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It was raining in Goa when we arrived however this is to be expected as the Monsoon is everywhere. It is the first time I have taken a long train journey but it was actually quite good and comfortable and we did not get bored, I am sure that the novelty will wear off soon though… We took a small bus crammed with 80 people to Colva where Jim arranged a very good value hotel (whilst I drank lots of beer!) in Colva, 10km west of Margao. Its ok here, as it is off season it is cheap, the downside is that there is no people here so the resort feels a bit empty, the sea is also very rough so there is no chance swimming unfortunately. There are however plenty of restaurants which despite the lack of people still remain open. Goa has a Mediterranean vibe about it mainly due to the Portuguese influence but it is also very Indian. Also, the party scene is sadly dead at the moment. We were both struck down with food poisoning a day after arriving here which I believe was from the food on the train, we have therefore spent a few days
just recovering and staying near a toilet!
Feeling a lot better the previous night we met some great people in Colva, Tilman from Germany and Katrina and Lars from Denmark. We decide to club together and hire a car to go and explore Goa properly. The self styled gangster who arranged a car for did himself proud, we got an open top Jeep! We looked like something out the A-Team! As the driver I had the task of trying to get us about which I managed with success I am pleased to say, this was despite second gear not being available and tracking that was all over the place. Tilman acted as our guide and gave all the directions.
Goa is mainly Christian, due again to the Portuguese occupation. There are therefore many churches. First stop on our journey was Old Goa where we visited four fascinating churches. The Basillica of Bom Jesus is a fascinating Maroon brick church containing the mortal remains of St Francis Xiavier, who was responsible for bringing Christianity to Goa and then China. After he died in China his body was preserved and returned to lay in the church and is now on
public view on a very grand tomb. On the other side of the road is the Se Cathedral, built in white stone, it provides an interesting contrast to the Basillica which is the more impressive building in my opinion. I am so surprised how much gold is in each building though. The alter in the Se Cathedral must be about 25 metres high and is decked completely in gold! A short drive away is St Catejan church which is based on the Basillica in Rome, it contained many artworks but they were sadly in poor condition, nonetheless the ceiling was amazingly intricate and completely white in great condition. Moving swiftly on the final stop in Old Goa was an unnamed church on top of a hill. It had a huge temple type staircase leading up to it which was overgrown in lime green mosses. The building is obviously derelict however it provided some spectacular views of the Mandovi river and Old Goa.
I drove us back to Panji for lunch and after many stops to avoid getting drenched (open top jeep not such a great idea in the monsoon season) parked up in front of the Church of our
Lady of Immaculate Conception. It is a magnificent blue and white building with lots of stairs leading up to it. We heard a band playing in the building next door so went to check it out, a Hindu wedding! Someone invited us in where we watched Meena and Meghnath get married. It was a simple service but very lively and participative. A guy sitting near us explained what was going on which was useful. I have never been to a Hindu wedding before, there were so many people there, also men and women sit separately. As the bride and groom walked up and down the central isle all the guests threw coloured rice over them after which everyone was given an ice cream, a great touch! Unable to keep our hunger at bay any longer we slipped out and found a really adventurous place to eat, Dominos pizza! After ashamedly scoffing our pizzas we got back on the road again heading for Ponda to see the Shree Shantaduga Hindu temple. On route we passed many mines and heavy lorries, Goa’s second largest export is mining, the first being tourism. The temple is the oldest in Goa and is quite large
Cow in Street - Margao
Cows have right of way over anything!!! containing lodgings for the more serious Hindu devotees. There was a stunning green lake containing carp in front of the temple. There were many places containing God’s and the smell of incense was everywhere. You have to walk clockwise around the temple for good karma and of course remove your shoes. Back on the road and heading home, we were all very tired and glad to have a drink and a filling meal in Colva. It was great to have the freedom of a car to get out and about. Next stop is Hampi en route to Chennai in Madras.
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Maria
non-member comment
Name of the church
the picture says view from an unknown church well it is the Capela du Monte ( Chapel of our lady of Mount Mary)