Mandovi River Traffic – Panaji, Goa, India

During our visit last month to India, we stayed in Panaji, the capital of
Goa, and over a weekend watched a great many boats and ships
from the bank of the Mandovi River. Our hotel was right on the river
delta at the Arabian Sea.

The most common traffic element
was the red iron ore scows, usually going upriver empty and downriver full.
There were also tugs, sailboats, yachts, party boats, a floating casino,
and other boats. The scows were so big that we could hear their low
rumbling motors all day and much of the night. When fully loaded, the
long scows were very low in the water.

I wished I had brought Huckleberry Finn along. Panaji would be
the perfect place to read a story of river life. Or, maybe The
Wind in the Willows in which the Rat says to the Mole in Chapter 1:

“`Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING–absolute nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’

`Look ahead, Rat!’ cried the Mole suddenly.


It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in the air.


`–about in boats–or WITH boats,’ the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. `In or out of ’em, it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that’s the charm of it…”

Upriver scow:

Upriver tug:

Upriver scow:

Downriver sailboat:

Downriver unloaded scow:

Downriver loaded scow:

Downriver party boat:

Downriver yacht:

Downriver party boat:

Kids on beach:

Beach shells:

Sunset in the Arabian Sea:

Loaded and unloaded scows:

Sunset party boat:

Scow at sunset:

Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher