arambol the last rays of the sun are yet to set over arambol beach but a steady stream of touristscumvendors have already taken up their placewares mattresses and electronic lanterns in tow it is 445pm and the drum circle an empty stretch of shore a few steps from the beach shacks has come alive with a makeshift bazaarit is run neither by goans nor indian migrants but by russian and ukrainian tourists who have flouted all laws of the land to set up this market from paintings to books and imitation jewellery to clothes and food and even a soothsayer you name it and you will get most items have prices displayed in russian but payment is accepted in rupeespersonnel of the indian reserve battalion irb posted on the beach stroll the area with an apparent indifference to the unauthorised market anyone seeking to conduct any kind of activity on goas beaches needs to first obtain permission from the tourism departmentbut for these russians holidaying in pernem comes with an added advantage of making money on the sly if the locals are to be believed nothing daunts themnot even the recent cyclone ockhi that battered the coastline and destroyed the shacksa shack operator says the market is presently in its fourth year we slog here day and night and pay fees to the tourism department and other authorities to set up our shacks while they foreigners do business with such easeno authority questions them with them here how are we to survive he asksjust a few feet away a foreign woman with a juice cart draws more customers than his shack does vendors like her sell food items ranging from samosas cakes and pastries to herbal drinks and juices vaishnavanand who calls himself a devotee of krishna sells an item he calls kachapuri made of allpurpose flour cheese and potatoes it resembles the indian paratha and is served either spicy or mild vaishnavanand claims it is a georgian dish and makes brisk business by selling it at rs 100 a piecethe man may not speak good english but he has perfected the art of selling food on indian streets as he strolls around shouting kachapuris hot kachapuris another foreigner with matted hair vends a tray full of samosasa villager who didnt want to be identified said most of the items sold at the market are sourced either from goa or elsewhere he also said that although police had stopped the market two years ago it was only momentary a few days later they russians were back in action he recallsservices such as massages and tarot cardreading are also on offer at the market a vendor called maya has on display a placard containing mobile numbers and the types of massages on offer the massage centre is close by i do bookings here if you want a massage i can fix an appointment she saysalthough the market is dominated by foreigners a couple of indian vendors have begun doing business there