Goa - South India and Kerala - page 278

Thivim (?15, 20 minutes)
Interstate services run out of the same lot, but private operators have their offices next to
the bus stand. There's generally little difference in price between private services and the
Kadamba buses, but shop around as there are various standards of bus.
Long-distance services include the following:
Bengaluru (private; AC or sleeper ?1400, 13-14hr)
Mumbai (private; non-AC ?700, AC ?1200, 12-15hr)
Pune (private; non-AC from ?650, AC ?1200, sleeper ?1000, 11-13hr)
There's a prepaid taxi stand outside the bus terminal with a list of prices. Cabs to Anjuna
or Calangute cost ?300, Arambol ?500 and Panaji ?500; autorickshaws typically charge
?50 less than taxis.
Thivim, about 12km northeast of town, is the nearest train station on the Konkan Rail-
way. Local buses meet trains; an autorickshaw into Mapusa from Thivim costs around
?200.
GREEN GOA?
Goa's environment has suffered from an onslaught of tourism over the last 40 years, but also from the effects of
logging, mining and local customs (rare turtle eggs have traditionally been considered a dining delicacy). Con-
struction proceeds regardless of what the local infrastructure or ecosystem can sustain, while plastic bottles pile
up in vast mountains. There are, however, a few easy ways to minimise your impact on Goa's environment:
» Take your own bag when shopping and refill water bottles with filtered water wherever possible. The 5L Bisleri
water bottles come with a deposit and are returnable to be reused. Better yet, bring a water filter with you.
» Rent a bicycle instead of a scooter, for short trips at least, and ask around if you don't find any: bicycle rentals
are declining as a result of our scooter infatuation and the bikes are poor quality, but they'll bounce back if the de-
mand is there.
» Dispose of cigarette butts, which are nonbiodegradeable, and any plastic litter in bins; birds and sealife may
mistake them for food and choke. Turtles are currently protected by the Forest Department
( www.goaforest.com ), which operates huts on beaches, such as Agonda and Morjim, where turtles arrive to lay
eggs. Drop into these or check out the website to find out more about the department's work. Also doing good
work is the Goa Foundation ( 2256479, 2263305; www.goafoundation.org ; St Britto's Apts, G-8 Feira Alta,
Mapusa), the state's main environmental pressure group based in Mapusa. It has spearheaded a number of conser-
vation projects since its inauguration in 1986, and its website is a great place to learn more about Goan environ-
mental issues. The group's excellent Fish Curry & Rice (?400), a sourcebook on Goa's environment and lifestyle,
is sold at Mapusa's Other India Bookstore ( Click here ). The Foundation occasionally runs volunteer projects; call
or swing by for details.
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