I’ve travelled enough to be able to recognize which colonial country settled in an area by looking at the architecture; and, Goa positively screams Portuguese.

Surprisingly, the state of Goa was not held by the British (except between 1812-1815 during Napoleonic Wars). As such, it was still a hotly held territory in 1947 when the British pulled out and India gained independence. It wasn’t until 1987 when it became the 25th state (though in 1961 the territory was annexed by the Indian army).

It’s an odd place, I kept thinking it felt oddly hollow, like a part of its soul had been ripped out. This could be because I was there during the monsoon when everyone goes into hiding and many of the beach shacks disappear.