Ah, the beach. Sand, sun and surf. Throw in the cheap rental of a cushioned, shaded reclining beach chair, with full bar service, and you’ve got it made. This is a common experience at great beaches around the world, from Long Beach, to Phuket, to Ibeza;  Baga beach is certainly no exception.
Then come the Beach Ladies. Wearing traditional saris and enough jewelry to open a small store, they seem as though they are just out for a stroll until they approach you, mysteriously producing vast amounts of jewelry, fabrics, and clothing, seemingly out of thin air. As they try to sell their wares, they keep a sharp eye out for the beach police. They are not allowed to sell on the beach, but do so anyway. If spotted, their wares disappear as quickly and mysteriously as they appeared in the first place.
Upon hearing that we were looking for crystals, one of them called a gentleman over who had a backpack literally stuffed with crystals and stones of all shapes and sizes. How he was even able to carry the bag was beyond me, and we watched in amazement as he spread out an impressive array of scintillating gems. We were treated to the best deals I had ever heard of for such treasures. The more we wanted to buy, the better the deal. Theresa was in heaven, letting her considerable bargaining powers out in full force. The poor man was cornered into deals that I’m not sure he wanted to make. Our lucky day! How we were to bring the crystals back to Canada with us was another matter, but we would have enough of the sacred to stones to last us a lifetime.