The Portuguese ran Goa for 451 years right up to 1961 when Nehru sent in Indian troops to ensure that the state was incorporated within the nation of India. The Portuguese Governor at the time made a brave and wise decision not to fight or blow up buildings and infrastructure. It means that most of colonial Goa remains intact. After learning all about spices at a plantation, one of two major commodities along with horses which have been traded for centuries, we visited Old Goa. The huge Portuguese basilica containing the human remains of St Francis Xavier and the cathedral were the two main buildings to admire. Finally, no visit to Goa would be complete without a swim in the sea from one of the fantastic beaches along this coastline. All in all a very good final day to complete the Indian leg of my Asian adventure and tomorrow, I head up to Kathmandu in Nepal.