January 9, 2019
The ship docked in Marmagoa, Goa’s main port, population about 100,000. The town was first developed as a fortified settlement in 1624 by the Portuguese and remained its capital until the 18th century plague struck and the town abandoned. The Portuguese set up the new capital in (what’s now called) Panjim, which remains the state capital.
We took a walk through the Fontainhas quarter of Panjim, a neighbourhood that could have been plucked out of the residential streets of Lisbon. Portuguese is the main language spoken in this district today.


We also visited other examples of what the Portuguese left behind: St. Catjean church, said to be modeled on St. Peter’s in Rome, and the Jesuit Basilica of Bom Jesus, which holds the embalmed body of St. Francis Xavier, founder of the Jesuit order.
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Next stop: Beautiful Cochin, India
I have been truly captivated by your adventures. Am looking forward to hearing about the rest of the journey when you get access to good wi-fi (and getting far more of the story when you get back to Hazelwood)
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Thanks, Carla. Thinking of you…
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