Day 110: Mormugao (Goa), India

Wednesday, 26 April 2017
At Sea — Arabian Sea … En Route to Mumbai

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:30p (IST) … UTC 3:00p (26 April)
Temp: 83.5F (28.6C)
Position: 16.05.43N / 73.14.55E

Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ~

Today was our third port of call in India in as many days — and our third state.  Insignia docked in the Port of Mormugao — often referred to as Goa — at 7:00a as planned.  The red tape went more smoothly today and the ship was cleared within 15 minutes.

I booked today’s tour — called “Goa Past & Present” — with Goa Magic.  It was a private tour focusing on Velha [Old] Goa and Panjim, the current capital of the state.  Joining us were Bill & Star and Sonia & Boris.  We met up at Baristas at 7:30a and were first off the ship — something I found odd, but who am I to complain.  Getting a head start ahead of the ship’s tours is always a plus — something our tour guide Francis Xavier (FX) thanked us for later when we met up with him.  Our driver was Faisal, a quiet man who didn’t speak a word to us, but drove us around and returned us to the ship safe and sound … no mean feat, although the traffic was noticeably less chaotic here.

Goa, the smallest — and by some accounts the richest — state in India, was among the most important trading centers of the ancient and medieval world.  Calico, spices, and precious metals topped the list of goods sent out from here.  Located midway down India’s southwest coast, it had been under the rule of Hindu dynasties and, for a brief period, Muslim rulers.  Defeating the Muslims, the Portuguese took over Goa in 1510.  Thus came the Christian rule that lasted 450 years … until the Portuguese were overthrown by the Indian army in 1961.  (The rest of the country became independent from the British in 1947.)  This diversity has left its impact on the religion and architecture of the area, and can also be seen in the language, dress, and a cuisine of the state.  Today, Goa is a holiday destination … just as it was during British colonial times when troops and officials would travel here for R&R.  We hoped to experience a bit of that aspect of the region today as well, but that part of our tour didn’t work out as planned.

Our route from the port took us along the Zuari River, which runs some 55 miles (89 km) to empty into the Arabian Sea.  FX pointed out one of the islands and explained that barge workers and captains live on these islands.  At one time these men had to take a boat to cross the river, but now the islands are linked to the mainland by causeways.  Along the way, we passed teak plantations; towns with distinctly modern buildings; Hindu temples and churches; shipyards — some for navy and coast guard vessels; others for the building and maintenance of barges; and more.  I noted that there was a lot of construction as well.

After a while, we crossed a bridge to the largest island in the state — home to 13 villages.  This island, FX explained, is the vegetable provider for the region.  In the first village — St Lawrence — we saw well maintained Portuguese style homes with large gardens … one mansion often used for Bollywood movie shoots.  The village looked more prosperous than the others we passed before we crossed the bridge.  FX also pointed out farms established to train people in farming and animal husbandry — free of charge.

Velha Goa, which was the administrative seat of the Portuguese, was once known as the Rome of the East.  As such, it is home to many a-church.  When we reached this part of town, our first stop was at one of these churches — the Basilica of Bom Jesus … a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The name of the church translates as Good (or Holy) or Infant Jesus.  Construction started in 1594 and the church was consecrated in 1605.  The façade rises three stories high, and is made of basalt and laterite.  The latter is a rusty-red soil and rock type that is rich in iron and aluminum, and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas.  Inside, FX drew our attention to the statue of St Francis Xavier, his namesake; pointed out the beautifully carved wooden pulpit; showed us the cenotaph dedicated to the benefactor of the church; made sure we saw the statue of infant Jesus on the gilded main altar and the much larger one of St Ignatius Loyola above it; and directed us to the chapel on the right hand where the sacred relics of the body of St Francis Xavier is located.  Then he gave us a few minutes to wander around and take photographs.

Our next two stops were across the street from the Bom Jesus.  FX explained that of the two whitewashed  buildings gleaming under the hot sun, one was the Se Cathedral and the other the Church of St Francis of Assisi.  We were on our way to see the Se when it came to his attention that we would be unable to go inside due to a ceremony that was about to take place to ordain 20 priests.  That explained all the people streaming towards the church, dressed in their Sunday best and even fancier clothes.  Later, we went around to see the façade of the cathedral and Mui managed to get a photo of the interior from the doorway.  The Se is the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies.  It was built in 1619 to commemorate the Portuguese victory over the Muslim army, which led to their capture of Goa in 1510.  Since the victory coincided with the feast of St Catherine, the church was dedicated to her.

The St Francis Church, which was open for us to enter, was built in 1661 and also has a three-tiered façade.  It replaced a small chapel that was built on the site in 1521.  The main entrance is decorated with circular pilasters and a rosette band and is in the Manueline style, which contrasts with the otherwise stark exterior.  The church is no longer used for worship, and the adjacent convent has been converted into a museum.  The barrel vaulted central nave was bare of furnishings and was roped off to protect the many tombstones decorated with intricately designed coats of arms.  Though faded, there were some beautiful murals on the walls, and the chancel had paintings depicting the works of St Francis, but we could not get close enough to see them clearly.  The floral design decorating the arch that supports the choir above was still vividly colorful.  In addition to showing us the contrasting baptismal founts — one in the shape of a lotus … brought to the church from a Hindu temple — FX pointed out how the statue of Jesus is portrayed with his right arm free to embrace St Francis, who stands atop the three vows of the Franciscan Order … poverty, humility, and obedience.

Back in the van, we continued our drive to Panjim — aka Panaji …  the current capital of Goa.  It’s a big, modern city that sits along another river … Rio de Ourem.  FX pointed out all the casinos lining the waterfront — one of them housed in a fish-shaped boat.  His disgust for this development in the city was apparent in his voice.  When we reached Fontainhas — the old Latin Quarter — we went for a short stroll around the neighborhood to see the old villas painted in traditional colors and sporting red-tiled roofs.  The street signs were in the typical blue and white Azulejo tiles of Portugal.  The area definitely had a European ambiance, and those in the group who had been to Lisbon said it was quite reminiscent of the city.  Here FX pointed out some windows in which oyster shells — or rather the nacre — was used instead of glass panes.  This was preferred back then because it allowed filtered light into the rooms, and afforded privacy while keeping the interior cool.  Before we left the neighborhood, we also saw the Chapel of St Sebastian, which was built in 1880.  We didn’t go inside, but I understand the crucifix was once fixed at the Palace of the Inquisition in Old Goa.

From here a short ride took us into city center where we stopped to check out the big market.  Very colorful and filled with fruits and vegetables and spices and more.  What I found interesting here was that the goods were all placed on platforms high off the floor and the vendors sat on the platforms surrounded by whatever they were selling.  Though there were a few men, most of the vendors who caught my eye were sari-draped women.  The colorful fruit — especially the mangos — were very tempting, but we resisted the temptation to buy anything … except for the bunch of small bananas Sonia bought and shared with us.  Sweet!

The last stop of the sightseeing portion of the tour was at a Hindu temple.  This was not the one I had hoped to visit — that was too far off our route — but the Maruti Temple.  Situated on top of the Altinho Hill, it had the advantage of giving us an expansive bird’s eye look at Fontainhas spread out below it.  The temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the monkey god.  We took off our shoes and went inside the bright orange painted temple to look around … it was fairly simple in design … none of the ostentation we’ve seen in some temples.  No photography was allowed inside, but we were permitted to photograph the enshrined statue of Lord Hanuman from the doorway — thank goodness for a reasonably long lens I say.

By the time we left the temple it was after 11:00a.  Thanks to our early start, we had stayed ahead of the O tours and had gotten through the must-see sights in record time.  That we didn’t want to dally outside in the heat was another factor in how early we finished.  Goa being a holiday destination for beachgoers, I had requested time at a beach as part of the tour.  FX tried to do one better by combining the beach with lunch, which was to be at our own expense.  We wound our way back to a beach in the direction of the port so that we would later have a short drive to reach the ship and not have to worry about the traffic en route.

Unfortunately this portion of the tour turned out to be a bust.  We were unable to go to a resort since we were not part of a large group tour.  So, FX took us to a restaurant overlooking a wide stretch of pink sand.  Alas, the restaurant was under renovation.  To boot, it was very windy, the surf was up, and it was very hot with no protection from the sun.  So, we gave up on taking a dip in the Arabian Sea.  But we still wanted to have lunch, so FX took us to another restaurant on the beach … with seating outdoors.  Mui and Bill went to check it out, but came back saying that the longer they stood on the terrace, the hotter it felt.  The wind wasn’t helping as it too was blowing hot.  So, we decided to cut our tour short and return to the ship early.

Overall, I would say we had a good tour.  It was interesting to see the Portuguese influence on the city.  So much so that we often felt that we were in Europe and not in India.  Our one real complaint was that our spacious van had seen better days and the A/C had a difficult time keeping up with the hot temperature — forecasted to reach a humid 96F (36C).

Sitting on the deck 5 promenade after the ship sailed, I was reading my book when Peter came out for wildlife viewing.  We started to chat and I voiced my opinion that I had still not seen the “real India” I had read and heard about.  Peter assured me that the three ports we have visited are all part of a conglomeration of cultures and experiences that makes up real India.  If that is the case — and I have no reason not to take the word of someone who has traveled extensively on the Indian sub-continent — the media are doing the country a disservice by portraying just one “face” of this huge country.

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