Panjim Old Quarters - A Photo Journal

Goa is synonymous with beaches and beach parties. Not many people venture into the towns and cities away from the seaside, but if they do, they will be rewarded by some fascinating sight,  bustling with culture and life.

I had spent a couple of days in Panjim while visiting Goa last February. It wasn't a long enough stay, but it was an invitation for me to visit again in future. Here are a few glimpses from the Old Quarter I had captured on my camera as I wandered through the neighbourhood.

Maruti temple

The Maruti temple was my first stop just because it was close to the guesthouse I was staying in. The overnight celebrations at the temple had kept me up all night, which made me even more aware of its proximity. I was visiting during the biggest festival of Lord Hanuman in the area. The festival draws devotees from far and out. To celebrate the festivities, the neighbourhood had dressed up in fairy lights and colourful paper flags. As with any festival in India, a fair had come up for the week, selling a variety of local merchandise and lip smacking food.

The temple is on the Altinho hill and can be accessed by a short flight of stairs.

Lord Hanuman's procession the evening before. I was out for food and was not carrying my camera to capture the moments. Hence a short clip on my mobile phone camera instead.

Near the Maruti temple is the Fontainhas of Phoenix springs (I did not see these, but heard about them later). The spring water from the rocks is collected in tanks for use by the general population. The old quarter derives its name from here.

Fontainhas 

Fontainhas is named as such due to its location beside the hill "with little springs". It was built in the late 18th century on reclaimed land, between the AltinhO hill and Ourem Creek, during the Portuguese occupation of Goa. The Creek still exists, but as a stream of black water with an ominous smell unfortunately.
Walking through the narrow winding lanes between colourful villas with their hanging balconies, sloping red roofs, beautiful porches, past the simple whitewashed facade of the Portuguese baroque style churches, one is easily transported back to the colonial era. It was very similar to how I felt walking through the streets of old Macau for the first time. While I was soaking in the colonial charm, the unfamiliar sound of a foreign language startled me. I looked around and realised they were no visitors, but just the locals passing by, chatting in Portuguese.

I am sure there would be many secrets hiding within this old neighbourhood, but for now, I could only appreciate its ambience during my very short stay. The only surprise I got to sample was the food at Viva Panjim, probably the most famous Goanese restaurant in Panjim. It is tucked away in a small by lane in the old quarters.

The Peacock steps
Beautiful artwork amidst the Latin Quarters of Panjim. Was lucky to find this on my very first day in Panjim. The next morning, a big dump of construction material had landed right in front of it.

Altinho hill, the picturesque hilltop locality of Goa. 

Once considered a posh residential area, it houses the Portuguese consulate, the High court, the radio station (which I couldn't find) and then up the Archbishop stairs which lead, obviously, to the Archbishop house. Surrounded by greenery, this is the highest point on the hill. The Archbishop house is now an administrative building and has a quaint chapel within which can be visited.

Walking back from Altinho hill, encountered this beautiful piece of street art

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church

The pristine exteriors of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim was gleaming in the bright sun and had been beckoning me since I stepped into Altinho. It was time to visit this beautiful church.

What started as a chapel in 1541 is now an example of the Portuguese baroque style architecture, plain and simple in its design. Photography is not allowed inside, and as a first time experience, had to take off my shoes while entering a church. Different countries, different cultures, different rules.

The Old quarters at night

Finally, to end the day, here's some night photographs. I was with Vani who had arrived from Arambol in the afternoon and we had gone out for dinner.

Here's more about Vani - Arambol Diaries - Vani

We were pretty depressed after eating an overpriced, sub-par meal at the Ritz Classic and were trying to cheer ourselves up at the local fair. Vani bought a couple of dresses and I got a lovely peach coloured hand embroidered scarf. There was a fair amount of haggling involved.

On returning to the guesthouse, the owner laughed at us and said "No one goes for dinner to Ritz. It's only for lunch". Should have gone to Viva Panjim instead where I had a delicious meal the night before, while soaking in its beautiful ambience.

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Arambol diaries - La Sambusa Latina

It was during our stay in Hong Kong that Vani invited me to attend a live 'Gypsy Jazz' event.
You can read about the previous post from the series here - Arambol diaries - Vani

A group from Argentina would be playing at a pub in Central and she felt I would enjoy the evening. After work, we met at Central for food before heading out for the music. It was a ticketed event and the underground pub was brimming with people when we arrived. The lead singer came on stage with his ukulele and soon the foot tapping, soulful music started. The singing was inter spaced with circus acts playing to the tunes of Latino beats. The group called themselves 'La Sambusa Latina', a travelling circus band. The Hong Kong Swing Club members had joined in for the evening and it didn't take long for the evening to come alive.

During a break in the show, the band members came off the stage and mingled with the crowd. We started talking.
Thomas and Sebastian, the main group members are both Argentinians, but they couldn't come from any more diverse backgrounds. Thomas, the lead singer who was on the ukulele, is an engineer. He gave up his stable future in Argentina for this life of music, travel and uncertainty. Sebastian on the other hand had left his home ten years ago and has been on the road ever since. He travelled through Latin America picking up skills from other travellers he met on the road. Every skill he had now was learnt while travelling, including the trumpet and the juggling he was performing on the night. In those days he was learning to play the flute from a Greek guy he met in Hong Kong.

It was in Mexico that Tom and Seba had met the year before. With Tom's enthusiasm and passion for music, his management skills and Seba's diverse talents, the travelling circus band 'La Sambusa Latina' was formed.

Tom crooning as he strums on his ukulele

Seba entertaining with one of his acts

I had never met a travelling band before. The more I talked, the more intrigued I was. Given that the members are all travellers, the structure of the group is very dynamic to suit their lifestyle. As they travel, they pick up new band members who may be living or travelling in the area at that time, while members who had joined before may leave to continue on their journeys. This I realised is what makes the travelling bands so unique and keeps them fresh. Everywhere they travel, they are enriched with new talent and new learning. Tom and Seba had been travelling through South East Asia for last few months, staying in a country as long as their visa allowed. The drummer playing on the night had joined them in Malayasia and accompanied them to Hong Kong. Once their visa expired, they had plans to travel to China, possibly find new members on the way.

I have held a stable job for two decades, yet a holiday abroad has always required intense planning of my budget. Hence, I was curious about how they financed their travels and day to day living. And Hong Kong is an expensive city to live in.
I was unaware until then that travellers like Tom and Seba always have a worldwide community where they help each other out, where not everything is weighed in money. I had more to observe and learn during my stay in Arambol with them. In a place like Hong Kong where accommodation is the biggest concern for everyone, I was surprised to know that there is always a room to share somewhere within the community. Apart from that, there are gigs like the one I was attending and busking in prime tourist locations to raise money. They publicise themselves through word of mouth and in today's digital world, social media. Contacts are made and information is shared through their unique travel community that survives in the true spirit of brotherhood, of helping each other out, living through the thick and thin as a close knit worldwide community. Despite their limited finances, we came to know that just by mentioning we were with La Sambusa Latina at the gates of the pub, we could have gained free entry, such is the strong community feeling in their world.

Unbeknown to me, Vani was invited by Tom that night to play in one of their performances.
It was only later that I learned that the gigs Vani had been mentioning to me were with La Sambusa Latina. She loves her music as did Tom. Probably the life Tom had chosen was too tempting for her gypsy soul to resist. It didn't take her long to give up the professional career she had nurtured all these years for something she truly was passionate about.

In December, La Sambusa Latina was in India, in the gypsy town of Arambol, Goa.
Here is their Facebook page - La Sambusa Latina.

Vani and Tom in Arambol

They did pose for me too

A smaller group of La Sambusa Latina chilling before a performance

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