Tuesday, March 22, 2011

How to get around 1

What's the best way to travel in Goa? That depends on your requirements:
1. Is it a day trip or an overnight one?
2. Is the place near by or far away?
3. Do you have a lot of time or are you in a hurry?
4. What's the parking situation like?

If you picked the first part for the first three questions, public transport is the way to go.
Public transport would also be the way to go if the trip is during the day to a place that's far away and has limited parking options.

PROS:
It's cheap! Depending on where you want to go, it could even be cheaper than a liter of petrol. I shall demonstrate- Calangute to Panjim, return bus fare= 26 bucks. Petrol to cover the same distance?At least 100 bucks' worth.
You don't have to focus on the crazy idiots on the road.
If the scenery is what you really enjoy, the bus gives you a vantage point few other vehicles can give.
No parking problems.
Fantastic for the environment! (Big PLUS in my book)

CONS:
You can't carry too much stuff with you. (So ditch the beach umbrella.)
The conductor might think you are sardines, or might overcharge you. (Remedy: Check the fare table that is supposed to be displayed near the driver's cabin)
Bus timings- not all display a schedule, but you can always ask the conductor when the last bus (or the penultimate one) leaves.
The sheer amount of time spent travelling: Shuttles, 'Express' and 'Direct' buses take roughly the same amount of time as a private vehicle would, but these wonder-buses run mainly between the cities and towns. Think of this as a pro- all that time with your friends and family, all the incessant badinage- you know you've missed it!

PRO/CON:
For you listening pleasure, the music choice of the conductor/driver. (I can now identify/sing along to many songs from Hindi movies I've never watched.Yay! My name is Sheela...)

I try to travel by bus as much as possible. I see more of Goa that way that I would if I were hunched behind a steering wheel.

Next time: Private transport.... oooooooooooh!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Goa calling

As a young adult, probably working at your first real job, something that is usually difficult to maintain control over is funds. You’re finally earning! Hurrah! There’s all this stuff you want to buy and see and do and now you can do it all with your own money. Or can you?

It’s a little harder than it first appears. You need to save- someday you might be out of a job. You might want something BIG like a house or a car. Do you put the smaller things that Life is supposed to be made of on hold till you achieve the bigger things?

That logic doesn’t quite make sense to me.

I want to travel. Sure, someday I’d like to see the Sphinx, and roam with the animals across the Savannah. For now though I don’t have the moolah to do that. Besides the obvious factor of funds, I’m also concerned about the impact jetting around the world will have on the planet. The best solution I’ve been able to come up with so far? Try and see as much of the state I live in as possible.

And what do you know? I live in a place many people love visiting- Goa.

Can traveling within this tourist’s paradise be economical and eco-friendly? There’s only one way to find out…

About Me

Greetings, citizens of the world! We are united by planet and species, so what say we do our best to look after our handfuls of earth?