India: Vielha Goa aka Old Goa
Moving on to Goa and skipping the crowded beaches. Old Goa is the historic capital of the Portuguese colonial empire in India from 16th to 18th centuries. It was a thriving city of 200,000 people and wealth and architecture that rivaled only Lisbon or Porto. Then cholera and malaria pretty much decimated the city and it was abandoned for a new capital in nearby Panaji. Today, Old Goa is a collection of aging and somewhat mildly crumbling old Catholic churches and cathedrals all dating to the 16th century. The red building of Basilica Bom Jesus is a behemoth compared to a much more slender and elegant whitewashed Se Cathedral across the open park area. Also here are Church of St Caetano and Church of St Francis, as well as some more churches in various state of lack of upkeep. All churches are having services on Sunday and packed with Christian Indians. The town and churches are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
