27/1/10 Arambol to Panaji/Panjim

We got up and had a shower , packed and got in a taxi to Panaji the capital of Goa. It is Indias most unique city and demonstrates that Goa was independent of the rest of India under ortugese influence. There is Portugese architecture and small lanes lined with red tiled Portugese houses with window shutters in contrast to other Indian towns. Panaji is quite small and has a river running through it as well as a creek the size of a river too. We drove there in the taxi through Pernum and a small town called Mapusa across Mandovi River and into the town. We asked the driver to take us to a hotel where he dropped us off and Phil went on an accomodation search. After about ten minutes he came back happy with the Ria Residence across the street which was clean and reasonable. We went up to the room after being asked a million questions about or travel plans in India as usual. They wanted copies of passports and visas so Liz popped down stairs with them. The receptionist said to leave them and they'd bring them back in ten minutes. Liz didn't feel happy leaving the passports so she went with the porter five minutes own the road to where the town xerox machine was in a small pharmacy!!! We have had to produce so many copies of our passport here its really worrying especially as theres no waste disposal or shredders and they could end up anywhere but we have little choice. We had a few souvenirs to post home so we walked down to the post office to buy a box. When we got there they told us they didn't sell boxes and we had to take the stuff to a parcel service down the road. We got to the parcel shop and apparently all parcels have to be sewn in muslin sacks !!! We got a box from there and packed the stuff then a little old man arrived to make the sack. He cut the fabric to the right size then handed it to the shop girl who then weht into the back to sew it to the right shape. The sack was then sewn neatly on to the box..all very efficient. We asked why the sacks needed to be sewn on and the man told us it was bought in by the British when there were no boxes to keep the post safe. We asked why on earth its still done 60 years after the Brtitish left and he had no answer. We have heard the excuse "the British started that" a few times now but it seems that the people are keeping things that make their lives more difficult instead of changing them. We then had to copy our passports and visas again to post the parcel and fill out a customs form with the contents. Phil had to go back to the hotel to get them..not amused. The man asked us what we did at home for jobs and when he knew we were medical he went to the back of the shop and reappeared with a working model of the urinary system he had made out of bits of card and tubing. It was brilliant and he used to work as a science teacher and was very proud of it. Anyway we took our perfectly packed box to the post office and waited in line to be served. There was a big queue but the only bloke serving seemed to be more interested in eating the various snacks being handed out to the staff than serving anyone. There were people coming in and walking right to the front as if the queue wasn't there and expecting to get served..amazing. A German couple in front of us managed to get their parcel through and it was left on the floor behind the man. We got served eventually and the copied documents with passport copies and our names and addresses on them were tucked behind a small plastic packet and the box not in it as it should have been.We had to write airmail on the box ourselves as there were no official labels or anything. The box was then lifted by another man and he stepped back right onto the other couples box squashing it flat. He stood on it again and Phil had a go at him but he didn't bat an eyelid. We hoped our box wouldn't suffer the same fate but we aren't holding our breaths that it will even make it out of the post office. Anyway that little exercise had only taken three hours !! We wandered round the streets to find a place to eat but things close for the aafternoon here and it was 4pm but eventually we found a Dominos pizza open..happy days and ate there. We then went on a Lonely planet walking tour to see some of the old colonial buildings around the town. The walk took us past the municipal gardens and the quayside where there is a paddle steamer moored that is a casino. We saw a passenger ferry arrive from the opposite river bank full of people and mopeds. We found an ATM that had money in it finally after trying a few and walked around the back streets towards the hotel. On one of the roads we were waiting to cross the road at a crossroads when two cars drove straight across the junction, as they do and hit each other. The drivers got out and it was like they had met an old friend they were smiling so much. An older woman in one car looked pretty shaken and had obviously hurt herself but no police came and they all just left the scene, collecting the car parts off the road. Of course there wouldn't be any insurance details to swap here but we were suprised how it was all dealt with.There were a few pretty lanes with cottages in them but otherwise the town was pretty nondescript. We stopped for a drink in a nice bar near our hotel but realised we were only having a drink becasue it felt too early to go back. We decided to go back and watch a bit of TV for a change. We passed a fruit seller on the way back and so bought a kilo of grapes and some apples all for less than a pound. We watched some TV then fell asleep.

28/1/10 Old Goa

We got up and had cow cheese triangles and digestives for breakfast just like real backpackers, followed by Dairy Milk, very nutritious. The hotel had delivered the India Times o our room andwe were shocked to see the headlines that a young Russian girl had been sexually assaulted on the beach we had walked along a couple of days before. We had been there at the same time as the incident too. The article said the police were looking for two men , one of whom had told the girls mother his name and his workplace whlst distracting her!!! The article went on to say that the police had called this man on his mobile to ask him to come and help with the enquiries but then his phone had switched off and he had disappeared...good grief how incompetent, calling the suspect to warn him !!! Liz showered but then the shower wouldn't work when Phil went in. When the porter came to sort it out he got it to work no problem !! Once he'd got showered at last we went out to see about getting a bus to see the ancient city of Old Goa. We crossed over the creek on a footbridge to the bus station direction. We stopped to ask a man standing by a bus who looked at us completely blankly but then proceeded to tell us the way in perfect English. We found our way to the bus station passing some very rickety building work en route. The builders were scrambling about 50 metres high on some bamboo scaffolding that was anyhting but straight with bare feet and no safety gear at all !!! At the bus station there were plenty of helpful people to steer us to the right bus. Once aboard we sat down paid the massive 20pence fee and set off to travel a few Kms to Old Goa. Only a few churches and convents remain of what was once the capital of Portuguese occupied Goa. It was said to rival Lisbon and Amsterdam as great trade and wealth centres. It was finally abandoned due to Cholera and other diseases due to the poor drainage and water supply. There was an effort to repair the water supply and drainage but most of the workers died of Cholera too!!! We arrived in Old Goa at about 11 and crossed the road to see a couple of really large churches we could see from the road. Alfonso De Albuquerque, the Portuguese sailor and explorer captured the city fom the Muslims and began building many impressive monuments, churches and monasteries to houseand begin the conversion of the Goan population to Catholicism. There was an influx of missionaries and chaplains to the city and the many churches and religious buildings constructed were built in European style . By the late 16th century Goa had a population of around 250,000 but then the decline of Old Goa began with a series of disease epidemics that wiped out big chunks of the population. Old Goa was virtually abandoned by 1777 but the Portuguese government insisted that work began to repair water works but this was stopped due to another Cholera epidemic. Eventually in 1835 the Portuguese removed all their religious workers back to Portugal and by 1846 only one convent remained in use. Until thye mid 20th century the city remained abandoned except for military use then archeological interest increased and the buildings were repaired. Some were repaired but others had been plundered for building materials and others were beyond repair. The remaining buildings are used for some religious purposes or as sites for visitors to see. We bagan our tour walking to the Chapel of St Catherine built to commemorate Albequerques landing in Goa on St Catherines Day. Phil disappeared down the storm drain at the side of the road but thankfully didn't hurt himself. The chapel was small and plain but was closed so we couldn't see inside but we could see the lovely gardens there. The whole area around the old buildings was immaculately clean, something we have rarely seen while we have been in India and it was really good to see a place so well looked after for a change. Next we walked along to the Church of St Francis of Assisi which is built on the site of a small chapel built by eight Franciscan monks on their arrival in 1517. It was rebuilt in 1521 and finally in 1661 was replaced by the present church. the original doorway remains though and can still be seen. Inside the walls and ceilings are really decorative with gold paint and lots of decorations. There is a lovley archway to support the choir and a really ornate pulpit. We walked next door to see SE Cathedral of the Jesuits and called into see a small museum of the area. It had some fantastically preserved stone carvings and many portraits of the Portuguese conquistadores. The massive church which took 90 years to complete is stunning inside with really lovely light pouring in. It houses the Cross of Miracles which is said to grow in size on its own over time. After visiting that church we walked towards the river Mandovi on which the city stands. We were pretty thirsty so called into a small shop yto buy drinks, The cans had RRP printed on them but we were charged more "for the cooling charge". We bet only the foreigners get charged for that special service!!! The Yussuf Adil Shah archway into the Muslim city still remains but in a ruined state on the driveway to Church of St Catejan. This church was modelled on St Peters church in Rome and was built by a group of Italian monks sent to preach near Hyderabad but weren't permitted to preach there so moved to Old Goa. It has a beautiful domed ceiling with an inscription from Matthews gospel and is in a crusiform design. We then walked down to the river bank through the Viceroys arch built to commemorate Vasco De Gama (first European to arive in India round the Cape of Good Hope) and is decorated with deer from his coat of arms. At the river is a ferry to the other side where there is a small island between the two forks of the Mandovi River. We turned around there and walked to see Ghandi Circle which is a roundabout with a statue of Ghandi in the middle. On the way there we passed a bar being stocked up with new drinks. Outside was completely carpeted with rotting litter and it stunk, very nice place to take a break. The people really don't seem to notice the rubbish and all drop their litter everywhere. It can only get worse as the population continues to rise which is really sad as the country itself has some really stunning scenery and buildings if only it were clean. We walked to see The Basilica of Dom Jesus where the body of St Francis Xavier is entombed. A pupil of St Ignatius Loyola founder of the Jesuitshis missionary voyages became legendary. After his death his servant covered his body in lime to help it breakdown but after two months the body was still perfect. The preservation of his body was declared a miracle and after a medicalconfirmation he was beatified and canonised in 1622. His body remains in a glass coffin in the basilica and the coffin is bought out every ten years for the masses to see it. Wethen decided t get some food and sat in a nearby reataurant which was pretty busy. We ordered a few snacks but we waited one and a half hours for it all to come....Goan time. After eating we only had a few sites to visit so we made our way up a small hill to see the Church and Convent of St Monica. The convent had "no entry to tourists" written on it but we went in anyway as there was noone guarding the door. Inside the inner courtyard and gardens area were signs saying hearty welcome which was a bit strange!!! Inside the church, where tourists were allowed, the pews and floor were covered in newspaper and the whole place was in a state of disrepair. The paper was to catch pigeon s**t which was dolloped all over the church and it was a really sorry sight. We aren't particularly religious but its a shame to see such a great building rotting away. Next we walked up to the top of a knoll to the church of Our Lady and The Rosary which is often locked but was open for us. There was noone there as it was out of sight of the other bigger churches. It sat up overlooking the river below and the view was great from there. Adjacent to there were the ruins of Church of St Augustine with a 46 metre tower remaining. The area was in ruins but was the most intersting of the day for us . Noone else was there and we had time ro explore the walls and halls of the huge church and convent structure that remains . There were remains of tiles and painting, plasterwork and alters and we stayed walking aroung there for ages. On our way back down towards the bus stop we called into the Convent and Church of St John which is now a home for the elderly staffed by the sisters. Phil seemed to attract a couple of psychiatric patients as we walked round the outside. After that quick visit we walked back to catch the bus which turned up after two minutes and took us back to town. The bus was hilarious as the young crew had Indian disco tunes playing at full blast and were all quite funny. We had picked up some bread rolls while out and returned to the hotel where we had them with more cheese triangles..we know how to live. We went to find an internet but two closed at 8.30 and we couldn't find anymore so we gave up and went to get dinner instead. We ate at a restaurant down the road from the hotel called Down the Road which was really smart woth a balcony overlooking the creek. We were both pretty tired after the long day though so weren't up fo beers really so went back to watch the TV. Erin Brockovitch was on so we watched that , then Liz fell asleep followed by Phil after he'd watched another movie.