Goa

We arrived in Goa on ANZAC Day and after the dawn service we entered harbour to be greeted by a local quartet.

They played a long time as the heat of the day became hotter.

Not long after we arrived we had a neighbour – Seven Seas Voyager.

Not far away, alongside a floating dry dock, was the Mumbai (I think), but she didn’t look all that passenger friendly.

We planned to take the Old Goa Churches tour, not to view the old churches, but to use the transport to get to Old Goa town and ‘do our own thing’ before catching the tour bus for the return trip to the ship. Of course the best of plans fail – as did ours. There was nothing to DIY of any interest around the churches, so we stayed with the group. There were three churches, all clustered together, after an hours drive (26 miles I was told), playing host to a great many tourists.

We have little interest in old churches, how ever beautiful, (according to our guide), but the drive was interesting as we passed through various villages and towns.

A statue of Ghandi (with a child) outside the main basilica.

The white – cream buildings on the right used to house 300 priests, but now there are only three left.

For me, it didn’t feel like a church with all the tourists (me included) clicking away.

Icons leave me cold.

I thought this was another icon but it was explained to us all that it is the remains of a priest who died four hundred years ago. Apparently his body has not decomposed so apart of his coffin has small glass windows so one can see the body. The six gold squares are the windows, but I couldn’t see anything.

The original coffin in on display, but it is empty due to his remains being in the glass window coffin.

The last original gate to old Goa.

The old Portuguese area in Panjim, the State of Goa’s capital, has a number of original houses from the first arrival of the Portuguese.

Across the river from the old Portuguese homes I saw a happy sign for Kingfisher – which is the local beer.

A much slower life style than those living in Bombay.

The above two pictures are of the old buildings that has been refurbished and is now become famous for being the centre for the annual international Goa film festival.

The government has reduced the amount of ore that can be mined by half, so many barges, which used to carry the ore to the port for export, have become uneconomical.
They are left to rot on the beaches and the banks of creeks.

I saw plenty of examples of beached barges, but trying to get a good shot, as we bounced around corners and swerved to avoid on coming vehicles, was virtually impossible.

Home sweet home after a very hot day sightseeing.