Goa

 

After Mumbai, Goa was a much needed change. Being in Mumbai provided a great experience of what life is like in a continuously developing industrial city. There are people going every which way, laundry hangs from balconies, the smell of industry is everywhere, there are a lot of shanty towns and cranes top many of the high-rises. When we landed in Goa, it was a new experience all over again.

Goa was actually a Portuguese-controlled area for over 400 years. They lost control only in the 1960s. They had plenty of time to leave their mark. Many buildings are of the Portuguese style and are painted bright colors including blue, green and white. Some of the windows on the older buildings in town are made of translucent shells instead of glass. A creative way to use local resources. Goa would be an even more pleasant place to live if the locals picked up their trash. There is an old fort nearby, Fort Aguada, built to ensure Goa remained under Portuguese control. I like learning about military history. At the fort, the oldest lighthouse in Asia still stands overlooking the water.

The fort

The fort lighthouse

We also visited two Portuguese churches across the street from each other. One, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, houses the body of St. Francis. Incredibly, over 400 years after he passed, without preservation, his face is still recognizable through the glass windows on the sides of his coffin. His remains are exhibited every 10 years.

The coffin of St. Francis Xavier

We also visited the Se Cathedral. On the outside, the white building appears to be rather plain. Inside, the church is actually quite elaborate. It even used to be covered in frescos, but the humidity caused peeling, so they were unfortunately painted over. This church I was told is the largest in Asia. The surviving bell tower, the other collapsed, holds the “Golden Bell,” which sounds beautiful when rung. I didn’t hear it myself.

Se Cathedral exterior

Se Cathedral interior

 While the Portuguese heavily influenced the area of Goa, there are other influences as well. The town we are staying in has a very tourist-oriented economy. This started with the original hippies. Now lots of people come here to vacation. It is a popular area for Russians. Other native Indians from other states come here too, as it is a different experience. Sunglass and sandal shops are common, and the beaches are lined with restaurant shacks blasting Western dance music. At night the clubs can get pretty wild. I haven’t gone to a club yet, but I have tried other new things here. I drank water from a coconut and tried the white paste inside. I prefer the water to the paste. Someone bought coconut cookies from a bakery, which were good, I learned about bodysurfing, and I got to ride an elephant at a spice farm. Tomorrow we leave for Bangalore.