The early monsoon took many by surprise but after the rains in May there has come a calm with the sun shining brightly in the first eight days of June. The monsoon has started its hide-and-seek game but that has not stopped locals and tourists from visiting beaches.
The inclement weather has not substantially decreased the arrival of tourists either, with the low middle income category filling the beaches of Goa and the higher income group tentatively testing the waters.
Alongside tourists, local families could be seen enjoying picnics despite the skies being overcast and groups of tourists could be seen wading into the water watched by attentive lifesavers in beaches along the coast.
“The only problem is to convince tourists, who have had drinks that it is dangerous to venture too far into the sea because it becomes unpredictable during the rains,” said lifesaver Constantin, as he scanned the waters.
Whilst beach cleaners can be seen bundling in the mess in the mornings, by evening, prominent South Goa beaches are visited by locals, tourists and those for whom Goa is now their second home.
But to the industry it is the tourists who matter. “We heard so much about Goa in the rains that we decided to spend the weekend here and we are enjoying. The beaches may not be that clean but they are not bad. And there are quite a few nice places open,” said Geeta from Gujarat as she hopped out of a restaurant butting the coast.
Though the monsoons have not stalled footfalls, tourists opted for just a few beaches along the southern and northern coasts, with other beaches rather desolate.
Not all clubs in North Goa were open. Most of those open were entertaining clients with retro music of the 1990s and there was less emphasis on Bollywood. Live bands entertained people in some restaurants on the weekend and though crowds could not be seen after 10 pm, a few clubs kept their doors open till late.
“Not all clubs are willing to risk being open due to increasing operational costs. Some say additional expenses, including unofficial ones, make it unviable to run businesses with small crowds,” said a resident of Anjuna.
Despite the taxi imbroglio remaining alive, with threats and counter threats flowing, the truth is that the taxi business has not played truant so far.
“We have had no problem travelling. We used a taxi with no problem though we did read that there seems to be some disagreement between the government and taxi drivers. We will be getting a taxi to the airport from our hotel tomorrow,” admitted Arvind, who seemed distanced from the woes of the taxi drivers.
The initial hesitance of clients after the strife with Pakistan seems to have blown over with many budget hotels reporting confirmation of room bookings from Gujarat, Telangana and Northern states.
“No more cancellations and no more hesitation in bookings. Agencies have started making full bookings and hence the worry of cancellations has gone. We are returning to normal,” said a hotel owner declaring that half his place is closed for renovation.
Though light to moderate rains have been forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rains have been ruled out for a major part of the week.
“Since it has been declared that the monsoon started early, we are expecting reservations to swing either way with marginal impact on the industry. Offseason can never be predicted,” said Dhruv who has been in the industry for years.
The skies have been playing their game in the evenings with a few drizzles sending some of those on the beach scurrying for temporary cover. As the drizzle peters out, all return to the sands.