The Portugese colonized this area of India in the 1600s. The old town center is full of Portugese architecture. As is always the case, next came the missionaries. The Jesuit converter of the heathens was none other than St. Francis Xavier. We visited his body (you can see it!) at the cathedral in Goa.

The Goans, who can prove lineage, are eligible for work visas to Portugal. Once in the EU, they head up to England for jobs since they speak English. Now with Brexit all that has come to an end.

Goa is all about tourism and beaches. Beaches to the north are tan sand and about 50/50 Indian and Russian tourists. Huge beaches with 20 rows deep of chaise lounges for rent with thousands of people in them, all under umbrellas. Hotels to the north are shabbier and cheaper. Tourism started here along the northern beaches  in the 1960’s with American hippies. Think Ravi Shankar and the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour.

Beaches to the south are white sand, lightly populated with expensive resort hotels and European tourists. This is where the destination weddings happen.

Basilica of Goa. Outside and in. Goa is 26% Christian.

Francis Xavier’s body lies behind the 6 yellow framed windows. His head is behind the larger yellow window to the right. The miracle for his sainthood is that his body never decomposed. There was supposedly no taxidermy. Shriveled and leathery but still there.