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by Marianne
Eindhoven, Netherlands
September 13, 2002
Practicalities: Ponda is the major town of East Goa. The area around Ponda is worth a visit as quite a few Hindu temples are scattered among the surrounding hills. Don’t expect to see architecural wonders. Most temples were built or rebuilt by the Portuguese. You remember: Vasco da Gama, he set foot in Goa in 1498, so these temples are fairly recent.
We were staying in Calangute and had found out that is was not too difficult to get to Ponda. First you take a bus to the bus station in Panjim and from there 30 km by bus to Ponda. The only problem is that these temples are not within walking distance and there is no public transport. It’s possible to hire a taxi in Ponda, but it's much easier to hire one in Calangute. They are waiting in front of the hotels and set us back US$20.
We visited Old Goa in the morning, then went to Ponda and the spice garden in the afternoon: a day well-spent.
From journal Goa: Little Portugal