One sees shrines, churches and cathedrals everywhere in Goa -- some brilliant and shining in the sun; others mildewed, shuttered and garlanded with dried marigolds.
Our guidebook said we shouldn't miss the Basilica of Bom Jesus so we hired a taxi to take us there. Our driver, Freddie, was informative and helpful, but it was a very hot and humid day. By 1 pm we were wilting and wanting only to find an air-conditioned place to have some lunch. He laughed at us when we told him we were ready to go back to the hotel after a brief stop at an Emporium. "I thought you came from a hot climate!" he exclaimed. "But it's dry in the desert," we tried to explain and I'm sure it sounded pretty lame.
But we're glad we visited the famous 500 year old church. It's a huge structure made of reddish-black laterite stone which is quarried in Goa itself, as well as wood and marble. If you want to read more about it, you can find things online. It's worth reading about and the government of India's website, Know India, has a nice little article on it.
Most interestingly, it is where the body of St. Francis Xavier, who died in Goa in 1522, lies enbalmed and set high up in a sealed glass coffin. Once every 10 years it is brought down for public viewing.
In speaking with the Catholic women who work at Goa Beach House where we stayed, we learned that they attributed the protection Goa has known from weather-related disaster to the fact that St. Xavier's body lies in a church nearby. "If his body is taken away," they said, "Goa will experience many troubles. As long as he is here, Goa is a very safe place to live."
(The pictures hardly do justice to the church -- it is so huge and inspiring and a such a powerful presence.)
Photos of other churches we visited and a beautiful flowering African Tulip tree are at the bottom.
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