The 10-year visa

[synthia]

Americans who want to live in India have an advantage. They can get a ten-year multiple entry tourist visa, and stay up to six months per entry. Furthermore, they only have to stay out of the country for a few days before they can return. It doesn't allow them to work, but for retirees it is ideal.

The visa only costs $50 more than a regular visa, so that is what I got when I was traveling in India. The regular visa is $100, and I figured that since it is good for ten years, I might as well just get it.

[gordy]

Well we were all set to make our plans for an idylllic 6 months in Goa, cheap living, sunny skies... until... we came across two seperate posts(wish i'd kept them), which were quite alarming. They were from two seperate women who must have had bad experiences there as they did not recommend Goa at all. They mentioned that there was a lot of corruption, that you were often befriended as an opportunity to rip you off, and that the police could not be trusted, in fact they suggested that if the police try to stop you to drive at them!
This I find incredulous but can anyone advise us. Is Goa safe to live in. I have visions of being robbed as I get off the plane. I am really disappointed as we were so looking forward to our trip there.

[gordy]

Well we were all set to make our plans for an idylllic 6 months in Goa, cheap living, sunny skies... until... we came across two seperate posts(wish i'd kept them), which were quite alarming. They were from two seperate women who must have had bad experiences there as they did not recommend Goa at all. They mentioned that there was a lot of corruption, that you were often befriended as an opportunity to rip you off, and that the police could not be trusted, in fact they suggested that if the police try to stop you to drive at them!
This I find incredulous but can anyone advise us. Is Goa safe to live in. I have visions of being robbed as I get off the plane. I am really disappointed as we were so looking forward to our trip there.
Today 03:11 PM

[synthia]

First, your post has nothing to do with the topic of the thread. I presume you meant to put it in one of the threads about Goa.

was not robbed in Goa, nor was I robbed anywhere else in India, and I spent four months there. I am female, I was 59 at the time, and I traveled alone.

Police in most third world countries are corrupt, partly because they are not paid a living wage, and partly because in some countries the value system does not condemn ripping off others, or at least it doesn't condemn ripping off foreigners.

In many countries being a police officer is merely an opportunity to collect bribes. The 'serve and protect' aspect of it doesn't even enter into the equation. I met people in Guatemala who had been robbed by a police officer and no one cared when they reported it, and there was a lot of publicity in Cancun a few years ago about two stupid police officers who robbed two Americans while wearing their name tags.

India and Goa are not as safe as your home, probably. But that depends on where you live. If you want someplace that is absolutely safe, you are going to be out of luck because that place doesn't exist.

To some extent, it depends on personal experience. Someone who is robbed in St. Petersburg, Florida will conclude that it is a very unsafe place. Someone who isn't robbed in Guatemala will conclude that it is safe. Thailand has the third highest number of murders with a gun in the world, but is regarded as a safe place to travel because it rarely affects tourists.

As far as people making friends with you because they want something from you, that too is an unfortunate aspect of travel in third world countries. It is disheartening to meet someone who has made what they thought was a good friend, only, after months, to be asked for money or some other favor and be dropped immediately when they don't come across.

[ewinham1]

Hi, Synthia. My name is Elizabeth, and I'd appreciate exchanging a PM or two with you on your experience living in India. I'm a 50-something woman/educator/filmmaker and have been to India on a five-week trip previously. Would this be possible? My email is ewinham@gmail.com. Thanks!

[synthia]

You should never, ever put your e-mail in a forum post. You are asking for spam, porn, and possibly a cyberstalker.

I traveled in India for four months. I didn't actually live there.