Unappealing as gambling was; Goa remains my favourite Indian holiday destination, and the location of the hotel - right on Goa's Baga beach .... an offer i could not refuse. Trip planned - the boys landed in Goa at what I call the oldest looking new international airport. An hour's journey later we were at La Calypso hotel and escorted to our villa suites. The sound of "villa suites" is so rich; but really, these are clean and simple (not luxurious) over sized cottage rooms with decent bathrooms that have been built close to the beach under the provision of "temporary structure". But; who stays in the room in Goa anyway? Lunch at the beach shack and our gambler friend was in full form dishing out large denomination currency notes as tips to the waiting staff to ensure super personalized service. The head chef decided to sweat it out in the kitchen himself to please this special guest and his friends. He is a regular at this hotel and has built quite a reputation for himself. 
It was hot and muggy; it was mid April and expected; but none of it mattered. Goa has this strange effect on people. Sit by the beach, hear the waves, drink whatever, eat whatever and dream whatever; it is as close to paradise as one can get. At 5 pm; we got off our lunch table and crawled back to our rooms for a Goan nap - to revive us for the long night ahead. We gathered back at the shack for a round of drinks and light eats at 8pm and were off to the Casino boat by 10. takes 30 minutes from Baga to the Panjim (Main City) jetty from where feeder boats transfer the players to the casino of choice anchored in the river Mandovi. In our case - it was Casino Pride I & II.
Our friend suggested we go to Pride II first. We just nodded - he was the boss. There is an entry ticket which includes a meal on board. Pride II is hosted on M.V. Boa Sorte; a inland river cruiser that will remind you of an elegant Mississippi paddle boat. (I did some research and found out that the boat was built in 1991 in Florida). Gaudy on the inside; showing a fair bit of wear from lack of attentive maintenance; it looked like we had stepped into a film set of the sixties. What was lacking was the period character that could have been incorporated with the look and feel of the boat giving it an inside outside theme. Pride II wore a quiet look with not too many people on board. Again; being April; was expected. Our friend said that this boat attracted the high rollers so is generally less crowded and the players of better class. What I figured later is that this boat serves better food than its sister boat and those in the know come here more for feeding their bellies than emptying their pockets at the high stake tables. No choice; the crowd was at Pride I; and so we moved to the sister boat M V Pride of Goa which looked older and on entry even less maintained. It was crowded though with several people exercising their hands on the automated "one arm bandit" machines or at the roulette wheel or at whatever the gambling tables are called. We of course were escorted straight to the VIP room reserved for big games; could not be among the riffraff for sure. I am not being mean. the people on the lower deck looked like refined escaped convicts as there is not much of a dress or grooming code adhered. Money from any hand smells the same I suppose. I thought that the VIP room would have people dressed smartly - even if it meant jeans and collared tees. But; new money in India seems to have come to a different sort; and why not? I may have been dressed right but the players there had enough chips on the table to give me a complex. There were people there from as far as Assam and Tamil Nadu wagering big money and our great gambler friend was not an exception in that room. The VIP room bar is well stocked with expensive booze and organizes service of light eats at the table. But I was in no mood to partake in that feast as I observed my friends playing with other players and loosing to them big time. Considering myself as bad luck for them - moved out to the buffet area where there was a raunchy dance show every 15 minutes. I was surprised to see that there were kids allowed into a Casino boat. Anyway; I took a tour of the boat and ate a very unappetizing buffet and learnt a wee bit of poker (observation) till my friends were broke. The croupiers and floor managers were all well dressed as is customary but the customary suits and attire somehow was a misfit on them - kind of funny as it kind of looked out of character.
Goa has some 7 gambling boats on the Mandovi river. One of them was owned by a Minister from Haryana and shut down soon after his arrest for a raping an employee of his. From September 2015; the casino boats have been asked to move out of the Mandovi river and relocate to either the Vasco bay or operate in the Arabian sea. The most professional and best looking boats happen to be owned by the Deltin group.
Back at the hotel at 3am; the group decided to move into the on site slot machine and electronic gambling zone. (Live gambling happens only on the boats) and we were there till 5 am. Wanting to make the most of our trip; the boys were at the breakfast table by 10am; ready for a Thai massage next door at noon; having a beach side lunch with cocktails by 2pm; and all excited to party the night away by 10 pm all over again. No casino - but at the famed beach clubs of the North. Goa used to be a seasonal destination until a few years back. Now it's virtually busy round the year; thanks to the Indian travelers and more important the Indian gamblers. The Rouble hit Russians are now visible in lesser numbers. Hopefully the tourists driven away by their presence will now return. It's good to have a diversified tourist market; but for now the Baga Rd. looks like a back alley of Moscow with all the cafes sporting their menus in English and Russian. My gambler friend turns to us and says. how about our next group meet in Moscow?
