We were up again today at sunrise so we could hit the beach for a long walk before the heat of the day set in. We caught the sun rising first on the Backwaters behind the bungalow. The only things that broke the silence were the birds and the early morning fishermen who were already out setting their nets for the day.
We went off to eat a quick breakfast and then went right out to the sea to walk the south end of the beach. As we went south, we ran into a continuous line of sand crabs running back and forth as the surf beat the shore. The crabs were as far as we could see down the beach. As we walked they would run back and forth in front of us trying to avoid close contact. It was really fun watching them glide on their tippy toes at high speed in every direction possible.
We passed many wooden fishing boats on the beach as we walked. The boats are made by hand right here in Kerala. This state is the largest producer of wooden fishing boats on the Arabian Sea. Many fishermen from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc. come here to buy their boats. They are wonderful works of art.
You can see here how the joints are secured using coconut rope. There are no metal parts or nails used anywhere! Wooden pegs and rope are used.
We also passed many fishermen along the beach throwing their nets into the surf to catch the small fish that swim there. It was interesting watching them as their keen eyes could somehow spot the fish in the waves and the net would be thrown in exactly the right spot for the catch.
After 4 hours of walking we returned to the resort beach for a swim. The sea felt so good after the sweaty walk; like a bath at 78 degrees. The hardest thing is not to stay in there too long and get fried to a crispy little crunch. Luckily, due to age and experience, we know when to go. We have been here 3 days now, and no raging sunburn yet! Good thing, since I have another massage today and I need to be touched.
This time I went for the Ayurveda head, neck, shoulder and back massage. Parvathi once again had her way with me :o) Just absolutely fantastic! I told her I wanted to take her home with me. She smiled a big smile full of broken teeth and gave me a huge hug and another bindi. I haven’ been this relaxed in a very long time….
After a nap, we again went out to the public beach around sunset to watch the children play in the surf. They get right in the water in their school uniforms. What a joy to watch them play.
The tea man also comes to the beach on his bicycle. He carries hot tea in a can on the back of his bike. For about 3 rupees (6 cents US) you can get a hot cup of tea to have on the beach.
It has been a great experience to spend some time here and witness the simple, relaxed life the local people live. Makes one think about how having all the ‘things’ we have in our lives in the west is really not necessary.
We are having just a WONDERFUL time! :o)
