Miramar beach's unsung gifts ------------------------------------------------------------------ by Marc de Souza
The lady of Goan beaches, Miramar faces the blue Arabian Sea, a sea of ever changing mood, was great 25 years ago but is even better now. Ever new, ever renewing, having a depth of freshness, a sense of grandeur and greatness, compellingly beckons, but little do we reckon! A friendly fisherman who has lived long enough to see the wheel come full circle, overflowing with pride and experience, shaking his head, told me that Miramar was quite different from what the tourist brochure describes it now -- everything bigger, greater and every superlative you can think of. Way back in 1937 the beach consisted that part of Caranzalem and Campal, with the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny strip of Miramar proper. Then in 1942, the cyclone that devastated Goa, a change took place, the sea tugged the Caranzalem and Campal portions of the beach, leaving behind a sandy and pebbled sort of a pencil mark seashore of hardly half a kilometre, consisting of humps and bumps and mainly covered with thorny shrubs unfit even for walking with footwear. There were also some nasty sand dunes. With the passage of time, the sea increasingly loosened its grip and grasp, not only the beach stretching again into Caranzalem and Campal, but the main Miramar beach broadening itself considerably, thrusting well into the sea, which now stands at well over three kilometres. The city's heart beats most strongly at Miramar. It attracts bathers, joggers and walkers. To the Goan, it fulfills one's primeval urge for communion and creates a new need in an ongoing cycle of wish-fulfillment. The relationship with the sea is that of touch and let go, of kiss and good-bye, of fulfillment and longing. If you meditate on the things of the sea, there are lessons hidden here: like the waves, we too sometimes wander far, racing along, heedless of what might lie ahead. Yet, the warm sands wait to welcome the waves when they return from their wanderings, and they are not deserted. It's just like when the storms of life plunge us into darkness and despair, there's always the guiding light of a lighthouse beacon! There is sustenance and solace to be drawn from the waters. Listen to the power of the ocean's music. Like the unrestrained song, it rolls along to the tune of joy and freedom. Hear the strength in the crashing waves as they join in the melody of love and harmony. The sea-gulls soar overhead parting airy clouds of grey as they ride the wind. The trees sway as if the wind God were in them. The wind's own wild refrain rings. Inhale the clean air and taste the tinge of salt in the ocean's spray. Feel the cool invigorating freshness of the wind. It murmurs tales of constant activity, like the much loved mistress, moody, unpredictable, fickle. Perhaps the most romantic and ineluctable aspect of waves is the fascination they present for humans. It's hard to beat the age old offerings that come from the sea. Its most obvious product, salt. Extracted from the sea, this precious mineral can cleanse and smoothen the skin and even soothe the soul. It's one of the best possible natural anti-septics and marvellous for healing small cuts and grazes and making the skin feel clean and tingling with health. Take a dip in the sea, if in need of health miracle, the unique properties help in muscular ailments. And what about the slimy, lowly seaweeds that collect along the shore, are packed with vitamin and minerals. Rich with nutrients for people and new resources for industry, may soon assume a higher place in the world starving for both. And the list goes on and on. It forever appears to dish out, as each wave follows the one before, shells and pebbles abound, the delight of eating really fresh fish hooked caught in nets and on to the frying pan, with driftwood washed ashore to keep the kitchen fires burning, in case one runs out of gas. And there is all the joy of sun and wind -- free air to take deep into the lungs that pure fresh air, which makes the thought go drifting into infinity. It's new, but oh, so refreshingly old. These and many other bounties remind that mother nature has given us very special gifts and touched our lives! BATHING RITUAL: Elderly folks come to bathe at this time of the year. Salt water and the gentle slaps of rolling waves not only put their minds at rest and soothe and invigorate their aches and pains but from that day on things get turned around and the complaints amazingly, even temporarily, disappear. This yearly ritual stimulates, delights and floods with a strange strength, an experience that is also health to the soul. The clean warm waters of the sea become sort of their private swimming pool -- just bathe at one's own pace in the sheer luxury of freedom and savour it to the full. Miramar certainly casts her spell which remains vibrant. Conversely, little children play in the sand at water's edge, digging holes and flinging sand at each other. Crabs of various size scuttle about some waving their threatening pincers. The bubbling, bursting racket of irresponsible boys play football on the sand and, when they come too close, the senior citizens get mad over the flying grains of sand. One chappie stands in waist-deep water with a child on his shoulders. Some kids armed with buckets and spades, their blissful yells, dancing about in the wind work off their energy and youthful spirits. Nuns move about together like fluid pearls and people give them polite nods. Two fishermen douse their boat with fish-oil mingled with tar. Children get fascinated by a turtle that is turned on its back and left kicking in the air. A boy and his date suck ice-cream cones, and the music wafts Baby It's Forever. Evening comes, the beach speckles with people, the crows gets greater by the hour, people pressing on all sides, multiplying by multitudes out to enjoy their own share of leaves and fishes! Tourists and holiday makers enjoy heaps of glitter and entertainment. It is hard to believe that at certain times the beach is totally empty, no sign of people or crows and the only sound that fills the area is the roar, the tumble, the swish and the lap of the waves. But there is marine life on the shore. Tightly sealed or half opened coral clams, and washed-up shells. Some forlorn turquise mussels whose treads stick in the granular sand. Tiny crabs flitting and scurrying about in a dance of hide and seek, and if in danger dash away into sand-holes, slyly looking back to come out again to dance about. BOAT BUILDER: Have you ever seen the traditional boat builder at work? Well, first the wood has to be selected. then there is the skillful bending of the planks to obtain the curved shape so that boats can glide easily in water. The marvellous way in which the boards are locked together to withstand the battering of the waves, is amazing. There is something about the natural craftman working with natural material. Maybe that is why Hand was such a successful series. You are bound to ask, why are a few boats laid up on the far end of Caranzalem? Have they been replaced by modern crafts? Have they been left to rot? There is no answer. But one thing, they braved the seas in their good days. Sweating oarsmen hauling nets teeming with a silver harvest. They were a livelihood for the unknown and forgotten families. What exciting stories they could tell, these abandoned boats. The high point is when Tuesday rolls around at the century old shrine of St Anthony's at the round-about, continuously lit the candles, especially by the ever faithful fisher-folks, the singing of Ladainhas accompanied by the violins of the old. The free serving of boiled grams and goodies is not only exhilarating! Honestly, some of our beaches are losing the blue-flag status, and Miramar people are worried. It will not be too long when our beach will not meet the exceptionally high water quality standards for the blue-flag scheme. Visitors from overseas are often astonished by the amount of litter strewn about in our beauty spots. They often remark that throwing litter around is illegal in their native lands. SAFETY ISSUES: There is also the concern about water safety -- so many people lose their lives. it's advisable that all those engaging in swimming and water sports, particularly visitors and parents, to be vigilant on the potential hazards and plan swimming excursions in lifeguard patrol areas. We should turn the tide and minimize water based accidents, so that Goa is not considered a state of water graves! No matter what any written deed says, one cannot own the seas, or even the shores of life. All we can do is stand in our human poverty as with a cup beneath a waterfall, and daily, wave and wave, offer our mortal limits as gifts, recklessly trusting that they will be swept up and transformed by the sea-changes of endless love. -- The writer is based in Miramar, where he lives after working in the Gulf. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
