PANAJI, GOA, INDIA

Greetings from Goa!

For those of you unfamiliar with the place, it's not a city but rather an entire region of India's west coast, known to Europeans as a chill-out beach destination and also a haven for hippies and ravers. But from what I've seen so far, it's actually pretty mellow--in 2000 the Indian government banned all loud music past 10 pm, so the dance scene may not be what it once was. (Although I hear it still gets pretty crazy around Christmas and New Years', when the authorities apparently turn a blind eye to such goings-on.)

Truthfully, I'm not really here to get my rave on, but rather to relax and soak up some of the Goan culture, which is very different from the rest of India. You see, Goa is a former Portuguese colony, which means that instead of Hindu temples and mosques there are Catholic churches and European architectural touches everywhere. The Portuguese influence also extends to the local cuisine, which features all kinds of seafood as well as a lot of spicy pork and beef (yes!). The scenery is a radical change from what I saw in Delhi, as well--it's just as hot, but it's a much more tropical climate, and as the monsoon just ended here, everything is incredibly lush, green and jungle-y. Also unlike Delhi, it's not crowded here, and there's no traffic--in short, it's a lot less stressful! Ahh....

For my first couple of days, I've decided to stay in the capital of Goa, Panaji (also known as Panjim), which is supposed to be one of India's nicest capital cities. And it really is kind of charming, in a run-down, moss-covered, laid-back kind of way. Unlike most tourist destinations in Goa, it's not on the beach, but sits inland along the Mandovi River.

This afternoon I decided to take Lonely Planet's self-guided walking tour of town, which brought me through Panaji's winding narrow streets past three major religious sites:

• The first was Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, the main church that sits in the center of town. Built in 1541, this bright white church surrounded by palm trees was the first place Portuguese sailors would visit on their arrival to India, where they'd give thanks for a successful voyage before continuing inland to the former capital of Old Goa.
• I then visited Maruti Temple, which sits on a high hill (up a lot of steps!) overlooking the city. It's a Hindu temple dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god, and from its front terrace I had a great view down on the buildings of Panjim and the river in the distance.
• A little further down the road, I walked past Panaji's third important religious structure, the Bishop's Palace, a huge white mansion where the Archbishop of Goa lives. Nice digs!

After my walk, I had dinner at a really good Goan restaurant called A Ferradura, where I had fried chicken marinated in piri piri (I still have no idea what that is) with a fiery-hot green sauce (thankfully served on the side).