We used to end up with most of it under our towels on the sunbeds hiding it for them from the tourist police!!

The beach sellers are still out in force and have been for at least the last two months

Betty boopThey do that with us to bless them, and what with the dogs as well under me bed

Pip
x

I know this will make me sound a right old grump, but I cannot stand the beach sellers pestering me all day. Like most people who go to Goa for a holiday, we have worked hard to save for our holiday and by the time we get there we are tired and just need a rest. All both of us want to do is to read, chill and have a natter with the shack owner and his workers. We get annoyed when the same people come up to us several times each day trying to sell their tat. The first time my other half took me to Goa I found the experience of them crowding my sunbed really intimidating.

You tell them that you have been before and you have as many sarongs, etc. as you need but they still come back. If you give in and buy one thing, they go away and tell their friends and they come and pester you. One reason why we are not going to use the usual shack this year is because the last time we were there, the beach seller who had connections with the shack owner, wouldn't leave us alone even though we had bought several things off of him during the first week (the usual things, spices, incense, gifts for the family). When during the second week he wouldn't take no for an answer we spent several days somewhere else on the beach and when he saw us, he became upset. We told him the reason why and he left us alone.

Sorry, if those of you find the beach sellers an exciting part of the holiday but having been 9 times, it ceased being fun a long time ago.

Betty boopThey do that with us to bless them, and what with the dogs as well under me bed

and the cows/lepers/children dislocating their arms to get through hoops whilst on a tightrope.... can NOW see why we all want to go back
Re Sydney's post above..yes I COMPLETELY understand where you're coming from and it got to the point where even if I lay there PRETENDING to be asleep..they'd still come along and sit beside me until I moved! The funniest though was when I WAS asleep..and I was suddenly 'aware' of a shadow over my face then then a VERY loud voice shouted 'CAKE!'. (The 'shadow' was a tray that he had around his neck holding an array of cakes LOL! Bit like an usherette they'd have at the cinema LOL) I sat up in shock so fast I nearly bumped my head on his tray LOL!

Must admit that the shack we use, the sellers that USED to be 'attached' to the shack not only left you alone on the first few days of your holiday but also 'saw off' any other sellers.

Whilst they are paying the police they will remain there along with every other "street worker" that harass holidaymakers.

Not so much the beach sellers(you can pretend to be asleep) and I always find the young guy who has a Tescos in his shoulder bag entertaining.
Note, having earphones in and listening to a walkman is no protection "you want CD's sah?"
What are worse are the shopkeepers on the way down to the beach, just how many sunhats, towels , shirts, skirts, suntops etc etc, do they think you need day after day.

BUT, would you really change it all?................ not me, its all fun!

I love the beach sellers - A polite and firm No thank you is usually enough to deter them. Yes they will come back again but another firm No thank you does the trick and I never tire of saying no thank you.

I may be very sad but I can't wait to hear the immortal words on the way down to the beach " Hello, look my shop....please look my shop". It's all part of my holiday.

Betty Boop wrote:

I was suddenly 'aware' of a shadow over my face then then a VERY loud voice shouted 'CAKE!'

Sorry Betty Boop for laughing but I had such a picture in my head of the CAKE being shouted and you jumping. Has made my night

Glynis...you ought to have BEEN there! ROFL!!! We still laugh about that now!

sydney - at last someone who agrees with me - they drive me nuts. Little Vagator sellers have to be the worst, they get you to the point of two words the last being "off" with any word you like before it.
Walking to the beach is not a problem as you can ignore them but you are a laying target on the beach - I go read my book not look at tat.

It was at Vagator that we decided to try and get a bit of peace from the sellers and went into a shack....they stood JUST outside - in a line- and shouted across to where we were sitting LOL! ..and no..they didn't get 'moved on'.

Our family has visited Goa for more than 10 years and I know not everyone will agree with me but I love the beachsellers! It's this that sets Goa apart from many places (especially in Europe) where you can sit for hours on a beach and not talk to anyone (even if you try to be friendly)! Goa with it's beachsellers is ideal for my hubby who isn't really a beach person and gets bored really easily. In Goa he looks forward to his time on the beach being broken up with chats to sellers.

We found that if you get friendly with them, they don't bother you - but if they do then I have never had a probelm with "no thank you". We like to take them time to get to know some of them, and in turn learn things about them, where they come from etc. I am certainly not saying that all of the beach sellers are same, but after a trip to Spain to see family this year, time on the beach certainly went a lot slower than it does in Goa (and I have 1 very bored hubby!!).

How can you resist



This little mob are usually found round Bobby`s on Calangute beach

Have watched many over the last ten years grow up, get married, or whatever they decide to do. We look forward to seeing them every year, as they have become our friends. As you say a polite "no" if you do not want to buy is sufficient. Mind, we have had some of the children ask for a coke one day, then the next day a chicken tikka masala! Yeh, Yeh Okay! Then surrounded by about 20 of them come from all ways! Love them!!

If somebody tries to figure out, if to go to a certain place for a holiday or not .. I tried to imagine the person telling the agent:
yes I want to go there but there are
- too muck locals
- and i do not like the colour of the sand on the beach
- and i do not like the food
- and i do not like.... but still I want to go. Can you make neccessary changes to make the place more acceptable for me?

If somebody chooses the destination for a holiday then he/she accepts the way people live there. The beach selling is one way of making living in India. This is a part of India including Goa. If this is annoying to somebody, mu humble suggestion would be, change the destination. There will allways be sellers with more agressive ways of selling, compared to Europe. And nobody will change the water in the sea because you do not like the taste of it.
argo

Good comments Elephant

I agree with you totally.

Why change destinations as there are beach sellers all over the world? My gripe is that they don't leave you alone even if you say you are not interested. I am polite enough not to tell them to clear off but there have been times when I have been close to doing so, especially when they stand on the outside of the shack and shout in.

It got to the point where I would be asleep and they would wake me up with their "mama", "Mama", you want this? you want that? banter, so I decided I would tell them "I'll buy something on my last day" which did the trick. In the beginning I kept my word and would buy something from each of the two sellers at our shack and have a massage from the massage girl on the last day of our holiday, now I don't bother to go on the beach on our last day. I relax PEACEFULLY on my sunbed by the pool at my guesthouse instead. Sorry, after ten years I can't be doing with it!