Got to agree with you on that one lovemyhols

it all depends what are your expectations and how good homework have you done. i love india as it is. (i have told several times here in HT that i have lived one year in India, at the time where beaches of Goa were ALL deserted). when you love somebody/something you let the leach loose. if the changes happen you have the choice - to be truthful or find an another mistress. i'm trutful. The people of india have not changed. i accept the action in calangute. i even like it. i love it. i go to aswem/morijm/manderem to have my moments of meditation and peace.
everybody have the choice ... nice, albufeira, shores of red sea ... whatever! if you choose india, it does not matter which part of it, then expect to get india. and when you are not satisfied, it is not india to be blamed, its you!
keep the Immodium in your purse and be safe in 5 star hotel in Dubai. or forget the Immodium and stay home. sry. I love india as it is. we all change. it is unfair to hope that some part of the world will stay frozen for us. it is not fair!
indian elephant with best regards!

Despite the many well publicised billionaires, millionairs and expanding middle classes, India does not make it into the world's top 100 countries in terms of average living standards, however measured. Indias AVERAGE income is less than $2 a day which, given that it has a growing middle class, means it has plenty of VERY poor people. (Source Sunday Times 29th April 2007) I think this classes India as a third world country.
Tonight on BBC1 Victoria Wood in a new travel series is in Calcutta, I dont know what will be shown but having visited this city last year I would imagine there will be plenty of evidence that the country has a long way to go to reach 1st world standards. Goa is one of the richest states in India based on average income but is still fighting to come to terms with poverty, polution and corruption.
The goan people are very friendly and I have many I consider good friends, but most just dont think like me. They will throw litter in the streets even right outside their homes. At the theatre they do not applaud as they have paid to see the production. At railway level crossings they line up right across the road on both sides so when the barriers go up mayhem ensues etc. etc.
Writing this makes me want to get on a plane now and jet back now, but I understand it is not everyone's cup of chai. For me the state has still a lot to offer, but I worry that this won't always be the case.

My feelings exactley Thirdstage, but I dont think we have anything to worry about, Goas and Indias masses, especially in the rural areas have seen massive changes taking place in the cities such as Bangalore but their lifes remain unchanged and it will take more than the "new" tourists that are ariving in Goa to change their life or aspirations. In the 60s pre hippy era I was in the Merchant Navy and some of our main cargos was grain from the U.S.A. and Canada for famine relief, by and large these days are gone, and India is more able to feed her masses but there is a long way to go before India ceases to be a thirld world country. This is a fact I think that a lot of posters here forget when they make dismissive comments about the litter and garbage they see all around them in Goa. I see plenty of litter and dirt in U.K. cities and with the infastructure in place here it's inexcusable, at least the Goasns havent even got that. Alan

Good post.

spot on gramps

There are 'facilities in place' for removing, at least part of the rubbish that is thrown away at the side of the roads etc in Goa, as well as the rest of India. The migrant rag pickers wander all the roads collecting the masses of plastic bottles, glass bottles, metal and cardboard. Goa seems to be continually decreasing the number of rubbish collection areas and relying more on these workers to remove this rubbish on their behalf. I definately think a good way to go would be to have a few more rubbish collection areas, especially in the tourist areas where plastic bottles/glass bottles can be seperated for easy collection by these workers. As tourists frequent these areas it would be easier to implement as most foreigners are already in ther habbit of sperating their waste... Anyone have any comments/suggestions? There really does need to be a campain to educate Goans/Indians to show rubbish is their problem even when they throw it just outside their property! (which most do!)..

I take your point Rob, but as no less a person than the Goan Tourist Minister decided this season past, not to issue contracts for beach cleaning, the reason being when the rubbish was collected in the past, after cardboard, plastic bottles etc, had been removed the rest would simply be dumped by the roadside, so his solution was simply to leave it all on the beach for the tourists to enjoy. I'm afraid with an attitude like that from the person in charge of tourism, the garbage solution for Goa is still some way off. Alan

Each to their own ect, but if you want peace and quiet, go out of season july - Oct you wont find any taxis, sellers, beggers, sunbeds, it is so peaceful and quiet, and very relaxing, although you may need an umbrella, and you will actually pray for a taxi to appear at times,

Lin

Judging by todays papers there's more than McDonalds to worry about in the "new Goa" http://www.oheraldo.in/node/24696 Alan

Yes there seemed to be pockets of serious looking Russians and their 'partners' in and around Morjim. And I don't think they were their girlfriends if you know what I mean.

I'd heard from a few locals that some Russian 'girls' come over to Goa with no money and manage to stay in good accomodation and live well for 'free' for a month or so. It would seem that a lot of younger Russian men come to certain areas of Goa for women and hard drugs. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with some of the younger Russian guys who I saw taking every liberty with the Goan hospitality, they certainly don't take no for an answer and know money buys anything in Goa. They are also fearless of the police.

Had a few of this type of Russian tourist staying at a hotel I was staying at and they caused no end of trouble. Not pleasant!

oh dear neil, what hotel was that, PLEASE tell me is wasnt the sunset beach resort??

I would like to say, we went to goa in nov 06 hubby me and our 4 kids youngest being 4..........I was concerned about going with the kids, having to take malria tablets etc........we got to the airport and the power cut and we though oh god, what have we done coming here.............

After 20 minutes my husband me and all the kids fell in love with goa, dispite the poverty we saw the poor stray dogs and running round on palolem we spent all day rescuing one we called bongo.

dispite the annoying sellers that wont take no for an answer, dispite the shacks and dirty toilets .................all of us loved goa ,the friendly people, we ate out in restaurants and shacks for two weeks, and we never got ill, the food was perfect in every place we ate, and we are fusy vegetarians.............the toilets in the shacks are slung up and who cares it does not mean your food is going to give you gasto enteritis.They are slung up for the season.All the food in the shacks was far better than the greasy slop you get in the indian restaurants here in uk.

we had the most magical time enjoyed taking our kids to the spice plantatons , and to the water fall kids interacted with little goan kids the beautiful sunsets and pitch black sky, and the stars .

goa has something very special the culture, the wood smells and insence the fantastic markets .........I hope goa doesnt become too spoilt by tourists, even though goa has power cuts poverty and rubbish on beaches poor strays mad drivers ! it will always be top of the list compared to spain and places like tennefife you can no way compare goa to them, its in a different league !

my kids will remeber their expirience forever .And I cried that I had to come home, I have been all over the world but goa felt special why ??? I dont really know I guess I just felt happy there.

gracie

That was lovely to read graciebluecat Yes I agree, Goa is something very special. I was very apprehensive on our first visit as we had three of our four children with us. At the airport we just didnt expect all the noise and pipping of horns, my husband and I were looking for the hotel bus and we turned around and two of our boys were being led away by to very eager taxi drivers We rescued them and laugh about it now, the whole country is magical, yes thats it, magical. We too have been all over the world but Goa has a very special place in our hearts Cant wait to back in December

India has many people living on less than £1 a day.....it has a lot of poverty and some areas have poor/no infrastructure. Malnutrition and illiteracy levels are still high.

Tunisia is further ahead than India and Tunisia is third world. India is indeed third world and by no means second world.

It is developing very fast and has one of the largest purchasing powers on this planet. Considering this India is developing at a good rate.

HOWEVER, the new term for 'third world' is 'developing country' which India is!!

Needless to say India is for me. The most colour vibrant, cultural and amazing countries around!