The day after Christmas, we rolled down to Old Goa to check out the Cathedrals and Archbishop's quarters. Deluxe. With the thick Corinthian columns and floor-to-ceiling gilt alter, it felt more like Europe than India. The Portuguese ran Goa for more than 400 years and built a ring of giant churches in Old Goa, their seat of power, in the Tuscan-Gothic style, with taxes from the lucrative trade in spice, cotton and indigo. A colony in India was hugely profitable. For a time in the 17th Cent. pepper corns were worth their weight in gold back in Europe.
The Old Goa churches are the biggest in Asia, with the centerpiece, the Se Cathedral, reputedly larger than any in Portugal. It took 90 years to build. Walking from one gargantuan to another, it's as if the Franciscans, Jesuits and Roman Catholics of Old Goa were building to outdo each other. At its height, the city was as populous as London or Paris, but then in the 19th Cent. disease wiped the population and the state capital moved down the Mandovi River to Panjim.
To catch a breather after the cab rides and scooter break-down on the trip to Old Goa, I headed back to Brahmani Yoga for an afternoon meditation class and stuck around for some traditional Hindi singing, known as Bhanjans. What a great time. We had a band with drums, guitar and tambourine, and together chanted traditional devotionals in Hindi:
Shiva: Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
(Interpretation by Krishna Das: BREATH OF THE HEART)
Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambo / Kashi Vishwanatha Gange
Kashi Viswanatha Gange / Kashi Amarnatha Gange
Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambo / Kashi Vishwanatha Gange
Hara Hara Hara Hara / Mahadeva Shambo
Bom Bom Mahadeva Shambo / Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
On Wednesday was the famous Anjuna Flea Market, with amazing crafts from all over India, from Tibetan full cord knit sweaters to Keralan spices, all at rock bottom prices. The colorful Rajathasni mirror and block-work blankets were a personal favorite. Next time I'm bringing a bigger backpack!
I met up with Bobby & Alex P. at the Jam Connection for chocolate pancake breakfast. Yumm... the place is run by an old German lady who bakes the bread fresh every morning. We chilled in hammocks in the leafy garden and watched her hippy grandkids play in the tree fort and tire swing. Also, I met a really great married couple, an American guy from North Adams, MA and Japanese girl, who volunteered at the local dog shelter. On my second trip to India, I definitely want to do some volunteering.
To celebrate New Year's, Alex P. and I got henna tattoos on the beach. I looked pretty bad in a swirly sun with a Hindi Om over my shoulder and arm. Hmmm.... makes you wonder how a real one would look. Ok, not going to happen, but fun for a week.
On New Year's Eve day, I ran in to Elissa, Karim and Bryan totally by accident. At first, Karim didn't recognize me! It was hilarious running into to them in of all places, Anjuna. Karim said, "I bet we've had very different experiences of India." Wise words. They invited me to a party at some nice club, but I declined. At $80 to get in, it was more than I spent all week!
For New Year's, I decided to keep it low key. Actually, a lot of people were going to just chill since the Isreali security services had issued a terrorist warning for Goa. After dinner and a few drinks at Nine Bar, I headed over to the local church for the midnight mass in Kokani, the native Goan language. What a surreal experience. There were folk-art quality Santa decorations and rickety overhead fans accompanied by a trio of haunting but out-of-tune violins and Kokani singing in a wavering soprano. At midnight, a barrage of fireworks went off right outside the church doors and the priest, draped in white vestments, lifted a gold chalice above his head with both hands.
After the mass, I headed down to the beach to catch some more fireworks on the moonlit surf. I was going to call it a night when I saw a massive bonfire and bumping party at Lilliput. The Radio Shack mixer was turning out a crowd with funky house and everybody was dancing care-free. I ended up staying up all night and caught my bus at 8 in the morning!
Comments