Panaji - November 8th

The 9.30 bus from Palolem to Margao is an experience I think you should only have once in your life.  Luckily we get on at the start, so we get a seat, actually right at the front of the bus.  But the bus fills up quickly, and once we start is standing room only.  There are only supposed to be 11 standing, but there are 11 standing in front of us, and we are in the front seat.  I think there were 40 people standing on this bus, it was very uncomfortable and claustrophobic.  We eventually get to Margao, where we switch to a bus to Panaji, the state capital of Goa.  This is a much more civilised affair, as it is a shuttle bus direct from one bus station to another.

After checking into a slightly dilapidated old colonial hotel in Panaji, we go to Old Goa, the former state capital, only 10km away.  At one stage this was bigger than London or Lisbon, but now it is only a dozen or so old churches and some tourist restaurants.  But the churches are spectacular.  We start in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, where the remains of St Francis Xavier are on show, then to Se Cathedral, the largest church in Asia, and finally to the St Francis of Assisi church.  These three massive churches are all within a hundred metres of each other, but because the town is now empty, unusually there are no other structures, just a nice park around them meaning there are great views of each church from the others.

After that and a museum to cool off, we go back to Panaji early to avoid the bus being packed.  This is not a 100% success though, as we have to stand all the way back, and it is a pretty twisty road.

In the evening we walk around the town of Panaji, which given its Portuguese past, does have a more European feel than any of the other places we have been to in India.  We look at some shops before going for a treat to a relatively expensive restaurant on the main square, where we have yet more great Goan speciality dishes.  The great thing is even though they are spicy hot they don’t seem to leave any aftertaste when you are finished.  I still haven’t braved the Vindaloo though.