were a little too enthusiastic with their "crowd control as they pocked locals with the stick that they usually reserve for "strutting with". Still we were later told that there is very little crime in Goa as everyone is fully aware of the tenacity of the local police force. Carnival, if not a culturally rich affair, proved exciting and colourful and we’re pleased to have been there to experience it.

Our trip to a locals market was excellent. It’s held every Monday at Mapsa and although several tourists find their way there it truly is not aimed at visitors. Here you’ll see the local farmers / growers touting their goods to families and local hoteliers. Goans are out buying cloth for cloths and negotiating, probably even harder than us tourists, for the bargain. Hang onto your wallet. Not necessarily because I suspect pickpockets abound, but there are loads of people jostling against each other as we all tried to manoeuvre our way down the small aisles and alleyways. It is a confusing and huge place and we did get lost a couple of times as we attempted to discover all parts of the market’s life.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip into Goa (see separate journal "Beyond Calangute"), with a local taxi driver who took us through the local villages, to a couple of temples and to some picturesque spots just perfect for the photographer in me.

Even in busy Calangute the pace of life is "slow and steady" and it would be extremely difficult not to fully wind down and relax. Local restaurants put on a wide variety of local music and it is with some shame that I recall a Karaoke night as being memorable - there were some real cracking voices and competent performances of popular songs.

But I guess our lasting memory (if we ignore the litter) is the smiling faces, the warmth of the locals and the wall-to-wall Goan sun. A good winter’s break

Quick Tips:

The time share touts were often out and about in Calangute and they "attacked" us in variety of ways. The first was a gentle and casual approach as they engaged us in conversation and then went for the jugular as they thrust a card into our hands. A gentle "no" normally saw this one off without too much effort. The other type arrived out of thin air on a motorbike in areas where you’d least expect them. The normal shout of, "are you from Scandinavia?" (they incorrectly assume my origin because of my blonde hair) is followed immediately by my rebuttal (when will I ever learn?) One pursued us for over ten minutes and in the end I had to become extremely hostile with this determined character before he’d leave us to the rest of our holiday. Apparently if they entrap you, the event that you’re called to is a nightmare to escape from. I’d give them a wide berth and reject their approaches as soon as you recognise their modus operandi – they after all aren’t that subtle.

India offers great deals on medical items and I took the brave step of being tested for glasses. My current ones have seen better days and at less than a third of the UK prices it had to be worth a go. We discussed opticians around the pool and several people had bought repeatedly from Roman Optics. I bit the bullet and went for the test and at the end of a tortuous fitting (initially the lens were incorrect) I have a pair of specs that will see me through until my next opticians visit in the UK in March next year. Indeed my vision has seriously improved with these items!

Several people were stocking up on medical supplies and most items from painkillers to prescribed medication is seriously cheaper in India. We didn’t really indulge in this frantic buying but we saw tourists leaving the chemist carrying large bags crammed with lotions and potions.

Others were opting for dental work and individual were convinced of the cheapness and high quality if the work of the local dentist. Certainly their advertising points to their determination to capture rupees from the tourists. I’d personally need a bit more convincing before opening my mouth, but there was many a poolside conversation claiming the efficiency of the Goan Dentist.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around Calangute is really best done on foot and were could quite comfortably walk the length of the Baga Road in half an hour or from the football pitch to the end on the Candolim Road in an hour. What better way to spend some time at the beginning of the evening "working up an appetite for that evening meal." The other advantage is that you can stop off "at will" for a look in the shop or a pause for a coffee and a snack. However, never take your eye off the road, as the sound of a horn means "out of my way" – drivers pass dramatically close to the un-alert pedestrian.

However, if you wish to be purposeful and avoid the friendly banter from the traders as you stroll pass their emporiums then you can opt for the "luxury" of the auto-rickshaw or Tuk-Tuk. These noisy twin stroke covered-in motor-cycles will offer you cheap transport around the town (usually 50 rupees from one end to the other) although you do need to negotiate a price before starting the journey. If you’re returning within the hour the driver will wait for you and do a "better deal". Journeys by Tuk-Tuk are not for the faint-hearted and they seem to race through the streets at break-neck speed, disregarding on-coming traffic as they overtake pedestrians, cattle, bikes, other Tuk-Tuks and even taxis. It’s "hang on to your hats time", but an experience that I’d commend to you.

Taxis are a more comfortable experience but still the journey will feel "dangerous" as your driver weaves along the main road pipping his horn furiously at anyone who seems to threaten his road space. Taxi fares are perhaps four times more expensive than Tuk-Tuks and far less fun!

There are plenty of buses around the area and they’re all clearly signed. However, a bus journey, although incredibly cheap, is not only a means of transport it is a total experience. You’ll need plenty of time, patience and a strong stomach. We nearly made it one day but after a twenty-minute wait (we were going to a local market) we decided to stop a Tuk-Tuk. We later found out that the 12-rupee ride would have taken almost 1½ hours (15 minutes by auto-rickshaw) and we’d have been crammed in the non air-conditioned bus in unbearable conditions. Glad we missed that!

We’d gone to Goa with an intention to buy a rug and, in and around Calangute there was no shortage of shops and co-operatives to help us in this quest. It was really important that this be a fun part of our holiday and not a chore, so we entered into the spirit of "let’s look, but not become obsessive about the search." So if we saw a carpet shop that looked half-way decent and we wanted to escape from the blazing heat of the Goan sun, then we’d pop in. Many shops are a bit of a confusion, insofar as they sell carpets alongside a host of other souvenirs. We decided to give those shops a miss and go for the specialists, who looked as if they might understand the business.

"Persian Paradise" was one of the first places we spotted (just opposite Calangute’s football pitch, on route for the beach), and we called in for a checkout. Here we were welcomed with open arms, and when it was realised that we were serious in our aspiration to buy, we were offered a drink. We opted for a cup of Kashmiri tea, and I have to say I did not regret this choice as we chatted about the affairs of life (no sales pitch whilst tea drinking) in the air-conditioned show room. We specified our requirements, and soon had a short list of three smart carpets. However, we weren’t ready to buy today and our host was more than happy to show us a few of his highest quality (silk on silk) carpets. They were absolutely beautiful, relatively expensive, and thankfully nothing like we wanted! We promised a return later in the week for a cup of Tea and a further consideration. "No worries – see you again" was the farewell greeting.

After several days, having checked out a number of local shops and the highly priced handicraft centres, we returned to Persian Paradise. We were welcomed with open arms, given a cup of tea, had a chat and then re-examined our short listed carpets. This visit narrowed it down to two and introduced some uncertainty as to the sizing of the carpet. I shared the dilemma and the shop agreed to check with their Kashmiri families as to similar carpet in a smaller size–"We’ll fly a couple down within the next few days if you’ll promise to return." I agreed–no money requested, no pressure exerted.

True to their word a smaller carpet in a good design arrived at the shop and we considered, compared, and drank tea. It’s a tough decision, and this shop understands you need time to check out the opposition and consider the goods. "It’s a big decision," they said "and we want you to happy with your carpet." They always treated us to big broad smiles and to a gentle no hassle environment. We finally bought and what a great retail experience thanks to "Persian Paradise."

Ingo’s Saturday Market is a tourist’s delight. It was a 15-minute cab drive from our hotel, taking a short cut along a dust track and through a small local village, and at 300 rupees and with the driver prepared to wait for a couple of hours for our return journey, it was well worth the effort. Perhaps not the cheapest way to travel, but at least we had no hassle when we finished our shopping, and of course we paid nothing until we were returned to our destination.

The market starts up at around 4:30pm but we were advised not to get there until around 6.30, giving it a fair time to be set-up and yet be able to investigate before the hoards arrive. We were there for a good 2 hours, but you could tarry longer if you wanted to take in a meal and enjoy the entertainment that was going on. Ingo’s has a large entertainment area including an impressive stage surrounded by temporary bars and eating areas (it would be hard to describe them as restaurants!) .

Ingo’s is a place to visit only if you enjoy haggling. You need to be prepared to negotiate hard and be prepared to pay no more than a third of the asking price. We’d checked out prices in Calangute before coming here, and so had a bit of a basis for our offer. At one stall, dealing in wooden bowls, I made a seriously low bid to the stallholder. It’s the first time that a bid has been so low as to be derisory, but this man proved to totally inflexible and wouldn’t budge an inch. He demanded that I give him another offer, but as he wasn’t playing by the rules I merely re-affirmed my original offer and walked off. This proved to be a good move as I got a great deal at a nearby stall in an auction that fully complied with the rules of engagement (they state their price, I offer 25%, they come down a bit, I move up a rupee or two and we finally agree, after some grimaces, smiles and gesticulations at a price around 33% of the original demand). I just love the manoeuvrings and I’m never that bothered about arguing over 50 rupees – it’s all part of the game.

There are loads of stalls and it’s a fair labyrinth to get around (indeed at one point I was entering into stern negotiations for an article before realising that my final offer had been rejected about 10 minutes earlier. I shuck my head and walked off only to be pursued by the stallholder who finally accepted my offer. Who says persistence doesn’t pay!

There’s all manner of clothing, souvenirs, foot ware, handbags, wooden carved goods, incense, jewellery and of course spices. We did buy some spices at Nershi S Bhojaya’s colourful stall, helped patiently by the very affable Vishna. We even managed a discount on the haggled prices!

Around Goa there’s a preponderance of Tibetan Traders who are often herded together, I suspect through choice, in covered market areas. We spotted three of these on the Baga road, and all shared the same kind of ambiance. These are hassle-free zones and we could to walk around the market stopping at stall, looking at the goods with no pressure to buy. This is at total variance to the Goan norms: "pause to glance" will illicit a "come lookie, lookin’s free" from the stall holder; a "stop and look" is a confirmation of your intention to enter and you are now viewed as "hooked"; an exchange of eye contact is almost as good as a contract to buy!

But Tibetan markets almost encourage "window shopping" and we were able to sit, handle the goods, discuss the prices without an expectation that we would be moving to the next phase of the deal. It was a refreshing experience. Generally these markets are renowned for their jewellery and usually the silver goods have a hallmark of sorts. Before we were given a price the items were weighed and we’d been told to be wary of any trader that suggested a price without first checking the weight. There were some great choices of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings and we enjoyed looking and comparing before we entered into our negotiations. We were told not to expect any bartering on the Tibetan Markets but we risked our arms and put in a customarily low offer. To our surprise the stallholders were prepared to bargain (perhaps the fact that we were approaching the end of the season had an influence) and where we purchased more than one item they discounted further. We felt we got good deals – and that’s what matters!

In addition to jewellery there was a large number of Tibetan singing bowls. Although I never did grasp the symbolism of these items they were interesting pieces. I guess they had the appearance of a pestle and mortar and the bowl was held delicately in the hand whilst the "stick" gently rubbed around the top. After a time the bowl started to "sing". We were told it had to do with religious ceremony - incense, water and healing were all involved. It was fascinating and the guy was prepared to spend time telling us about his product with no real push to sell.

I did go for a couple of meditational CDs – one by Karunesh who I’d bought on my earlier trip to Kerala. The seller was more than happy to play samples for me and was keen to recommend his preferred albums. CDs are incredibly cheap in India although you have to be a bit careful because there are an awful lot of copies in the market place. I always ask to see the case and the CD before I buy! I tried for discount on a multi purchase and got it. You never know unless you ask!

Clothing in Goa is said to be well worth checking out, although we were concerned that if we were heading for a made-to-measure outfit then we needed to be assured of quality. Our holiday rep was happy to recommend a company called PR Enterprises that had been around for several years and she had used herself. She assured us that people returned to this establishment year after year, and that although the prices were not necessarily the cheapest in town, the quality was good. Their advertising line is "from the streets of London to Baga Beach" and they have two shops down the Baga Road with a reasonable choice of fabrics.

We decided to pop in to check it out (I wanted a couple of suits, and my wife was looking for a suit and a dress or two). We should have known—you don’t just pop in to check out in India! A step over the threshold of a shop indicates interest, and the touching of the goods a sale! Now I reckon that the owner of this establishment (a man with a post-grad degree in a science) could sell fridges to Eskimos. He's a gentle soul with a real understanding as to "what you really want" and within 10 minutes I was checking out fabric and confirming that I wanted a couple of suits.

The tape measure was efficiently run over my body, the prices agreed, with a suitable discount for a multiple purchase and then I was told that with each suit came an extra pair of trousers, two tailored shirts and a couple of ties. This was now looking like an even better deal and at this point we decided to confirm a deal for my wife’s outfit.

After a ceremonial shake of hands and the exchange of a small deposit, we were booked in for our first fitting. PR Enterprises prefers to have three fittings to ensure a first class fitting and ours were spread over a week. The first visit confirmed that the measurements had been well taken and properly interpreted as my wife’s new clothes fit perfectly, and mine only needed minor adjustments to the jacket’s shoulders.

At the second fitting, and we're really getting to know our tailor, we try on everything. Suits, trousers, shirts, skirts, blouses, and dresses. Quite a wardrobe! And, other than small alterations to one pair of my trousers and the shirts, we are delighted with the end product. A final fitting goes without hitch, we try on everything yet again and then watch it being carefully packed into two handy items of "carry-on luggage".

From choosing our styles, selecting the fabric, being measured, and accepting the finished article took just over the week (although the process can be "fast-tracked"). We found it a pleasurable and fun experience—helped immensely because of the dry humour of the "main man".

Check out their website for further information – www.prenterprises.co.in