One Day in Goa

It was just one day, a stop on cruise itinerary. We had organised a driver for the day and instructed him to take him to some of his favourite places and anywhere we had to go. But… we were not interested in shopping and if he attempted to take us to one of the ubiquitous tourist shopping centres we would not get out of the car, nor would we give him a tip. He was very amenable and off we went…

First thing you can’t help noticing is the feral bulls. They’re very mellow, almost amiable… lean and lanky, they can be found ambling along the road, or rummaging in rubbish tips…

Cathedral Se – Goa was occupied by the Portugese and this part of India is mostly Catholic. We did not actually visit the cathedral as a much bigger attraction was just across the road. But it made a wonderful photo.

Basilica Bom Jesus – home of the mortal remains of Saint Francis Xavier. Roman Catholic gaudiness meets Indian gaudiness for a blinding tribute to… hmmm, not sure what, but it was gold on gold on gold…

The actual remains of St Francis Xavier – through those little window are his actual body, minus a few bits and pieces purloined along the way by other churches in need of sacred relics.
View of the main church area. It is still an active church with regular services. One thing I noticed in India – things that are old are still in use. If not, they decay so rapidly, are reclaimed by the jungle, they soon disappear. This same day we visited the ruins of a cathedral that had been used until the 1930s. I thought it must have been abandoned at least 500 years ago, but very little can survive in the heat, rain, humidity that is western India unless it is continually looked after, maintained and repaired. This church was built in 1594. It’s got a lot of love and care over the centuries.
The beach – the Arabian Sea. We had the best seafood of our lives here. Days pass so quickly when you are in port for just one day. Back on ship, we watched the fishing boats come in at the end of the day.    A little further down the harbour it becomes more urban. We had the most incredible, melon coloured light.

I thought the big oil tanks looked like giant hat boxes.

Added a wee bit of glow to this sunset shot… I really loved the day in Goa. We also visited Mumbai and Cochin, but Goa was my favourite. I would love to return and spend a few weeks there and really explore it. Who knows – maybe one day.

How They Do It

Spotted this little imp near the Gateway to India in Mumbai. She’d made a break from her family and ran into this flock of pigeons who seemed content to adopt her, even if she insisted on squealing with delight and toddling through their breakfast.

Goa Virgin

We spent a day in Marmagao, on the west coast of India, in the state of Goa. It was just a taste – figuratively and literally. Bobby and I had one of the best seafood meals of our lives at a beach cafe, served to us by the proprietor, John, who had been educated in England, but whose family had lived in the area for untold generations.Goa had been under Portuguese rule for hundreds of years and there is a strong Catholic influence throughout the region, including people’s names, so it’s quite usual to meet people with Hispanic first and last names.

One of the highlights was visiting the Basilica of Bom Jesus, where the body of St Francis Xavier is on display (minus the odd finger or two, snatched by rival churches in need of a saintly relic.) It’s a piece of 16th century European culture plonked down on the coast of the Arabian Sea, heavy with gold leaf ornaments and a gilded altar.

A few kilometres away we came upon a small convent, brilliant white in the midday sun. And there, in the garden across the way we found this little grotto with its quiet little Mary praying as she watched over a small flock of similarly silver sheep and children. Utterly charming.

Goan dreaming