A Day's Sightseeing in Old Goa

The great thing about this trip was that we seemed to be in touch with the local culture. Not only did our driver take us to the major attractions, but he also stopped to point out “normal Goan life.” It always feels a privilege to have that insight into village life. We passed through villages, large and small, with people milling around—there were plenty of people looking busy but doing nothing! There were small roadside stall and an awful lot of women standing at the side of the road holding, at arm's length, small handfuls of vegetables. This was clearly the rural economy at work, and it was hard to imagine how individual families were able to survive.

Water buffalo were grazing in fields, with solitary cranes feeding off the tics on their backs—the classic wildlife scene and kingfishers shot across the fields, showing off their exuberant turquoise plumage. Our journey took us alongside the mighty Goan river, and we paused to look at the odd extravagant property, a sharp contrast to the shacks inhabited by the majority of the people. At one point, our driver stopped to point out the salt pits at the side of the road, with piles of freshly dried salt waiting for collection and further processing. The river is tidal and salt water.

The main roads always seem to be action-packed, women carrying water urns on their heads and shoeless children walking to school (an activity that seems to happen throughout the day). Of course, goats and cows seem to have right of way as they wander aimlessly with no regard for traffic. Indeed, at one point, two cows had sat down bang in the centre of the narrow road, and cars, tuk-tuks, and bikes were having to pass by on the bumpy grass verge. Mentioning bumps reminds me of the popular “rumble strips” that had been built in front of every major junction. There were upwards of a dozen strips as we approached small villages, and despite the driver's attempt to drive carefully and slowly, this was a right bone-shaker of an experience.

We spent some time watching the brightly coloured fishing vessels being unloaded, and just up the road from the fishing harbour women sat at the side with a tablecloth spread out in front of them laden with freshly caught fish.

Quick Tips:

There are plenty of local drivers who are prepared to offer you a tour of the area, but I’d strongly suggest you use them for “smaller runs” before confirming their services for a tour. We needed to be sure that they spoke and understood English—after all, they were not only our drivers, but also our guide for the day. Having satisfied ourselves that we could communicate, we just needed to confirm that we liked the guy—that’s critical if you’re going to spend a whole day in close proximity. And finally, a trial run will have confirmed the road-worthiness of the vehicle and, as importantly, the driving ability of the driver. I’d certainly avoid some of the rust buckets that we saw, and the cars that were covered in dents.

We were given some good solid advice by our driver, who strongly advised us not to be tempted to purchase flowers at the temples. He suggested that it was far better to look towards using a guide from inside the temple to show us around the buildings and confirmed that we should never pay more than 150 rupees for their services. He did say that they will look upset and demand more money for their services. I’d also suggest that it’s worth having a bit of coinage on you when you enter the temple. There is an assumption that you’ll contribute for the upkeep of the temple by way of a gift, and the general rule seemed to be that a few rupees was more than acceptable. Remember, there’s no admission charge to these buildings, so your gift is most appreciated.

Generally the taking of photographs is scowled upon, but I always ask to make sure. As often as not, they were happy for photographs to be taken of the inside from the entrance. Only the odd temple refused permission for any photos. However, they don’t like the use of videos, and I’d suggest that you honour this.

If you make it known to your driver that you’re interested in taking photographs, he’ll be prepared to stop at your whim. Indeed, our man specifically took us to places he felt were particularly spectacular. He wasn’t always right, but it confirmed his willingness to please. It’s also worth confirming that you’d like to view sites off the usual tourist trail.

Best Way To Get Around:

We hired a local driver for the day, having negotiated what we felt was a fair price for the day out around Goa. Six hundred rupees was the negotiated price (we’d ascertained from others in the hotel that 600 to 800 rupees was the going rate for a day trip), and the driver (who we’d used before) agreed to collect us at 9:30am and suggested that we’d be back at the hotel anywhere between 4 and 6 that same evening. The great advantage of this way of seeing the area is that the local taxi driver knows the best route and will, if you treat him with due courtesy, ensure that you see everything on your itinerary and a bit more beside.

You can, of course, hire vehicles in Goa. We did see loads of visitors on motorbikes, but I’d strongly recommend that you avoid this as a means of getting around, unless you are an accomplished rider. The roads are not good, but more importantly the driving rules are unclear or nonexistent. We saw a number of accidents, not major ones admittedly, where bike wheels had been “clipped” and the riders knocked to the ground. As no one wears crash helmets or protective clothing, it really is a risky business.

I believe that car hire is also a possibility, but we didn’t see any hire companies. Again, I think getting around under your own steam would be problematic, as sign posting does not seem brilliant and many of the smaller towns are un-signed. Additionally, I would not fancy my chances around the busy Goan towns, where the roads resemble a stock-car race.

Several people were using the local tour companies to arrange outings for them, but these work out relatively expensive and offer no real added value. Indeed, as part of a wider group, you’ll have far less flexibility during your day trips and be dependent on the reliability of your fellow travellers. It's far better to have your own chauffeur and sit in the comfort of an air-conditioned taxi.

Public transport (the local buses) makes for an interesting means of transport, but it would be slow and fairly restrictive for a sightseeing tour

Our driver was quite insistent that he’d drive us along the coast to see the picturesque views from the lighthouse. We’re certainly glad that he did! We ran alongside Goan’s tidal river and at one point, having watched the local fisherman at work, I asked to stop to take a photo of an interesting temple on a small island in the river. It shouted out at the surrounding landscape and the bright colours were screaming for my attention. Whilst there my wife became fascinated by what seemed to be a strange fungus growing near the water’s edge. It turned out to be the dried part of the tree that had supported coconuts. Not so fascinating but it made for a talking point and the obligatory photo!

We travelled through busy villages and past some exclusive and expensive looking beach resorts before climbing the hill to a prominent church. Our guide took us to the edge of the hill to view a superb view across the river and out to sea. He pointed out a large coastal settlement; it looked idyllically situated until he explained that this was Goa’s prison - a prison with a reputation for not having any successful escapees. It is housed in the lower fort, which was built to ensure a safe haven for the Portuguese navy. Just below the church was an amazing, modern dwelling – it appeared to be a bungalow but in reality there were several stories built into the rock. An exclusive and doubtless extremely expensive home, known locally as "Jimmy’s Palace" for someone who likes great views and their privacy. As we left this small viewpoint our guide told us that this was a "lover’s meeting place," but due to a recent outbreak of crime people were not permitted to cavort there after dark. Guess that severely limits its usage!

A short journey along the coast and we reach the old Lighthouse, built in 1864 and only decommissioned in 1976 when the "new" lighthouse was built. Fort Aguada is alongside the lighthouse and admission is free. It was built in1612 by the Portuguese as part of the major defences. We learnt that "Aguada" means water in Portuguese, and in the fort there’s an underground water storage tank capable of holding 2,376,000 gallons. There’s a fairly impressive moat around the fort and the bastions and gun powder room are all still intact. It was certainly a great design as this was the only fort that proved to be impregnable during the 450 years of skirmishes that took place in this region.

But best of all is the 360º view that you get from the summit of the fort – views right across to Calangute beach in the North, the Arabian Sea to the west and the Nerul River to the South. And despite the fact that this is a tourist attraction there are numerous places where you can take in the view and enjoy your own company.

St. Catherine’s is a chapel dwarfed by the mighty churches surrounding it, but it’s worth a very small detour to take in its simplicity and the tranquillity of its gardens. The chapel is well signed and a gentle walk down a flight of steps brought us to the simple primitive chapel. It was built in 1510 to commemorate Alfonso de Albuquerque’s entry into the City on St Catherine’s day, it was enlarged in 1550 and rebuilt in 1952. There a single large "open plan" room with a simple altar at the far end with large double doors set in an impressive "chunky" carved frame under a couple of arched turrets. Indeed it’s the introduction of these twin towers that set off the "trend" for the notable design of Goan Churches.

About 200 yards away from the chapel is the Archaeological museum. There’s a very small entrance fee, and the downstairs is awash with stoneware artefacts from both the pre-colonial days as well as the Portuguese occupation. This building started off life as a wing of the original Franciscan monastery and the cloisters, although somewhat neglected, are virtually intact. In the 1960s it was renovated and put to its current use as a key museum in Old Goa.

Upstairs we found much more interesting, because it has a greater sense of living history about it. Here you’ll find a full portrait gallery of over Portuguese governors. They cover a whole range of styles, and although they’ve been heavily restored over the years the fascination is to be found in their posing clothes. Some were just laughable, and it was hard to think that some of these powerful guys had a handle on the fashion of the day!

Immediately "next-door" to the museum is the fascinating Church of St. Francis of Assisi. It was built in 1661 on the site of an earlier Franciscan church, and although it no longer functions as a church it still retains a strong spiritual feel. I just didn’t know where to start looking, as this empty shell of a church is a mass of carvings, frescoes, paintings, and gilt work. A veritable cornucopia of art. The floor is "awash" with sculptured tombs, and a large section of this cavernous building is cordoned off to protect them from further erosion. The ornate pulpit and "busy" altar are well worth closer inspection, and the painted wooden panels in the chancel ably depict the life and times of St. Francis. The archway at the entrance of the church is a tapestry of symmetrical carvings.

The overall perception of St. Francis Church is that although it generally has a weathered and faded appearance the colours are strangely appealing. In its day the pink, green, yellow, and gold would have been much more vibrant and it truly would have been a magical place for worship. We soaked in the atmosphere and appreciated this time capsule.

The day of our visit was a colourful day, as it was the festival of Shigmotsav of Holi and a time for all Hindus to celebrate. It’s a day when devotees smear themselves with coloured powder paint and large quantities of red paint and coloured water is thrown at anything and everything. A day of excitement but not a day for wearing your best clobber! Indeed, although children were respectful to us only wanting “a dab of colour” on our forehead, they were hurling paint balls at friends, and it was hard not to pick up a spray from these many skirmishes.

The Temple of Shri Shantadurga Kavlem was commissioned by Shahuraje Satara, in 1738 replacing a much earlier temple. It’s said to be the most renowned of all Goan temples and is the one favoured by tour guides. We had to brave the usual gauntlet of snack and souvenir shops and did actually succumb to a garland of flowers for 10 rupees. As we entered the temple grounds, a smartly dressed “official guide” approached us and started telling us about the temple. He was impossible to shake off, so we decided to go with the flow and accept his words of wisdom. The seven-storey light tower, the deepmal, seems to lean Pisa-like in front of the splendid coffee coloured temple offset with cream panels and dome. Inside is spectacularly decked out with marble, fine glass chandeliers, and heavily embossed silver icons and doors. Our guide gave us insight into the workings of the temple and explained the jobs of the temple faithful. Sacred water is hand-drawn from the natural well, accessed from a holy room in the temple, and the icons are cleaned and polished with religious fervour.

I actually preferred the Temple of Sri Manguesh, which was built in 1561 and has been frequently renovated over the years. It is spectacularly sited in a prime spot and just feels spiritually in tune with the environment. The usual temple tank of holy water is just outside the temple grounds, and a short flight of steps, flanked by flower and incense sellers, leads to the main temple courtyard. A sandy-coloured lamp tower leans towards the main temple, and a local church elder acting as our tour guide proudly pointed out the important elements of the temple. As is usual, we were "invited" to contribute a few coins to the temple funds and then walked across a courtyard to the "out-sheds." We were happy to walk quickly, as our sandals had been left at the temple entrance and the ground was unpleasantly hot for the delicate soles of our feet. Here there were numerous shrines that were presented to the temple congregation in processional form on the many key Hindu festivals. They are ancient and impressive timber-carved works of art. If you are discreet and request permission, the temple staff seems happy for you to take non-flash photography. There was a real friendly family atmosphere here.

I guess most visitors to Goa make the effort to sight see around the Portuguese town of Old Goa and we, of course, were no exceptions

Behind the Church of St Francis and on the north of Old Goa’s main square is Se Cathedral. The view around the square, which was once the site of public executions, is worth pausing to take in and some of the trees have grown at 33º off the horizontal—a weird sight. The Cathedral was built in the early 17th century and the bell tower houses the golden bell, the largest bell in the whole of Asia, with the "sweetest and mellowest of tones." It didn’t ring for us! I also understand that it had a more sinister use in the days of the inquisition.

Inside is absolutely fantastic and it’s hard to know where to look first. There are eight chapels to the side of the barrel-vaulted nave and six altars, all ornately and extravagantly decorated and carved. The main altar (dedicated to St Catherine) is beautifully carved, heavily gilted in gold leaf and has half a dozen painted panel depicting the life of the saint and the gory scene of her torture and final slaughter. Remember Catherine wheel fireworks—well that I believe was the instrument used to torture this infamous martyr. The sunlight shining through the church’s windows adds to the atmosphere of the lavish interior of Goa’s Cathedral. Photographs are allowed but "photographs of people are prohibited".

The construction of the Basilica de Bom Jesus started in 1594 and was completed in 1605. It’s in a sorry state today, currently undergoing restoration work, but it’s still impressive internally. I guess because there’s a starkness about the main body of the church the huge gilt altar stands out as a masterpiece. To the right of the main altar, we found the mightily impressive mausoleum with a silver casket in which are kept the "venerable relics" St. Francis Xavier. This chapel can be viewed from three spots and every available surface is ornately carved or painted with memories to celebrate the life of the saint. Although I know little about this saint he is clearly very important and you can sense the reverence, which has been attached to him and his life.

St Augustine’s tower can be seen from the Cathedral and we wanted to check it out. Augustinian friars built the monastery back in 1602 and the 46m high bell tower soared over the impressive church with its four altars and eight chapels and the extensive attached convent. Although abandoned in 1835 and the main church collapsing within the decade there is still enough ruins to clearly identify the layout of the church. Carvings are evident on the arches and it’s clear that it was quite some building in its day, now you’ll need to exercise your imagination. The original bell is now ringing from the lady immaculate Church in Panaji.