How does it feel to be a tourist in your hometown? To be herded around and explained your own cultural roots? To be taken for a fool as to the prices of taxis and food?
Everytime I saw those long queues of tourists lined up for their dose of the boat cruise, I would loathe the fact that tourism is the backbone of the Goan economy!
And then I decided, let’s become a tourist for a day! A first hand experience! I wanted the experience and even paid for it and went to a place which i have always avoided… the cruise on the river Mandovi.
City Cruise
Dont be misled by this pic… it is NOT a serene sunset. I just signed off from the noisy city (Patto bridge) and signed up for even more noise…
This is NOT the boat we took!
I just didn’t choose the veteran Santa Monica, because in case of an eventuality, I can’t really boast of being a good swimmer! Princessa de Goa, was the unanimous choice.
Trigger happy
The moment the boat sets off everyone… yes, everyone begins totting a camera/ handycam/ cell phone around.
Dhinch Dhinch Dhinch
The DJ tries in vain to attract the tourists with a well-worn collection of the “latest” noise…
Glimpses of Goan Culture
Let me give you a little background info here. The cruise is meant to give tourists a glimpse into of the goan culture, and a ‘glimpse’ is all you get… 4 miserly dances… with atrocious commentaries convincing you that kunbi is a dance (historians, beware! the cruise is not meant for you!)
A word of advice. If you want to enjoy the cruise, look the other way! So while the real tourists made fools of themselves on the stage i turned my chair to face the wake of the boat and enjoyed the scenery floating by…
Look the other way
There is always one thing I have wondered… Among all my “tourist friends” who have visited Goa sometime or the other, not a single one mentioned the cruise as one of their memorable times in Goa…
Giovanni... on record 