The Begining

It all started when I was too young to recognise the Travel BUG.

Born in a Goan family settled in Mumbai we would often to travel to Goa on vacations. I would stand behind iron railings at the dockyard eagerly waiting for the ship to arrive. Once in Mom would spread a mattress on the deck and we would all settle down for an overnight picnic of sorts. The ship would depart every morning from Bombay Docks and would take 24 hours to reach Goa. The lower deck was then a playground for me and my brothers.

Every year the ship would make a scheduled halt at sea near Chiplun to let some passengers get off. Small boats would then come near the ship to pick up those passengers. I would stay awake until mid night to watch this happen every year. As a kid it fascinated me to watch those tiny boats come rowing to this humongous ship pick up those passengers and row away into darkness. Then I would wonder what happened to those people. Mom would tell me they have gone to their homes in Chiplun. But I wouldn’t believe her because when reached our destinations we were dropped at a port in Goa. Never were we asked to get off in tiny boats and go home. Well that is how my little brain thought when I was a kid.

Any ways these trips happened every year until the Government decided to shut down the passengers services from Bombay Docks due to heavy commercial traffic. We then shifted to Kadamba Bus services (Goa State Transport). I so miss the ships trips and wish that the Government starts these services once again someday.
Anyways the Travel BUG was born and nurtured during this Ship trips to Goa and it lives on.

For more of my travel experience continue reading.
This is but just the beginning of a long journey...