For the Portuguese, she was Golden Goa, the epicenter
of the Portuguese empire in Asia. The Portuguese were great church
builders, their desire to spread their faith an important motivation.
Little wonder then that modern day Goa is a quaint blend of the old and
the new, of Portuguese and Indian elements. It is also a land of great
variety - with its many churches and temples; Goa has a deeply religious
ambience which contrasts sharply with the highly hedonistic spirit
prevalent on her beaches.
Hindu temples are as much a part of Goa as are Christian monuments.
Large hotels and resorts co-exist with small hotels and paying guest
accommodations; fancy restaurants with casual cafes.
The people of Goa are very friendly and extremely happy-go-lucky. They
are fond of the good things in life and are certainly not caught up in
the rat race. Siesta is an important part of life in Goa with shops
downing their shutters from one to four the most Goans retiring for the
afternoon. Though the people of Goa are of different faiths and from
different cultural backgrounds, they have come together to create the
easygoing Goan culture with its emphasis on good living.
Food in Goa is a very serious matter and capitalizes on the range of
food products available here. Goa boasts of many different cuisines -
the Konkani, the Portuguese and the Bahamani Nawabi traditions. The
fruits of the sea are used lavishly in Goan food different types of
fish, prawns, mussels, oysters, crabs and many more.
