6 November 2010

VIVA PORTUGAL

Goa,India

what ?

i think i am kidnapped.

Viva Portugal ?

where am i ?

My kidnappers have brought me to Portugal ?
i don't even have a passport, i would be arrested here. No one would pay even ten rupees ransom for me. i would soon get on the nerves of my kidnappers. i keep nagging always and i smoke, i'll tell them boring stories, i would laugh at their dress, their beliefs, and their food habits

what ? you are my kidnapper and you are a vegetarian ? How funny ? get me a beef steak

Goa,India

oh deeah ! i am in sunny Lisbon, all white people, i am indeed in trouble.

i don't trust you, i tell my kidnappers

why wouldn't you trust me ?

bikkass you are wearing a ghastly tie, look at your shirt, ugh ! is that a shirt or you tore off a curtain from somebody's window ?
oh deeah ! look at your pot belly, go jog, i really pity the tailor who makes clothes for you, don't walk with me, stay away.
and you are not qualified enough to be my kidnapper, you can't locate Portugal in the map ? go back to school get some fresh education

get rid of this idiot they would say
So the kidnappers would give me money and send me back home, though i am not expensive to maintain. i am a CHEAP MAN.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

oh Portugal is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here My kidnapper friend

you are not in Portugal you idiot, my kidnapper says


Goa,India

Hey look ! This is not Portugal, this is India, look at the cow running on the road
where else you would find cows running on the roads ?
Muuuwa Muuuwa, can i go now ?

Push him out of the car, says my kidnapper, he is getting on my nerves.

Goa,India

i was not kidnapped, i was in Goa. on the western coast of India. Obviously some one made Viva Portugal stickers for football world cup and people bought them.
they all wanted Portugal to win. Goa was a Portuguese colony until 1961 (please correct me if i am wrong)
Taking a walk in Panjim is like walking in some sunny small Portuguese town.


Goa,India

Goa,India


Many old buildings here, though not in good condition. 
in the picture below
Lorenco Afonso the Gents tailor still in business ? i can see some one walking in.
oh deeah ! the building is falling apart.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India


Aleluia Menezes ? Must be a Portuguese name. and he is a key maker
A key maker is a person who makes keys. Looks like a very very old establishment.
And here is Pedro Fernades, the music shop and Inocencio Fernades. wonder what he sells. Had no time to walk in to find out.


Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

oh a beautiful house. walls pillars and grills have stories to tell you. Only the hot stinging sun reminds you that you are in India. Goa is clean, lot cleaner than rest of India and more beautiful than Kerala. Similar landscape. Similar climate.


Goa,India


Goa,India


Goa,India

Shot from a speeding train. This is just like Kerala, its on the same coast. Its the names of places roads buildings  and the attitude of the people's which makes all the difference, quite opposite of Kerala. Locals are very friendly and eager to help and direct you. They'll drown you with details The only problem is there are more tourists than the locals, you may stop and seek directions from a tourist. They locals have time for you and they guide you properly. This man is walking with a guide book on India and a local stops to guide him.


Goa,India

Goa,India


Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India


the roads are beautiful, in good condition and clean. Very green. Goa is a small state, you can't get lost. Public transport is mostly privatised. Not very good.
Long distance buses are government owned (hardly any long distance as Goa is a small state) But you can hire a scooter or a motorbike for 200 rupees a day which is quite reasonable. Most of the foreign tourists who have an Indian or international drivers license hire scooters to go around. Nobody really stops you to check, the foreign tourists are free to roam around.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India


if you don't have a drivers license you can always engage a biker as a taxi, you go as a pillion for half the rates of an auto (three wheeler) Goa is the only place in India where you can get motor bike taxis. Tourists find it very cheap.


Goa,India


Goa,India

Buses are small and always crowded. Though rest of India discarded its colonial past the Goans are still clinging on to it. Women dressed in western outfits like in the picture above is a common sight. Woman in an Indian shalwar khamees looks on


Goa,India

Goa,India


By and large Goans are Catholics. 
Goans, Goans ?? like Indians, Americans, 
English Irish Ish Ish  Goaish  ?? doesn't sound good, 
Englanders Irelanders, Swiss ? Swissish, Switzerlander, Hollandish ?? Londoner, New Yorker i am a Hamburger. i come with fries.

Goans sounds nice, i like it. yes Goans are mostly Catholics. Very religious. lots of Churches in the small state. Mostly Portuguese style of architecture. Some in ruins, in an abandoned state.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

This was shot from the train late in the evening. This old Church is simply majestic.
i went there at a wrong time, pictures are not good, sorry, and i was in a hurry, friends were waiting outside.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India


The board says do not photograph persons. This is India. You can't take pictures without people in it. If you want to take pictures of the clouds you will find people sitting there, some chaps selling peanuts or tea coffee.


Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

there are a few Hindu temples as well, not very old and not much history there.
But the locations are beautiful

Goa,India


Goans love fish. They eat fish every day. Sea food is offered everywhere. it is difficult to spot a pure vegetarian restaurant.So for the locals fishing is a major occupation.


Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

i can spend weeks just taking pictures of old colonial houses.


Goa,India

Goa,India

This is in Vasco da Gama, named after the Portuguese explorer navigator. Google the name and read about him.


Goa,India

Goa,India

The locals speaak English very well. so you will not be talking to a tree. the local language is Konkani. And Konkani music is very lively, mostly with western instruments. Do you remember George Baker Selection ? Konkani music sounds something like that. And Goans love to dance.

my journey was comfortable. i was traveling with Rajkumar, very pleasant company. We took Konkan Railway. took a few pictures standing by the door.


Goa,India

Goa,India

Photobucket

Photobucket

The train goes through many tunnels on konkan railway. Both sides are very scenic. Mist greeted us in Goa early morning.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

its pretty warm actually, looks cold in the pictures. You can see that the children are not wearing any warm clothes. Gets pretty hot in the day. there is no winter here.
Gets pleasant by December. That is when the tourists come flooding into Goa. But Goa is a tourist's paradise all the time all 365 days. June to September is the rainy season. You'll find lots to buy, spices, silk, herbs, herbal soaps shampoos, tea with different flavours.
Haven't tried any of them myself.


Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

you have to bargain a lot. Lots of things to buy. Even a tourist with a tight budget can afford them. Then we come to why tourists come to Goa.
Mostly for the beaches, some like me for its Portuguese colonial history.
Goa can boast of some very picturesque and romantic beaches in the world.

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

Goa,India

But you will not find crystal clear emerald green waters here in Goa. Gets pretty crowded by evenings. i missed the sunset pictures. In fact i missed a lot of Goa. This was my 4th or the 5th visit, the pictures i took 15 years ago were lot better than these. my first visit with a digital. Have to go there again. Perhaps in February to watch the Goa Carnival. Sorry the pictures are bad. Most of the pictures were taken from a moving car.
Be silly, be stupid and be foolish
enjoy your life
all my love

Previous Post : Bad Moon Rising

88 comments:

Ruth said...

Wow. This is my first time seeing Goa. In fact when you said you were going to Goa and I looked it up on a map, it was the first time I knew it was a state! All the Portuguese history is so interesting. Claudia and João might also know about this place and the history, and they could tell us what some of the signs say. I learned "obrigada" (thank you, it's "obrigado" for men) and a few other things from them. The architecture is just fascinating! Even the buildings that are falling apart are beautiful.

With all the Westerners there, I must be the only one who hasn't heard about Goa. And I'm surprised at the western dress of the Indian women too!

I laughed at the part about not taking pictures of persons when you said you can't take a picture in India without a person in it. Are those dates in someone's hand?

I love the scenic countryside, people gathering grain or something. Beautiful pictures, rauf, of beautiful places. I was so happy to see a post this morning.

Ruth said...

Oh, I meant to say obrigada, rauf.

Vishesh said...

read about how Christianity was forced on the people...how India invaded etc..

Should visit the place..but going to Kerala in Dec. might travel TN(ya like the entire state) on work...

sonia a. mascaro said...

Hi Rauf!
What a great photo reportage you did here about Goa!
Love always your pictures and love also your text that is so witty and with a large sense of humour.

Have a pleasant weekend!

And thanks also for your nice comment on my blog.

Linda Sue said...

EXCELLENT! This post will give me something to look at for a very long time! I will revisit over and over! I think your photos are wonderful!

freefalling said...

"A key maker is a person who makes keys".
Lucky you told us or I'd still be wondering!:)

My favourite photo is of the people tending their crop of ??? yellow stuff. The squares are so neat with little green borders. But two fellows are sitting down on the job.
I also like very much the previous photo of the silhouetted little boats on the shimmery water with the dense green forest behind them.
What are those two fellows doing in that boat?

Ladies clothes in India are always so beautiful and colourful. I wish I could wear Indian clothes.
I have nice brown skin and dark hair and brown eyes and I like bangles - do you think people might think I look Indian?

The buildings are very beautiful.
I love the grass growing from the rooftops and the mossy stuff that grows on the walls.

And I would LOVE to have a look at that spice market - so many things to learn about and to try.
I would especially like to try pineapple tea.
Do you drink tea, Rauf?
I love tea.

I have heard about Goa. I think many young Australians visit there.
It certainly looks very appealing from your photos....but I'm not sure about all the tourists there!

Vagabonde said...

Do not be too humble I think your pictures are very very good. I like the one of the church floor – no people in it… I always wanted to go to Portugal from the time I heard the “fado” music and finally went to Lisbon a couple of years ago.
When my daughter told me she was marrying a guy whose family was from Kerala and I looked the area up I decided to make sure to visit Goa if I ever went to India (as well as Pondicherry.) I bought a couple of books on it. We may go to India in January 2012, inshallah, as my father would say, even though he was not a Muslim (but an Armenian brought up in Istanbul.) I know what you mean about Goa, and Kerala, being Catholic. When my first grandson was born my son-in-law’s family insisted that he be christened. Of course everyone had to wear Indian clothes. I chose an outfit at the Indian store in Atlanta, but found out that I had chosen something from the North of India – well I liked it better. My daughter was in a beautiful read sari and the tiny tot in an Indian christening outfit. The food afterward was tremendous – much better than in any local Indian restaurant. Well you have whetted my appetite even more for Goa with yours pictures.

rauf said...

EEEEEEEEE Obrigadee RUTH, that sounds better than obrigada for women. How about Obrigadum for men ?
Obrigadee Obrigadum would make a nice song like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

oh i have to go to Daman and Diu further up on the coast Ruth, they are lesser known colonies of Portugal. Goa is a famous tourist destination of India, mostly for its romantic beaches. Comes in top 10, 10th place. Tope 3 are Delhi Bombay (Maharashtra) and Tamil Nadu
Delhi actually includes tourists visiting Taj Mehl which is in Uttar Pradesh. You have to land in Delhi to go to Taj Mehl. And you have to land in Bombay to go to Goa, 30 minute flight. Goa has its own small airport but not suitable for international flights.

The harvest pictures were shot from the train Ruth, as we were approaching Goa.

rauf said...

ideas, philosophies and religions have always been shoved down the throats of the unwilling all over the world VISHESH and it is going on even today. Ireland and South America have seen the worst of all the invasions, where even the local languages were wiped out.

Visiting Kerala during Sabrimala season is a big pain Vishesh.

Rià said...

Loved the pics and Goa is one of my favorite beach destinations in India. :) Have been there thrice with different set of ppl, enjoyed it the most when i had been there with friends. Will be going there next week. I am sure i will love it!

rauf said...

Thank you SONIA. it is always a pleasure to visit your blog and i enjoy the content and the pictures immensely.

rauf said...

Always welcome LINDA SUE i would always look forward to your visits and your contribution. Thank you so much.

PeterParis said...

What wonderful reading and watching! Don't worry I really like your photos, but maybe even more your comments! :-)

I spent my summer holidays in the European Portugal, but you really made me wish to visit also the Indian version. I had almost booked a trip to India lately, but had to cancel. One day I just MUST do it!

rauf said...

VAGABONDE, Even the people who don't believe in God, who have lived in any Islamic country for a short period say Insha-Allah , good word, means God willing.

You would feel at home in Goa more than Kerala Vagabonde. Landscape climate is nearly the same, lot cleaner. Kerala is a bit suffocating, nothing wrong with the place, its beautiful everywhere. The attitude and indifference of the people makes lot of difference. its little hard to keep your humour intact. You are fine if you avoid interaction with the locals in Kerala. Goa is freedom. Absolute joy. You see happy faces everywhere. Religion or politics don't interfere with tourism. Little time for God and rest of the time to enjoy.

You would be having a plane or a train ticket on your hand but you are not sure of leaving Kerala. There are sudden flash strikes, everything comes to a grinding halt. No life on the roads. They are called 'Bandh'. And there are frequent Bandhs every month in Kerala for some reason or the other, you are stranded. you have to tear off your tickets and pray. No such disease in Goa.

You get all kinds of food in Goa, European Chinese, Mexican apart from Indian, and they take care that it is not too spicy, because they are dealing with tourists 365 days a year. December January February is the peak season, stay becomes a very expensive, gets cheaper rest of the year. You'd enjoy your stay in Goa Vagabonde. i would recommend Kerala also but with some precautions. There are quite a few forests in Kerala, offering peace and quiet. Goa cannot boast of much wild life, as it is a small state. Cheerful locals make all the difference. i was stranded in Kerala 9 times so far due to flash strikes, i love Kerala nonetheless and i take precautions.

rauf said...

Sweet LETTY GIRL, remember i told you about two Australian girls i met in the train and asked them about Ararat ? They were going to Goa too. Then i met another Australian family, husband wife and a little boy who paid a big amount for an elephant ride. Met them after they paid otherwise i would have bargained for them. Any way they enjoyed the elephant ride specially the little one.

i think all the people in this world are as dumb as i am. So i had to explain. see ? Now you know what a key maker is.

The squares are paddy fields Lettys and they were harvesting, pictures was taken from the train and the previous one too. i think those two are practicing martial arts on the boat ? Karate practice ? Thai dance paps ?

oh yes i would not be surprised if a local stops you to seek directions and speaks to you in Hindi. Your dark skin is not our dark skin Lettys, still you would be fair among the fairest of Indians. The post was getting too long and had to chop many shopping pictures where you can get some lovely stuff, bangles jewelry, hats clothes. which the locals can afford. i bought a colourful bag for my friend, a small blue jazzy box for her little daughter.

yes i love tea Lettys, but i have black coffee all the time, rest of the family takes tea. In one of the pictures you'll see some thing labeled 'memory tea' The guy who was selling it wasn't sure what it was. He gave me some vague talk and i did not believe any tea could improve my rotten memory.

rauf said...

Next week is fine RIA, by December everything gets multiplied by 4, stay, tourists and Food in some famous restaurants. Climate is nice now, not too hot. Beaches are fine early mornings, no crowd, sunsets are fun but crowded. i stayed near Baga beach, beautiful it was. i think this beach is least crowded. Some very expensive hotels in fort Aguada offer peace and quiet, never been there, can't afford, i am a sadak chaap.
Enjoy your holiday Ria.

rauf said...

Thank you PETER, Difficult to spend your summer here like Portugal, gets too hot. You can spend your winter in Goa gets very pleasant by then. You'd be surprised to find some people speaking French here, since this is a tourist destination. Lots of French tourists who come to Goa after visiting Pondicherry, which has a similar colonial past. There have been a few skirmishes between the French and the Dutch on the eastern coasts. Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese stuck to the western coast.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous place Goa! Loved the old buildings..so much charm. You are right about Konkan railways--one of the best routes. Took that route to Mumbai once. Cant wait to see Goa with my own eyes but also feel lucky to see the place through your eyes.
Thanks! Rauf.
e2d

freefalling said...

Yes, you are right. My brown skin is not your brown skin. My brown skin is kinda yellowy, reddy brown - must be my 1/16 chinese bit. But it does get fairly dark.
Look here-my legs were very brown
http://freefallingskyward.blogspot.com/2007/05/sweet-dreams-are-made-of-this.html

My poor mum has whitey white skin with freckles which in Australia with all our sun is bad news - when we were little and our parents took us to the beach, she used to go crispy like bacon. She used to have sit under the beach umbrella.
Look, here she is under the umbrella with me - looks happy, doesn't she?
http://freefallingskyward.blogspot.com/2007/05/me-moom.html

Don't drink too much coffee, Rauf.
You will get high blood pressure.
Do you have sugar in your coffee?

rauf said...

E2DEES, The best thing about Goa is, there are no Bandhs. if you read my response to Vagabonde, few comments above, you would be very angry with me. But i have stated facts. You would ask me why i go to Kerala so very often ? Most of my posts in Daylight Again are about Kerala. And most of the pictures i post on other blogs are taken in Kerala.

please cross the Konkan section after Manglore in daylight. i think all the three times i have seen only one side from the train.
i have not seen the coastal side. i have heard a lot about Karwar, comes 22 KMs before Madgaon station of Goa. Please see Karwar on Google images. It has many small islands, must be beautiful and a lot cheaper than Goa. i'll go there when i get some money to travel.

rauf said...

RUTH, sorry i missed your question. No they are not dates. It is some kind of medicinal nut. the chap says a little of it causes drowsiness. And the whole nut can cause death. This is added to herbal pain killers, used as a tranquiliser also.

rauf said...

oh your mom does not have a big head LETTYS, what were you and your friend dancing to ? Village people ? UB40 ? I love Annie Lennox too, yes she's a bit odd. She got better and better, odder and odder. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

You look cute Lettys. No still i don't agree with you. You are not dark. that picture is a bit dark. Sweet in yellow dress. You want to be dark and we want to be fair.
i'll be writing about our obsession of looking fair. All men want to marry only fair girls. And there is a flood of fairness creams commercials on TV, very sick it is. what is wrong with dark skin ? Dark is lovely too. yea i'll be writing about it, another annoying post.

You see, tattoos don't come out well on dark skins. You will not see many Indians with tattoos. not a good bussiness here. During Victorian period, yes yes the same old lady i am talking about, your state of victoria, looking pale was a fashion. Can you believe ladies used to take arsenic in small doses to look pale ?. For a 6 o clock show you start getting ready at 2 ? i saw the dressing and undressing in a movie, there were so many contraptions under the dress. And they needed the help of a few maids to get dressed and to undress. You can't come running in to the room and fall on the bed and you can't rush to the toilet in a hurry. tough life for the aristocracy. i think men used to apply some powder to look pale.

i have heard of skin cancer problems in Australia. No such problem for darker skin. but we have pigmentation problem, some parts of skin get darker or some lighter, looks pretty bad. No cure yet.

yes i drink a lot of coffee Lettys, no sugar, bitter coffee, i love it. i am not diabetic, Sister makes wonderful tea, our tea is famous. i have tea twice a day. i don't know if i have high blood pressure or diabetes, i never had any check up. Hate dem doctors Lettys, never been to a doctor for over 30 years. i smoke very strong tobacco, but i smoke only when i am alone. Does that make me any healthy ? i don't take any medicine when i fall sick, i wait for my body to heal itself. i have time, no hurry, one day it will not heal that would be the end of me. i found one chap who agrees with me please read this article in our local news paper Lettys.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article871055.ece

mystic rose said...

I would LOVE to go spend a few days in Goa!! Like right now. :) Warm sea coast places have such a relaxed feeling about them, and the people always seem so easy going.

PS: I love this post too, all the pictures. But they seem kind of old in coloring, is it just the light ?

rauf said...

Take a Carribean cruise MYSTIC ROSE, closer to you. Children would love it. I think You went to Hawaii with the family the year before last ??. That is half way across the world from NYC. Go straight and turn left you'll find Goa. The beaches are not emerald green like Hawaii. But they are nice and romantic.

i don't know about the pictures Mystic Rose, they are lighter this time, too sunny, normally i post darker pictures. Perhaps you have a new flat monitor or a new laptop paps ??

mystic rose said...

perhaps its just the bright yellows and oranges, I
m not at all used to those colors anymore. they make everything seem so intense and warm.

Tall Guy said...

Great Pictures of Goa

Its nice to see you back

Anonymous said...

well I would agree to most of what you have said on Kerala. I hate "Bandhs" too-causes nothing but inconveniences to people.

As for the people, I think they get nicer and sweeter starting from Thrissur and moving further North. I am blatantly passing broad sweeping judgments here. So do not take me seriously. :)
e2d

Quint said...

Indeed VIVA PORTUGAL but I'm not quite sure if Portugal deserves to be cheered.

I'm Portuguese and I feel we shouldn't be either much proud or much ashamed of our past History. We did bad things and certainly good things.

Goa is a perfect example of how a country that once was great didn't understand the path of History forcing India to take back what belonged to India and also how nowadays we ignore that we should be helping locals who still want to feel a little bit Portuguese by having a much more active role in Culture and Social work there.

As for your photos, Monsoon Dreams was quite right: they are unique!

Claudia said...

Oh my goodness, rauf, I can't believe I was too busy to have seen this wonderful post! I'll have to come back to it several times, it has so much to offer!

Your photos are stunning - as ever - and made me want to visit Goa even more (I've dreamnt of going ever since I can remember, some friends of my great-aunt lived there for a while and I grew up listening to wonderful tales about the place).

Your text is superb as are your comments. You should publish a book of travel chronicles!!! I would queue for hours to buy it and have it autographed by you!

I wish I had more time to properly follow the etiquette of blogging you and Ruth follow! Some days I don't seem to find 5 minutes all to myself. I love my life most of the time but I wish the day had 25 hours.

By the way, Portugal is not too bad a place to be kidnapped in: there's hardly a more relaxed and chaotic country in Europe... And the light and weather are by far the best in the whole world (I'm not being partial or anything ahahaha).

Also, I'm not neither proud nor ashamed of Portugal's role in colonial history but I am extremely proud of my country's contribution to science, technology and enlightment in the 15th and 16th centuries.

OBRIGADA for a wonderful post and for blogging!

rauf said...

Some tourists are standing under coloured umbrellas MYSTIC ROSE
i am not particularly happy with the pictures of this visit. i was taking pictures at the wrong time. But that is not an excuse for bad pictures mystic Rose. i wanted to spend more time at the old Churches old colonial buildings, but my friends had other plans

rauf said...

Thank You YOGESH, hope you are doing fine

rauf said...

You have to generalise if you have bad experience 9 times out of ten E2DEES, For me every visit to Kerala is a new or fresh visit and i forget the past easily not a right thing to do, only pleasant memories remain. Why else i would go to Kerala over and over again e2dees ?
Have many bitter and sweet stories to tell you

rauf said...

QUINT, Thankfully this is not my usual unpleasant and annoying post. Welcome to Daylight Again. Next post would be very unpleasant for us Indians.

Any invader does not carry a bunch of beautiful flowers for the locals Quint. India is a bit different. All invaders fell in love with India. They stayed long here. India was repeatedly invaded for 365 days of sunshine, fertile land and abundance of water, which is dwindling now. Time to wake up.
Invaders have contributed a lot for the benefit of the locals. There have been brutal imposition of their ideas as well. the land, the natural wealth was plundered.
The reason Portuguese stayed longer here was abundance of Iron ore.

India after gaining independence is doing the same. Now the multinationals and our own corporates with the help of our corrupt politicians are plundering
like before.

rauf said...

Do you have same style of architecture in Portugal CLAUDIA ? i thought of you when i spotted the 'viva Portugal' taxi.

history is not a pleasant subject to read Claudia. Not everything was bad, otherwise we wouldn't be here and there would've been no 2010 AD. Like it is said that worst enemy of women are women themselves. There is more racism and more plundering in India now. Indians are the worst enemies of India. After Independence India lost a 37% of forest area. 40% of India was forest before independence Claudia. Only 3% left. Invaders did not damage to the extent we Indians did to the country.

Everybody wants to write a book and everybody wants to make a movie. i was with a friend in a book store, saw a pile of unsold books on discount and told my friend that i have given up the idea of writing a book.

please don't bother about blog etiquette dear Claudia. i picked up this word from somewhere, i don't use it in my normal conversation and i forgot the spelling, i copied yours. Please focus on the family. that should be your first priority.

Sam (Samrita Kapoor) said...

The photographs you have taken are just jaw-dropping in a good way! I really like their size and clarity, am even a bit surprised that you were allowed to take 'some' of the photographs that you took... :P

elizabeth said...

Dear Rauf
what a post!!!
wonderful, wonderful.
I was just in Italy but now I want to go to GOA
straight away
today

your pictures are a pure delight
I will buy some "MEMORY TEA" -it will be good for me

hope you are well and happy.
We have a little grandson

sending greetings and love from New York

Sewmouse said...

Hello, Rauf!

More beautiful photographs of beautiful India. National Geographic Society should hire you. You have an excellent eye.

Some day I will get a passport and go travelling. There are a few places I really want to see up close and in person - and I think Goa just made the list. That group of market photos is just delicious, and I am coveting the blanket/quilt/tapestry/??? with the many-colored elephants on it. So bright, so happy, so beautiful!

Marie said...

très beau reportage, avec de belles photos de matières et d'architectures.

rauf said...

i am very arrogant SAMRITA, modesty is not one of my virtues, if i have any. i talk like John MacEnroe, please believe me. i was not happy with this set of pictures. These are just ordinary pictures and they are not good. i was taking pictures at wrong times. i was with my friends. We were rushing everywhere. Many pictures were taken from a moving car. When i travel alone i walk. You notice a lot when you walk and more over, i can't afford hiring cars.

Welcome to Daylight Again Samrita. And i am quite reluctant to call you Sam as Samrita is such a beautiful name.

you want to know how i was allowed to take some pictures. You are quite familiar with Indian scene. Where ever you turn your camera you get people in your view finder. You want to take a picture of a beautiful sunset, but you'll find a chai wala or a chana wala selling chai chana sitting on the setting sun. You can't avoid them. i don't treat them as disturbance. i happily include them in the pictures. i present India Samrita, pleasant and unpleasant, chaotic, peaceful, romantic, clean or dirty.
all the extremes of India. One thing you have to remember Samrita, we Indians love to be in the pictures even if we don't get to see them.

if you get some time please watch the end of this video, please skip first half of it. (from Jodhpur 1947)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKqVgK1nY2M&feature=related

rauf said...

i do not know what exactly is the memory tea ELIZABETH, The man at the counter gave me some vague explanation which as usual i did not understand but i nodded my coconut in full appreciation. i have very limited understanding and poor memory which has nothing to do with my growing old.

You have been to India Elizabeth, i think the attitude of Indians is similar to the Italians, unnecessary details arguments and interference. Italy of course is lot cleaner. What i know about Italy comes from the movies. i loved Italian landscapes in the movie 'Only you' with Marissa Tomei, my favourite, and Robert Downey Jr. i know where the pizza Ferrari and alfa Romeo come from. Nothing more. Did you go to Juliet's house in Verona ? Have seen Venice in many movies. in 'A little Romance' Dianne Lane was a small girl, one of the last movies of Lawrance O'livier. i love movies shot in France and Italy.

Right time to go to Goa is in December January and February. It gets very expensive for Indian tourists though. i go off season always Elizabeth. But you'll find foreign tourist all through the year even in the monsoon season June to September. Safe place for the tourists, only one unfortunate incident involving a British tourist, but that shouldn't discourage you. i am all movies Elizabeth. The opening sequences of the 2nd in Jason Bourne trilogy, i think it was 'Bourne Supremacy' were shot in Goa. the place where the hired Russian killer shoots the girl, what's her name ? yes Franka Potente, the car runs off the bridge and gets drowned.

rauf said...

what ? You don't have a passport SEW ? Me too don't have a passport. but it is not shocking, only a fraction of Indians have passports here.

i tell you something Sew, with the money you have to spend paying your heating bills, you can travel for 4 months in India in great comfort. spend this winter in India Sew. You'll be sick for first few days and then you'll get used to the food.

i bought a small one for my friend, green, and it is so cheap, all hand made tapestry, the big one you see in the picture costs only 200 rupees, how much is that ? 5 dollars ? yes, less than that.. First they'll demand 50 dollars, you have to bargain. but i don't like to bargain much on artistic work Sew, they have to be paid for their art and efforts. unfortunately all the money you pay does not reach the craftsmen or craftswomen. mostly craftswomen. Middleman takes a big cut. You understand what goes behind those tapestries Sew. You know the efforts and labour behind it. You'd love the things sold on the pavements on Goa and Rajasthan. Lots of cheap jewelry Sew, stones and all.

Anonymous said...

large Goans are Catholics wrong info
large Goans are Hindus search Google
ther are less temples in goa compare to church because portuges destroyed
may hindu temples to build church

Anonymous said...

large Goans are Catholics?
Christianity in Goa is just 25%
and Hinduism is 65%
search Wikipedia

rauf said...

Merci MARIE

rauf said...

Thank you for the correction Anonymous. After the Tourist boom which started in the late 60s and early 70s, many outsiders settled in Goa.

Müge said...

Fascinating photo-reportage! Dear Rauf, I'm glad I've discovered your blog! :)

monsoon dreams said...

RAUF EEEE,
I posted a comment,but i don't know where it disappeared!I'd love to visit Goa dee.Will u take me?(so i can learn ur photography secrets;-)

rauf said...

there are no secrets MONSOON DREAMS, perhaps you were hungry while posting the comment and you ate it. Sure, I'll take you to Goa and Karwar.

Shaista said...

One more ticket with Monsoon Dreams so I can come visit Goa too please?? I lived in India 15 years and only went to Mahableshwar, Madh Island, and Kihim. What were my parents thinking?!!! I feel so uneducated about my homeland. Now I have English friends describing in great detail their trips to Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Goa.. too depressing!!

rauf said...

Dear SHAISTA, India has progressed a lot in various fields in the past 15 years. i am not very proud of that as we have dreadfully low standards of hygiene and basic amenities are still very poor. When we have accepted mediocrity as a way of life there is no hope of any improvement and no one can remove poverty from our minds however rich we may become. If you are hesitating to visit India, i have to say your hesitation is rightly placed. Many of my friends who are living abroad don't bring their children to India. i don't blame them and i don't criticise them.

But there is a charm in chaos clutter confusion ignorance silly practices which bring tourists to India, apart from its history and culture, tourists who want to experience raw conditions of India, ignoring all the short comings which the country offers in abundance. Hopefully you will visit India very soon Shaista and you would love every minute of it. If we meet i will take you to less crowded and better beaches here.
Hope you are doing fine Shaista.

thru said...

well I would agree to most of what you have said on Kerala. I hate "Bandhs" too-causes nothing but inconveniences to people.

Angela Noble said...

Thank you for the correction Anonymous. After the Tourist boom which started in the late 60s and early 70s, many outsiders settled in Goa.

stellalynne said...

How do you get these fantastic photos??????????????? I supose it takes a decent camera and a lot of talent.
Thank you for all of them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX....Thank you for posting the great content…I was looking for something like this…I found it quiet interesting, hopefully you will keep posting such blogs….Keep sharing.

Rosy said...

Nice pics.

jennifer said...

What a gorgeous pictures! Love it!

lalitha said...

Nice pictures

vazha vaippavan! said...

nice to stay @ Goa-but too dear....
similar way,karaikal-ex french colony.....
k.pathi
pathiplans@sify.com

Jesse said...

Beautiful and creative photography..
Per DM Group

Gangadhar said...

Rauf. How are you? I'm Gangadhar. hope you remember me. used to maintain a blog called Dexterous Doings.
These pictures are awesome! Happened to be Goa last year. Your pictures made me remember those happiest moments.thanks.
Btw, you commented on one of my posts, http://jarvarm.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/a-picture-that-can-never-be-posted/. There is an update to this post. thought it would be good to share it with you...

daylighting said...

what a awesome blog... its really amazing... I will come back to see more interesting post here...

weakness said...

OMG.... I am A Goanise... no wait... goan :P ... and i freaking love the way u put up this blog... amazing... VIVA PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE U CRISTIANO RONALDO

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