postcards from Goa
SO I've got a big test tomorrow that has me feeling anxious, nauseous, frightened, and about 10 other unpleasant emotions (yay for higher education.) But in an effort to not think about it too much, I temporarily distracted myself with this blogpost.
I've been sitting around with these photos of Goa for a while, which turns out is a good thing cause now I have the material for a quickie post. Perks of procrastination.
If you didn't know, Goa is a small state off the western coast of India, bordering the Arabian sea. It's famous for its beautiful beaches, spice farms, vast jungles, and rich history. We stayed at the Park Hyatt which was one of the most beautiful hotels/ resorts I have ever vacationed at. Random fact-- they had their own mini spice farm and vegetable garden where they grew ingredients used in their own restaurants.
Besides for relaxing at the hotel (their beach + pool were fabulous), we also visited some of the local public beaches and two of Goa's biggest cities, Panjim and Margao, to get a taste of the local culture. Goa is the only Indian state with a Portuguese history, and their influence is very much prevalent in the Goanese architecture and cuisine (the latter of which I admit to not being a fan of.)
It's also the home to numerous churches. Even though I'm not the most devout person, being Hindu and Indian are hand in hand for me. Obviously I am aware that people of all religions exist in India, but it was just a different experience to be in a place in India with much more religious diversity than I was used to. Especially coming from Kolkata where there's a temple or some figure of a deity on every street!
Anyways, here are my snaps from the few days we spent in Goa.
I've been sitting around with these photos of Goa for a while, which turns out is a good thing cause now I have the material for a quickie post. Perks of procrastination.
If you didn't know, Goa is a small state off the western coast of India, bordering the Arabian sea. It's famous for its beautiful beaches, spice farms, vast jungles, and rich history. We stayed at the Park Hyatt which was one of the most beautiful hotels/ resorts I have ever vacationed at. Random fact-- they had their own mini spice farm and vegetable garden where they grew ingredients used in their own restaurants.
Besides for relaxing at the hotel (their beach + pool were fabulous), we also visited some of the local public beaches and two of Goa's biggest cities, Panjim and Margao, to get a taste of the local culture. Goa is the only Indian state with a Portuguese history, and their influence is very much prevalent in the Goanese architecture and cuisine (the latter of which I admit to not being a fan of.)
It's also the home to numerous churches. Even though I'm not the most devout person, being Hindu and Indian are hand in hand for me. Obviously I am aware that people of all religions exist in India, but it was just a different experience to be in a place in India with much more religious diversity than I was used to. Especially coming from Kolkata where there's a temple or some figure of a deity on every street!
Anyways, here are my snaps from the few days we spent in Goa.