Journey Across Southern India

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Friday, 14 December 2018 - Drove along India's southwestern coastal route, stopping to explore the historic Mundamveli Catholic Church and nearby fishing villages where we saw traditional netting and boat-making, observed daily life along the shoreline, and then boarded our houseboat on the backwaters of Aryad South Lake, cruising slow waters surrounded by palms, birdlife, rice paddies, and canals before enjoying a dinner of freshly grilled local seafood.

With Sandosh in the driver's seat, we take the scenic route along the Southwestern coast of India. Along the winding and leisure shoreline drive, we feel the sense of a slower pace and the attraction to life on the water.

india2018 — We stop at a Catholic Church, Mundamveli Church.

india2018 — The first church was originally constructed by Saint Thomas Christians of Maanaanjery near the Arabian Sea in the 9th century. In the 14th century the church was destroyed from the sea erosion and is now underwater.

india2018 — It has a grand sanctuary

india2018 — Flowers placed on the christian artifacts - similar to the rituals performed by the hindu.

india2018 — We see fish farms with lines of netting across the water to help keep the birds from diving for an easy catch of fish.

india2018 — The life in this fishing village is as it was a hundred years ago. We pass men weaving and repairing the same fishing nets used by their grandfathers and carpenters building boats. These colorful fishing nets are cast by hand out across the waters when they see a school of fish go by.

india2018 — There are yards and yards of fishing nets

india2018 — We stop at a carpenters' shop where they are making boats.

india2018 — Handcrafted fishing boats

india2018 — Coconut fibers are used to make the boats watertight

india2018 — Most all the fish here are exported.

india2018 — Boys playing soccer on the beach behind the fishing boats.

india2018 — We stop at a home where the adults are engaged in weaving Jute made from the hair of the coconut strung into threads and then woven into mats to export. The children run to greet us and then in perfect English ask our names and where we are from. Full of smiles and lots of giggles, they welcome our presence in their home.

india2018 — .... and then made into mats and exported.

india2018 — White sand beach with fishing boats grounded on the beach.

india2018 — Fishing boat bling

india2018 — This trip has felt much like a pilgrimage for me. We have seen many, many temples, mosques and our last stop before arriving at our houseboat is a large Catholic Church, St. Andrew's Basilica Church where services are in progress and held six times a day on Saturdays and Sundays.

india2018 — The interior of St. Andrew's

india2018 — The last stretch of a road to the backwaters is lined with merchants selling sugar cane, fresh hen eggs and acres of rice paddy fields.

india2018 — A Christen home with Christmas Stars outside - these stars were all the rage in the markets.

india2018 — We are now in the land of rice - there are fields everywhere. Here is a house surrounded by rice.

india2018 — We are greeted by our river boat captain, Rajesh, and Nardee, our boat chef, and we embark on a memory of a lifetime, as we drift down the slow waters of Aryad South Lake.

The houseboat has one guest room. Up front is a living/dining room which is very spacious surrounded by glass and air-conditioned. Our bedroom was just behind the front and then the bathroom. Next is the crew bath and their room with the kitchen at the very end of the boat.

india2018 — Even on the water we spot the hammer and sickle.

india2018 — Churches are also perched on the canal dikes.

india2018 — Brahminy kite - the trip on the river boat was a birder paradise.

india2018 — A bridge over a small canal off the Pamba River

india2018 — We entered the Aryad South lake - this guy was paddling right at the mouth of the river.

india2018 — We motor over to a seaside market along the shore where we buy some prawns for our dinner that night.

india2018 — Virginia Ann with dinner

india2018 — We are navigating the second-largest lake in India and Cal and I ride from the ship's helm on either side of the captain. It is a warm day with a pleasant breeze. The shoreline is framed with palms, river houses, a few markets, seagulls and the river's people. We can see and hear the river's sights and sounds from this unique vantage point.

india2018 — We saw a tree covered in black birds...

india2018 — ...and then a fish eagle high in the tree.

india2018 — Small yellow sign of some sort on the river dike

india2018 — An egret on a palm

india2018 — A bird with a small fish

india2018 — There are many houseboats on the river which looks like black silver as the sun hits the water.

india2018 — A bittern looking for fish

india2018 — A small and colorful bee-eater

india2018 — Chempoth with its distinctive red eyes

india2018 — Not sure what the tree and fruit are - coconut? On the other side of the tree you can see the rice fields which are much lower than the river.

india2018 — A flying bird going by the houseboat

india2018 — A home on the dike surrounded by palm trees

india2018 — Fisherman casting his net on the river

india2018 — A banana tree on the river bank

india2018 — A family motoring down the river

india2018 — Egret walking in the marsh

india2018 — Cormorant sunning

india2018 — At end of day, we dock for the evening and take a stroll along the shoreline. It is as if we are now on their life's stage. We see men, women and children living their lives here as they do every day -- bathing on their steps to the river and smoke streaming from an open fire as their meals are cooked.

india2018 — An abandoned boat on the shore

india2018 — A church in the setitng sun

india2018 — Soon we hear the singing of hymns and evening prayers from a small group gathered in a neighbor's home.

india2018 — One of the many coconut palms

india2018 — Coconut debris

india2018 — Sunset on the Manimala River

india2018 — Cal on the dike by the riverboat with a rice field in the background

india2018 — We end the day dining to a feast of freshly grilled prawns, broccoli in coconut milk, sauteed okra, rice, dahl, fish stew and fresh-cut pineapple for desert.

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