*Hippie Culture Grips Virgin Galgibaga* * *
*Where Olive Ridley turtles crawled majestically on the singing sands of Galgibaga today one sees the hippies in their joyous contortions of open and uninhibited lovemaking on the soft bed of pines of the Casuarinas (trees) that dot the Galgibaga coast. * Lured primarily by its low cost of living and idyllic charm, a steady stream of hippies have decided to call Galgibaga home, full or part time. Once little more than a sleepy hideaway sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and a tiny hillock with two parallel rivers, and two communities living in perfect harmony, Turtle haven Galgibaga in Canacona, South Goa, is a picture-perfect paradise. Sad as it is, even as we continue to bask in our chimera of paradise, the tragedy of a frightening reality, spreading its tentacles slowly but surely bringing with it decay and despair veiled as development and progress, goes untold. Turtle haven Galgibaga Beach is the last frontier still unspoilt by the goodies of tourism and till recently was the only family destination where families could enjoy the beach without parents having to squirm in embarrassment over the naked flesh lying around. The social fabric of this laid-back village has also already suffered signs of visible deterioration largely due to unchecked drug trafficking, booze binges, beach parties and nudism that are a part of the hippie invasion. “It is very sad that our beloved Galgibaga is gradually turning into yet another haven of sun, sand, wine, women and sex for the hippies. Greed is what functions now. Anything goes as long as one keeps counting the fast money that flows in. Everything else has suddenly become peripheral which is what cries for the attention of the local people and the administrators,” says Mrs. Carmine Fernandes. Where Olive Ridley turtles crawled majestically on the singing sands of Galgibaga today one sees the hippies in their joyous contortions of open and uninhibited lovemaking on the soft bed of pines of the Casuarinas (trees) that dot the Galgibaga coast which has seen thousands of hatchlings finding their way to the sea since 2000-01. Gulf-based Mr. Barreto remarks “there is an urgent need to strike a balance. Tourists related activities need to be carried out with proper checks and measures otherwise the ill-effects of tourism will out-measure the benefits leading to terrible consequences for the village and its people. Unfortunately, our ravenous administrators have failed to initiate appropriate strategies to combat the tourism related problems that have been swept under the carpet for too long.” Meanwhile the locals are fighting the commercialization of the eco-sensitive area which is notified as heritage landscape under the banner of Poinguinkaracho Ekvott, (PE) a social front launched a few months. Kishore Poinguikar of PE says “we have been fighting to preserve our heritage and the matter is due to come up before the High Court.” -- Tony Martin Copy/Content Writing http://www.facebook.com/tonymartingoaGalgibaga, Canacona
