Great Guide For Goa Goings

Today was a fine day for 80% of our group. A couple of days ago Kathy was the first in our group to contract Delhi Belly, and that doesn't mean she was watching the Bollywood movie of that name. It made for a couple of difficult days of travel but she's feeling much better.

Last night after midnight it was the turn of both Haley and Brian. Haley wisely decided to take the day off and relaxed around the property here. Brian was feeling remarkably better (touch wood) and went along on a tour of some of the sites of Goa. Our guide, Jonas, was absolutely outstanding. We toured several Catholic churches that reflect the fact that Goa was a Portuguese colony for several hundred years right up to 1961.

Jonas was a wealth of information and his English is the best we've encountered from a guide the entire trip. He was comfortable in explaining to us that 26% of the populations is Christian, and that the Portuguese civil code still prevails here. Although the caste system exists here as elsewhere, he gave us the impression that this is a more secular society than elsewhere in India, and that minorities and women are accorded more rights, including inheritance rights, than they are elsewhere.

He also took us to the Viva Panjim Family Restaurant, one of the leading restaurants in Panjim, where we enjoyed an excellent seafood lunch.

After a quick walk through the markets, which were largely closed down for the day but still interesting (and Kathy was able to buy a temporary backpack with a little bargaining help from Jonas), we've returned to Vivenda Dos Palhaco, and are happy to find out that Haley is feeling a little better.

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