Sahakari Spice Farm

Oh hi! Another day, another scooter outing! This one was slightly more ambitious as we were on a round trip that would be nearly 50 miles, lol. It sure was breezy zipping long on our new scooter from Luximan. We thought that we had the general gist of Indian motoring, what with nearly all vehicles spelling out in hand painted carnival lettering 'horn please ok' on their rear bumpers. Sounding the horn was essential for all road manoeuvres...and maybe even more so on a scooter, for obvious reasons.

The roads were tarmacked and in reasonable condition, there were even some road signs that made sense. However along the way to the spice farm we were stopped by the police for overtaking on a bridge. Lol. Clearly a massive road trafficking offence in the grand scheme of things! We received a 100 rupee fine (one pound fifty pence) and some paperwork before getting back on our way. We also learnt that was okay for just the driver to be wearing a helmet...sweeeeet!

After negotiating various surprise speed bumps, sticking our fingers up to the Nestle India HQ (for Capel), we made it to the Sahakari Spice Farm, near Ponda. To our surprise and delight it was very busy with lots of Indian tourists making the most of the public holiday. We were greeted with a floral necklace (finally, although hardly South Pacific stylee) and a very refreshing lemon grass tea that we used to wash handful's of cashew nuts down with, lol.

Mmm, matted scooter hair and covered in dirt...oh yes, totally ready to listen to the tour.


Our guide was very cheerful, but clearly talked from a script that could not be deviated from. This made the tour a bit robotic. She also prescribed many remedies along the way (that involved combining spices), and dictated these in a very authoritative tone, insisting that the ailment would be cured within a week. This was all very amusing...

The pepper vine, from which black, white, red and green peppercorns are all derived.


Our guide described the betel nut as 'India's only legal drug' and more commonly known as 'paan'. Wiji didn't get to try it here, lol. When the guide asked for volunteers to try to climb the palm, (like the pro), the male element of the Indian crowd wasn't shy in coming forward, and everyone seemed to enjoy their vain attempts and even egged them on to try harder, lol.

The pro in action...It takes 15 years of growth before the palm will produce a betel nut.


He managed to make it look very easy as he actually swung from palm to palm!


Not a very good pic, but we were still marvelling that nutmeg and mace come from the same tree. Ok.


A vanilla orchid that needs to be pollinated by hand in Goa, because the insects that would do it naturally don't exist there.


The spice tour took us on through their show plantation and on to meet the elephants...

'Joy with elephant 600 rupees'...bargain! Whatever that meant?


I was totally mesmerised by my first close encounter, and consequently got left behind staring into the eye of this elephant...Wiji lost me in the tour group and returned to find me still stood by the elephant. After shouting my name for some time I snapped out of it and reluctantly rejoined the group...


One of the Mahout's.


Harvested betel nuts.


Our guide holding up the cashew nut apple next to the concrete pit where they stomp the fruit to a pulp with their feet before distilling it into the local hardcore liquor called 'Cashew Nut Fenny' .


The flowers of the vanilla orchid.


At the end of the tour our guide performed the traditional remedy for backache that locals use after a day working on the rice paddy, a ladle of ice cold water with almond oil poured down the spine...

Squealer!


Lmao, oooooh that is cold!


The tour also included lunch and a free tasting of the cashew nut fenny. Cheers Fenner! We both agreed that hard liquor was probs more like what you'd need after a day in the rice paddy! Wiji hoofs down two shots, much to the pleasure of our guide, and then washes it down with his current fave soft drink, Limca. False teeth for your 31st then, lol.


We later discover that the combination of the red pigment and a hot sweaty Wiji created a permanent dye...handy. We were given a free spice pack each, (betel nut not included).



The hanging offerings decorating the entrance.


A trad dance and song performed in the courtyard.


Our spice tour was fun, but quite info lite, it did put us in the mood to find out more and definitely go on a cookery course at a later date though. With that in mind we set off for the afternoon in search of two Hindu temples in the area. The first was relatively easy to find, and very busy, with bus loads of Indians arriving, buying trays of coconuts, bananas and marigolds as temple offerings and hot footing it through the temple gates. We whipped our shoes off to join them for a look around, and found that quite a lot of people were coming back for a second look at us!

The Shri Shantadurga Temple is dedicated to the goddess of the same name, the goddess of peace.


We were not allowed to take pics of the interior, some of the activities were televised inside to other worshippers. We watched as the offerings were handed over. The rooms were tiled and it was very cool inside on the marble floors.

'I hope my shoes are where I left them'... that was my main concern. Mmmm shoeless (and helmetless) on a scooter.


Something that we don't yet understand: the chariot like temple on wheels. This one was particularly stunning and newly painted. Undoubtedly hauled through the streets at some significant time...


Wiji found the lipstick's highly amusing.


Stopping for refreshments by the road. The stall owner told us that the old bottles, complete with marbles, were German...how they ended up there we couldn't really establish...


A rice paddy of calmness and elegant egrets. If you looked in the opposite direction there was a traffic jam of vehicles refusing to give way and everyone lent on the horn shouting and screaming, surrounded by plastic rubbish.


After travelling up and down some very quiet back roads in search of the giant figure of Ganesh on the hilltop, a women called from her balcony and pointed us further up the hill. We next came across two boys, probably about 7 years of age wearing shorts and knee socks with immaculate side partings. When we asked them were the temple was , one boy came forward and answered with a yes and a head wobble, charming as that was, it gave us no further help in finding the temple, so we drove on up the hill until the scooter would go no further with us both on it, lol. By this point we could see that we were going in the right direction...

The view from the top...


Jolly Ganesh, the god of good fortune and remover of obstacles. This seemed a fitting last stop on our scooter trip, as we were hoping for both on our safe journey home. It must have worked as we drove the wrong way up a dual carriageway for some time, ignoring waving pedestrians who we presumed were trying to sell us something, but were actually concerned for out safety! LMAO.

Panaji and Old Goa

Oh hi! While in Goa we made the short trip North to the town of Panaji, to see the Portuguese quarter and the various temples in near-by Old Goa. We were pleasantly surprised by how many of the old buildings that had not only survived, but had also been restored.

The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, was consecrated in 1541 and is the central point of the town and looked gorgeous at night when it was delicately illuminated.


Looking into the centre of Panaji. The traffic looks positively calm here... how deceptive! It was, of course, everyone for themselves.


We naturally got on it immediately and did a 'Wiji walking tour', checking out some of the random concrete monuments and eating the trad Goan dish 'xacuti', (a spicy curry with coconut milk) along the way at Viva Panjim. The waiters grinned at us sooo much it nearly made me hysterical... they were just eager to please.

The climax of the walking tour was the Maruti Temple dedicated to the monkey God Hanuman.



The hillside setting provided great views over Panaji and the Mandovi river. During our stay we returned here many times to appreciate the views and the tranquillity...




Hotel Venite and its tiny balconies was the perfect place to watch the world go by, day and night.


The Portuguese arrived in Goa in 1510 and took control of the Eastern spice route. The Portuguese occupation finally came to an end as late as 1961, when the Indian army marched into Goa. We read in the local news paper that Hotel Venite was part of the heritage trail that locals are keen to preserve.


On our second and third days in Panaji we hired a scooter from a guy called Luximan, outside the post office. This inadvertently coincided with a 2 day public holiday and some very busy roads. We set off for Old Goa and a bit of sightseeing with everyone and their granny it seemed. That said it was a very exciting and breezy way to to experience India, if a bit hair raising at times...

Here he is outside our lovely guesthouse! Wiji managed to come up with all sorts of reasons for us to be going out on the scooter...Again! Again!


Old Goa was rammed with Indian tourists, who demonstrated zero common sense or good manners when they shoved each other about to get through a very small turnstile. It was fun to watch mind.


On sale in the mid day sun...cast wax limbs, heads, bodies and candles. This box of delights was carefully sprinkled with water by the old man selling them.


The Basilica of Bom Jesus was first up for a look see. Construction began in 1594 and was completed in 1605, most likely by Indian workers. Inside was the tomb of St Francis Xavier who, in 1541 was given the task of spreading Christianity among the Portuguese colonies. Inside it was packed and someone was shouting into a microphone 'No photos of the people, SILENCE!' Over the din of all the Indian tourists with their camera phones...




We particularly liked this pulpit covered in morbid looking cherubs.


Across the road was the Convent and Church of St Francis Assisi...


Inside the floor was paved with old carved grave stones complete with family coats of arms from the 16th century.




And a few fresco's still remained.


Jesus Christo with Wiji legs and beardo, according to the Wiji.


Outside, a man painting into the carved lettering, with his friend holding the paper he was copying from.


We motored on, Old Goa seemed to be a town made entirely of huge, imposing churches, we had a few to get around...

The chapel of St Anthony...


Church of St Augustine, or what is left of it, was constructed by Augustine Friars in 1602. The Portuguese governments repressive policies resulted in the eviction of many religious orders in Goa and the churches were left to waste. The ruined 46m tower was quite a sight. When we arrived several organised groups of Indian women were putting down gravel paths and beds of plants in the blistering heat. The broken architectural remains were arranged into groups.


Wiji felt this scene was very Portuguese.


Back at The chapel of St Anthony...'Hairy Biker Bake Off', LOL!


The Church of St Cajetan.


On the way back from The Chapel of St Anthony we passed a massive boat builders yard...


And a very busy rubbish dump, with the now familiar sight of cow's chomping through cardboard. Here there was also some dainty white egrets and massive crows...


And a whole family of dogs.


Later we whizzed off up the hillside near the monkey temple to explore the winding back roads. There was some pretty swanky housing...


Looking back across Panaji from behind the monkey temple...


Concrete modern Panaji...


'Errr maybe we could go....out on the scooter?!'


Hotel Venite's impressive doorway.


Two of our fave houses on the hill... The man who lived behind these came over especially to tell us that none of the historical buildings could be knocked down...and to be really careful on the scooter, ahhh thanks!


My personal fave ruin on the hill. All the derelict historical buildings had there own security guard. Just as well, as I was sure that my 9ft table would fit into a room here. There were several old frangipani trees in the garden too...perfect.





Just as we were admiring the house above, a young man crossed the road to come and get a better look at us. I didn't see him at first, but got a real fright when I turned around and he was right next to me grinning. Wiji's beardo was a source of fascination as much as anything, lol.


Another Sunday and everything was closed 'hey lucky we have the scooter, love!' Wiji drove and I played I spy, and found a brilliant Veggie restaurant. It had so many fans blowing the air about it was a bit like being in a Maria Carey video.


There were lots of shrines all over Panaji, this wasn't the most aesthetically impressive, but it had blackened the house nicely.


After Panaji we then went on to Anjuna for a few days. Later we returned to Panaji to sort out a train to Hampi. On our last day in Panaji we spotted this construction with men hanging off the lashed bamboo scaffolding.


In the bus terminal there were lots of flower sellers. Marigold flowers are used as offerings at the temples...


And strung with chrysanthemums. I will never look at these 'old people flowers' in the same way again! Begonias...I still hate them.


Getting train tickets (at the bus station) involved purchasing a numbered ticket for the queue for 10 rupees. The man who sold Wiji the ticket grumpily assured him there were no places on the train we were after, but we knew the routine, and he was just being unhelpful. For 10 rupees we then waited in a very small, but thankfully aircon'd room with a lot of men and not enough seating. We were initially behind 74 other people in the number queue, but got a bunk up from a French couple who gave us their ticket after they had waited for an hour. That meant that we had only 11 people in front of us and 15 minutes before the office closed for lunch, Lol. Luckily most people had gone the way of the French and given up...Oh but not us! We actually got in there and left with a ticket for the train. Lucky!

Many layers.


And on the last night a massive precession took place, passing under our window, we watched the trays of offerings (fruit and flowers) being laid on one side and emptied off the other side into baskets. It was all accompanied with a band and PA system. I was in quarantine with a massive trout pout allergic reaction to summat though, so had to watch it from the window for fear of scaring everyone. Wiji had managed to time the emergency visit to the pharmacy with a Doctor being there and came back with some pokey antihistamines that meant I was smacked off my tits in no time and out like a light. Goodnight Panaji....