India (Post Covid-19 Overseas Visit No 7 - My 37 days Free & Easy Visit to Northern, Central & Southern India) City No 8 - Goa - Jan 1 2024 (Day 22)

 

Bike Hire in Panaji Town, Goa

Chapora Fort, Goa, India 

Aguada Fortress, Goa, India 

Churches & Convents
(UNESCO) of Goa, India

Day 22 Jan 1 2024 - sleeper train ride (Rp1,563 = Rm92, Class 2A, 11hr 45mins) from LTT, Mumbai > Madgaon Junction, Goa (00.45 > 11.30 but due to a delay train departure of 6 hrs, both of us had to "squat" in the A/C Waiting Room, patiently monitoring the new train departure time from 00.45 to 04.15 & the real time of 06.15, no doubt this ultimately made our stay in Goa lesser by 1/2 a day ! What a "great" start on our 1st day of January 2024 in India ! Happy New Year to all my readers ! A new Dragon year & a new beginning ! 

Disembarked from our train in Kamarli Railway Station at 18.30 (delay by 6 hrs) instead of Madgaon Junction (final destination) as Kamarli is much nearer to our hotel stay in Old Goa, upon arrival, we took an auto-rickshaw Rp100 = Rm5.80 from the Kamarli train station > our homestay hotel in Old Goa. 

Hotel Accommodation (Goa): my 2 nights stay in St Francis Small Rooms, Old Goa Rp1007 = Rm60 (twin sharing) per room night. 

Day 22 Jan 1 2024 - after an early self prepared noodle breakfast in our hotel room, both of us took a stroll from our homestay hotel to the main road & took a town bus to the Central Bus Stand, Panaji, Goa to look for a bike rental shop in the town centre.   

Panaji Bus Stand / Depot, Goa, India 

Panaji Town (near the Bus Stand), Goa, India 

Bike Rental Shop, Panaji, Goa - rented a bike for Rp650 + Petrol Rp300 = Rm55 for our only day visit in Goa ! Returned the bike to rental shop at 17.30 & took a town bus & auto-rickshaw back to our hotel. Despite the train delay of 6 hours, both of us planned well & managed to visit a number of touristy places in & around Goa ! 

Atal Setu Bridge & nearby area, Goa - most famous & longest bridge in Goa. 

Chapora Fort, Goa, India - located in Bardez, Goa, rises high above the Chapora River, the site is the location of a fort built by Adil Shahi dynasty ruler Adil Shah & called Shahpoora but was altered to Shapora by Malvankar on the request of the Portuguese, free admission. 

Fort Aguada Jail Museum, Candolim, Goa, India - built in 1612, an interactive museum that highlights the history of Goa from the Portuguese era through to Goa's freedom struggle in the 20th century & into modern times, admission fee Rp100 = Rm5.80

Aguada Fortress, Goa, India - a well preserved 17th century Portuguese fort, along with a lighthouse standing in Goa, on Singuerim Beach, overlooking the Arabian Sea, admission fee Rp300 = Rm17.40 

Exhibits of historic landmarks in Aguada Fort, Goa, India - The New & Old Faces ! 

Fishermen Jetty, Goa, India 

Lunch break in a local restaurant in Old Goa, near our homestay hotel, food & mango lassi were excellent & tasty !  

Churches & Convents of Goa (UNESCO) - World Heritage Monuments, Goa, India 

1) The Basilica of Bom Jesus (UNESCO), Old Goa, India - built between 1594 & 1605, a Catholic basilica in Goa in the Konkan region of India, the iconic church is s pilgrimage centre & recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the basilica is located in Old Goa, the former capital of Portuguese holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier. 

2) The Church of St Francis of Assisi (UNESCO), Old Goa, India - built in 1661 by the Portuguese in the Portuguese Viceroyalty of India, the church & the convent were established by 8 Portuguese Tranciscan friars who landed in Goa in 1517.  

3) The SE Catedral (UNESCO), Goa, India - a cathedral of the Latin Church Archdioces of Goa & Daman & the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies, it is part of the World Heritage Site located in Old Goa. 

4) The Church of St Cajetan, Old Goa, India - also known as the Church of Divine Providence is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa & Daman located in Old Goa, completed in 1661 & is part of the World Heritage Site, Churches & Convents of Goa.  

5) Church of St Augustine (UNESCO), Old Goa, India - a ruined church complex, completed in 1602 & is part of the World Heritage Site, Churches & Convents of Goa. 

6) The Chapel of St Catherine (UNESCO), Old Goa, India - a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Old Goa in the same compound as Se Cathedral & the Church & Convent of St Francis of Assisi, built in 1510 in the Baroque architectural style & has a brown & white facade. 

7) Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Old Goa, India - a Catholic church built between 1544 & 1547 in old Goa, part of the collection belonging to the World Heritage Site of churches & convents of Goa. 

Arch of Viceroy, Old Goa, India - erected in 1599 by Viceroy Francisco da Gama, the grandson of Vasco da Gama, the arch was restored after it faced a collapse, an ASI protected Monument of National importance in Goa. 

The Gate of the Palace of Adil Shah, Old Goa, India 

Museum of Christian Art, Old Goa, India 

Holy Family Novitiate, Old Goa, India