Panjim, Goa
We decided to stay in Panjim for our last two nights in Goa to ease ourselves to the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, the last leg of our trip. Panjim also boasted some colonial-area architecture that we wanted to check out.
Panjim Inn is located in the old section of Panajim, which is about 45 minutes to the airport. I was not disappointed. Panjim Inn has that rare blend of history and style, at a superaffordable price. Our room had a nicely crafted four-poster bed. It came with ac and satellite tv too! It seems that this tourist inn was slowly expanded over the years, because it included distinct buildings connected by narrow hallways.
Breakfast was pretty hearty, and served buffet style. Only one type of egg (scrambled), but you can go back for seconds. As Panjim Inn catered to tourists, baked beans, toast and breakfast cereal were available too.
The area where Panjim Inn and its sister establishments is called Fontainhas. It was nice simply walking around and marvelling at how some of the structures still exist. .. it felt a bit like walking around Fortaleza, another Portuguese holding from way back. Oh yes, a lot of those tiny street-side shrines too, regardless of the creed.
Church of the Lady of the Immaculate Conception. I do not like how the photo flattens the entire shot. The church is quite a distance uphill from us. The roundabout in front of it was always full of traffic.
In the distance is a Hindu temple. It was not in our guidebook, but there were quite a few locals on their way there. It looked like a salmon-colored castle from our vantage point.Panajim (the town) was easy to cover on foot. It had a sleepy, old-town colonial feel.
This shot appealed to me on different levels. First, was the layout of the ads. It reminded me of those old -style shingles that one might hang to advertise a local business. I also liked how the "quit smoking" ad is quite prominent and very official-looking. Next thing I noticed was the "Ayurvedic clinic" ad. Ayurvedic medicine is not is a legitimately recognized form of medicine, in the same way the western medicine is recognized by us. Later on, in Mumbai, I came across a bazaar for medical supplies, and some of them offered solely Ayurvedic herbs and oils.
Panjim Market. the produce section.
The fish section. It looks like most of the catch was pretty local---mostly small fishes, a lot of prawns, some small clams.
Fresh meats. I wonder if that was mutton.Panjim Inn was very good value. The town itself can easily be covered in a day, so we found ourselves day-tripping back to the beach. DJKung was suffering from acute pool withdrawal, and I don't think he liked Panajim too much.
