We hired a taxi for the morning and went up to the town of Old Goa. According to Lonely Planet "From the 16th to 18th centuries, when Old Goa's population exceeded that of Lisbon or London, this capital of Goa was considered the 'Rome of the East'. You can still sense that grandeur as you wander the grounds, with its towering churches and cathedral and majestic convents. It's rise under the Portuguese, from 1510, was meteoric, but cholera and malaria outbreaks forced the abandonment of the city in the 1600s."
The exterior of the buildings are magnificent and the carvings inside are very intricate. It was hard to choose what pictures to post here because we took so many. Unfortunately the whole experience was not a contemplative or spiritual one. After listening to our taxi driver try to get us to hire him for another day outing (what happened to enjoying the moment or perhaps finishing today's trip?), we opened the taxi doors at our destination only to be forcefully handed (kids included) candles and loops of flowers and then asked to pay for them. I am glad we took the time to see the town of Old Goa and I am thankful these beautiful buildings are open to the public for free, even if it meant there were lots of tourists like us wandering everywhere :)
Hi Nancy and Kevin
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are just beautiful. the cathedrals,
the architect, nothing to compare it to here.
Sounds like it is a bit trying at times with the locals. We pray you are all healthy and that you
are sleeping okay, sounds like it is extremely warm. hugs and kisses for the kids, you too
love mom
P.S. it was 9 degrees yesterday
Hi Mom! Overall we have loved the people and the culture. Generally so helpful and affectionate towards the boys! The way they sell things is still rubbing me the wrong way (to me it seems so rude, but it is not rude here and i need to keep reminding myself of this). Vendors are always assuming we will buy what they are selling and aggressively pushing the sale. I need to learn to say "no" like I mean it but still have a smile on my face (the vendors are pushy with their words and body language but seem to keep a lovely smile on their face).
DeleteHi everyone!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous looking place, but I bet it's stinking hot! Hope you are all coping with the heat and finding good things to eat. Perhaps Bangalore will seem cool in comparison. Thanks for the post. Keep them coming!
Love,
Mum
Yes, it is hot. We have been fine on the beach but this day in Old Goa the kids were wilting in the 35 degree heat. We only stayed for the morning. In our place, we keep our airconditioners at a cool 27 degrees and it feels great :)
ReplyDeleteThese are AMAZING pictures! I love the architecture and attention to details! And your family picture is quite lovely :) Yikes - makes me want to jump on a plane and come for a visit :) So glad you're having a great time!
ReplyDelete