A dusty collection of dilapidated modern buildings scattered
around the west facing slope of a low hill, Mapusa is of
little more than passing interest in itself, although on
Fridays it hosts a lively market (hence the town's name,
which derives from the Konkani words for "measure"
map. And "fill up", sa).
Calangute and Anjuna may be better stocked with souvenirs,
but this bazaar is more authentic. Visitors who have flown
straight to Goa, and have yet to experience the rest of
India, wander in on Friday mornings to enjoy the pungent
aromas of fish, incense, spices and exotics fruit stacked
in colourful heaps on the sidewalks.
Local specialties include strings of spicy Goan sausages
('Chourico'), bottles of 'Todi' (fermented palm juice) and
large green plantains. One'll also encounter sundry freak
shows, from run of the mill snake charmers and kids dressed
up as Sadhus to wide-eyed Flagellants, blood oozing out
of slashes on their backs.
How to Get There
Road:
Other than to shop, one may want to visit Mapusa to arrange
onward transport. All buses between Goa and Maharashtra
pass through, so one doesn't need to travel to Panjim to
book a ticket to Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore or Mangalore.
Reservations for private buses can be made at the numerous
agents stalls at the bottom of the square, next to where
the buses pull in; the Kadamba Terminal - the departure
point for long distance state buses and local services to
Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, and Arambol -
is five minutes walk down the main road, on the southwest
edge of town.
Note: As soon
as one steps off the bus, one will be pestered by touts
trying to get one to rent a motorbike. They'll tell one
that rates here are lower than on the coast - they're not.
Another reason to wait a while is that Mapusa is effectively
a "no-go zone" for rented motorbikes, especially
on Friday, when the police set up roadblocks on the outskirts
of town to collar tourists without international licenses.
