South to Kochi

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Spending some time in the historic town of Panjim, Goa was a welcome change from the city of Mumbai. The pastel-colored houses reflect the Portuguese history of Goa, ~ almost 450 years of Portuguese rule. The old houses, colorful and atmospheric, are lovely, but Panaji (Panjim) had the look of a city waiting to wake up on the weekend, but today's bustle on Monday has me reconsidering the thought. There's a highly controversial land boom here in Goa, rampant beach development with hotels and villas, special business zones for attracting businesses, special permits for mining in the forests, etc. Interesting to read the many local papers with stories on the subject. Villagers and environmentalists oppose the development of natural areas and beach-front areas.

Old Goa, nearby, was the center of the Portuguese city in the early 16th century -- the many churches and remarkable cathedrals reflect the Catholicism still predominant here. The cathedral was packed yesterday morning for mass -- its simple wooden ceiling reflecting the sounds of the choir.

So far (I'll post later about the time in Mumbai & and the train trip down), India is a place of remarkable contrasts between rich and poor, modern and ancient, and a very much developing economy with the majority of people in that world, not the one that's touted for IT savvy.

We're flying down the coast to Kochi late this afternoon (the train would take ~ 15 hours), another ancient trading city on the coast, in the state of Kerala.

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