Notes from India Part 4: Meeting Gajanan

One of my most memorable experiences in India was my mini getaway to Goa, a small state that lies along the coast of south India. A popular tourist destination known for its gorgeous beaches and unique culture (it was formerly a Portuguese colony), I was expecting a standard tourist experience. Luckily for me, this was not the case. Instead, I was exposed to a deeper layer of Goa:  historical roots, architectural foundations, and the pure, non-tourist based Goan culture. For all of this, I have one man to thank: my cabbie and friend, Gajanan.

I’ll start at the beginning.

When I first arrived, one thing became clear: taxi service providers in Goa are shameless when it comes to foreigners. They would fight among themselves (literally push and shove) because they knew they could rip off the foreigners. Because of this, I didn’t care for the drivers that brought me to my hotel – they were simply the winners in a market brawl. So when I arrived to my hotel in Wasco, I asked the front desk how I should travel to Palolem Beach the next day, which was about 50 km away. I was shocked to hear it would only be a $20 taxi drive – so I asked them to arrange for a driver to get me the next morning.

That driver was Gajanan.

Gajanan was one of the most honest, down to earth, kindest people I’ve ever met. Only 26, he has been a driver for 8 years – and I was the first American he had met.  I told him he was hiring him for the entire day – and since it was 100 degrees outside, I asked him to join me on my beach day, rather than simply waiting in his cab. As we explored Palolem and later ate lunch, we started talking. Gajanan was awesome, because he gave me insight into the true culture of Goa. He pointed out differences in architecture (Portugeuse vs. native Goan), revealed his love for Akon (who would have thought?) , and showed me how to identify tourists by their mannerisms.  For only $20, I gained much more than a driver – I gained insight into little things that a foreigner would never pick up on, and a friend.