The stillness of the morning was slowly broken by the very
familiar sounds of a Goa waking up. The tinkle of bells, the chirping of birds,
the turning of pages of newspapers of those sitting by their windows or on the
steps on their front doors, cheek by jowl, in a steady audio which is so
intrinsic to Sao Tome.
In the narrow lanes of Sao Tome one home opens into another
and the road that runs through is literally a common passage for all residents.
Anyone or anything else that traverses, what is technically a public road, is
looked upon with a ever so slight disdain, (especially those with big cars),
albeit a friendly one.
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By eight, some of the early tourist strollers, most of them
foreigners arrive just to get the best light for their Sao Tome and Fontainhas
pictures. As the Lonely Planet note of Panjim says so very vividly, “you’ll
find restored ochre-coloured mansions with terracotta-tiled roofs, wrought-iron
balconies and arched oyster-shell windows”. But it is the morning light on the
ocre coloured cottages , the terracotta roofs which brushes the Fontainhas
canvas with the freshness of the morn.
As the morning progresses, the residents of the Sao Tome,
many of them turning vintage as they get on in years emerge onto the lanes and
some conversations happen. And many gravitate, almost by default to the
neighbourhoods friendliest inn, aptly named Relax, in total sync with the vibe
that has been a part of the spirit- with “inn keeper”, Alwyn, being the
omnipresent symbol of relaxation. From his home near the old PWD office, Alwyn
and his family move to their day home- Relax Inn- and run it, just like home.
By the time they arrive, some of the guests in the rooms are already up and
getting ready for breakfast. The fresh supplies then come like clockwork. The
poder, we reckon makes more than a few trips as almost everyone has bread. The
supply of samosas, beef mince croquettes and cutlets and egg patties is
seamless. The freshly cooked portions are laid out in the glass shelf
overlooking the lane.
The hungry tide arrives, but in trickles. Alwyn has four
tables and its like family breakfast time. The regulars have their fixed
orders. For your’s truly, the masala omelettes or the piece de resistance – the
chicken xacuti omelette, with pao and coffee is standard.
On a table overlooking Sao Tome, with old friends strolling
by and saying hello and inviting you to their homes, and always their two boys
racing up and down when they are not in school, breakfast at Relax Inn is a bit
of a family outing, at the end of which you know what’s going on in the lives
of at least five or six people who have breakfast with you. Someone is miffed
that her aadhar details have not got updated, someone else has a problem with
teacher in her son’s school, then there is the customary lament on increasing
traffic and so on.
And then there are the Sao Tome residents many of who have
immense social and professional standing all over the land. Aloo Periera- forever
Aloo uncle to me- an early poster child of Goa’s tourism, responsible for
giving a fillip to Goa’s charter business, the Countinho
Sao Tome and Relax Inn is quaintness personified and sets
the tone for the areas of Fontainhas, the area around the court, the church and
the municipal garden where the pace drops and conversations never do, where
cafes, bars and restaurants bring to life a ancient quaint- and yes a very
Euro-Goan town.
But this begs the questions. Don’t we all know this? Haven’t
we said this before? Do the people of Panjim and by extension of Goa need to
know this? Fair questions these. As Goa changes in a manner where it changes
three times over in one lifetime, with each time being a regression from the
previous one, spaces like Sao Tome, Mala, Fontainhas and the heritage precinct
are shining symbols of Goa, in its purest uncut form.
The Goa which is sought to be newly created like a bespoke
suit, right from scratch, could be a new bespoke version of modernity with wide
roads, swank complexes and entertainment zones. It’s bespoke Goa all right, but
it’s not the original uncut one.The uncut and the very real Goa lives in Sao
Tome, Fontainhas, Mala and parts of Campal
And the more we speak about, recall and acknowledge the
gifts of these places and the charm it adds to our town, we serve as foot
soldiers against the gradual chipping away of these places. When we speak about
these places, we prevent memory fade and this is simply the best we can do, not
just for our town but for ourselves.
The lanes of Sao Tome tell us something much more. As
changes sweep this land in a manner where its countenance and disposition have
altered, its soul is still frozen in circa 1950. But then again, go to the
villages of South Goa and the entire swathe of Salcette and this soul pulsates
there too. And this is what gives us hope that there will be redemption from
this morass and a glorious throw back to what Goa once was.
