Goa is the most fascinating place I have visited in all my travels around India. You hear the roar of the Arabian Sea and the sudden whoosh of tropical monsoon rains. You smell earthy bouquets, spices and oils from Indian open street cooking, and salty sea air. You see…well, let the photographs show what I saw in Goa…

…lush tropical flora and fauna

The Banyan Tree

The Arabian Seashore…

The Portuguese influence…below, the restored ancient Viceroy’s Arch that marks the Portuguese conquest of the city in 1510.

Ruins of The Church of St. Augustine, built by the Portuguese in 1602

Goa remains very Christian

Christian street shrines

The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the mortal uncorrupt remains of St. Francis Xavier., except he is missing his big toe. Story is that a Portuguese woman, in a fit of revererence bit it off! Gross!

Beautiful altars where the God of Goa, Jesus Christ, is worshipped. 

And before we left, I shot this from a table at a seaside restaurant.