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http://www.tomthumb.org/essays/Goarules.html
A Guide for the Newly Arrived in Goa
Goa is a very strange place and the usual rules for survival don't always apply! Many people come here expecting to carry on in the same way as they do in the West and sometimes things go terribly wrong for them. Every season hundreds of people are ripped-off, seriously injured, sent crazy or imprisoned - And yet most of these things can be easily avoided by following a few general guidelines! So before you swallow your drugs and enter into the chaos of Goa, please read the below when you're sober enough to understand it!
Police
In Goa, the police pay for their jobs and so have to make their living taking baksheesh (bribes) from whoever they can. In theory, being caught with a piece of hash can bring you six months in prison or ten years of breaking stones if they catch you with more than twenty-five grams! So to avoid this, they know that they can make you give them all the money you have on you at that moment!
Never get violent with the police as the Western governments ask them to catch at least ten drugs offenders each year and if you upset them then you might be one of the unlucky ones! Be polite without showing weakness or fear and keep in mind the following ideas:
- Keep your drugs outside the house, buried somewhere safe.
- Clear your ashtrays and don't leave dirty chillums around.
- If you're smoking inside then keep the doors locked or be very ready to throw away what you're using.
- Do not let the police in if they come at night-time - They have no right to force entry.
- Only smoke in public places where you are sure the police have agreed not to come!
Thieves
The other side to this cops and robbers scenario are the thieves who are on the lookout for naive foreigners with enough dollars in their money belts to support an Indian's family for a few years! Whilst the rest of India is pretty safe, Goa has hundreds of robberies each year with very clever thieves breaking into houses by taking off roof tiles to come in through the ceiling, using long bamboo poles to open front doors from the window or fishing rods to pick up wallets left laying around! So:
- Put your passport, traveller's cheques and most of your cash in a wallet and give it to your landlord's family to take care of. Failing that you can leave it in a safe deposit box at the bank. Just take out enough money for each week.
- Do NOT go to a party and take acid with all your valuables around your waist! Replacing your passport and sending money from home can be really difficult in India!
- Buy an expensive Western lock for your door and don't rely on the Indian padlocks that can be opened with a screwdriver!
- Be extra careful on party nights as that's when the thieves are most busy - It's no fun to return from a party to find your house cleaned out!
- If you hear thieves on your roof or outside, do not (unless you're Izraeli!) go out to deal with them as sometimes they carry machetes!
Health and Safety
In the middle of your psychedelic tour of a Goan season, it's easy to neglect your health and to be careless of a few natural dangers:
- Drive really carefully: There are cows, dogs, children, invisible speed bumps, freaks on acid and potholes all across the roads! Watch how the taxi wallahs drive really slow! 'Start early, drive slowly, arrive safely'. to quote an Indian sage!
- Use a torch when walking through Nature at night as there are some very poisonous snakes around - Stamp your feet to let them know you're coming!
- If you have a crash then don't walk around for weeks in bandages - It's a trick the doctors play to make money by charging you for each time they change your wraps! Each time your bandages are ripped off then your scab over the wound comes off too - Injuries need air to heal! I find sea water helps too for small cuts!
- Shower every day and drink fruit juices if you smoke. Stay away from Kingfisher beer which is full of poisonous chemicals!
- Do not use malaria tablets as they will make you sick and long-term use is proven to lead towards blindness and stomach cancer - No India traveller uses them! Lemon grass oil and a net will keep mosquitoes away!
- If you have an accident or want medical help then go to see the doctor at Badem hospital or ask at Happy Harry Hammocks on the flea market!
Parties
The Goan parties are based on LSD and there are a few general ground rules!
- Do not just stand around on the dance floor - Move your body and be part of the flow! Save the social club chat for the cafes!
- It's the tropics so make sure you drink a lot of water! I even take Elektrol rehydration salts with me!
- You can leave your stuff safe with a trusted chai lady! After the party there are often teams of beggars coming in to search the ground for anything they can slip into their pockets!
- It's best not to take photos of people at parties as some of the travellers in india are on the run from the police! Sometimes people's cameras are taken from them and smashed, along with the odd arm or finger - Ask before you use your camera and save yourself a lot of trouble!
- Women should ask someone to come with them when they go to the toilet in the bushes, just to be on the safe side!
Drugs
The drugs in Goa can be the some of the best in the world and more acid has probably been taken here than anywhere else in the world! If you're new to taking acid or E's often, start slowly and take care of your health:
- It's a good idea not to trip more than once a week - Use the other six days to learn from your experience!
- Only take your drugs when you have arrived at the party or the beach where you want to be - Driving can be really difficult and messy otherwise!
- If a friend of yours is going over the edge, try to make sure they eat and sleep so that they can come down! Try giving them a little valium if they are out of control!
- To last some time in Goa, try to balance your party life with some shanti time - Too many people lose the plot each year!
That's about it! Hopefully none of these problems will happen to you and as potentially awkward as Goa can be, it's equally pregnant with amazing experiences of learning and fun to be had. Treat the Goans with respect and you might recive the same courtesy and help back when you need it - Besides, they've seen it all and are basically very friendly, kind people! This is their home, remember!
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