What is it about goa that conjures up the image of long haired beer bellied ’’
firangs’’ riding around on ’Bullets’’..? I suppose there’s a biker hiding in all of us
leather jackets, black sunglasses, belle behind et al.
Generations have recommended a bike ride in Goa as a must do and goa, true to
its nature, lives up to the whims and fancies of each. So here’s a guide to biking
in Goa, intended for the arm chair biker - those of us who like to rough it out, as
long as there is a comfortable bed and good food close to us.
While in Goa, where to find a bike
There are umpteen local entrepreneurs, who have created a trade out of this -
with fancy names and a choice of models. But the bikes are probably middle
aged, been taken for a ride by a lot of ppl, and definitely must have taken at
least some of them for a ride. (a complicated pun, but hey when was the last
time you met a simple biker?). So what do you do - keep your eyes and ears open
- play the street. The neighbourhood grocer, the studio, the restaurant, the
pharmacy and any such attempts at business are all places where you can rent
a bike. Just ask casually for instructions to get to a bike renter and voila, you
may get a bike instead..!!
The ’pro’s
You can get a relatively new bike, with the papers in order. It is probably
cheaper than the professionals mentioned previously. You get flexibility with
time - a must when the beaches start getting to you and you just cant stop.
The ’con’s
Unfortunately, this is India and we Indians can spot a sitting duck from a mile
away. (The enthusiasm with which our cricket team has landed upon
Bangladesh with the skipper expecting a ’’fair contest’’ is an instance). The Goan
cops are equally good at this. Technically through some legal fine print, hiring a
bike from a non legal entity might be interpreted by some over enthusiastic cop
as something worthy of a fine. (Again in India, most things can be sorted out by
a fine). You can try and get out of the situation by claiming that the bike belongs
to a friend. But it may be a little difficult to explain, why the only thing that you
know about your friend is his name and tel no.
How to try to avoid the cons
From my years of experience in evading the traffic policeman (no one is born an
evader, it is the road tax rules that make him one) I have the following pointers
Never be in the front row at a traffic light
In high risk junctions, always follow the ’’safe one’’ - the happy bajaj family -
uncle, aunty, chintoo, chimpoo and provisions for a month. Chances are you can
hide behind them, and see the cops ahead or use them to cover you while you
move past.
- Always look a traffic cop right in the eye - give him a ’’your-salary-is-paid-by-
my-taxes-so-leave-me-alone’’ look. you will appear less suspicious.
Do not use point no 3 above, for more than 3 seconds.
And never, never decide to ask a traffic cop for directions.
Remember that cops are most active on Mondays and you can probably get
away on weekends.
- In goa, you are always low priority - it is the US Dollars that are more important for the local traffic economy. So use this for your advantage.
Where/how to go
Once the initial jitters are over, Goa is a dream biker country. Open roads,
greenery, water bodies, unexpected twists and turns, bright colours - you name
it. If you are staying at Panjim, most of the happening places are a bike ride
away - all the beaches - Baga (Ah baga...!), vagator, calangute........all the
churches, all the hot spots, all the markets, all the shacks, all the love nests,
all the (hopefully) nudist spots....
The best part is you can manage your time. You dont need to follow around the
’’got-married-yesterday-software-couples’’ from beach to beach. You are the king,
though dont attempt to make your own road, just stick to the regular ones (It is
not your bike, remember?)
You are treated differently in Goa if you are a biker - there is a secret
admiration, almost a sigh - you are doing something which I want to do also, but
my wife/my folks/my shop/my feni making business - so just strut your helmet
and walk in and ride out.
For best results, have a friend/companion, its twice the fun. And once it is all
over, you can come back with the reassurance that the biker in you is still
kicking.