Before we ate breakfast, we decided to walk to the Chinese fishermen's nets near the hotel. We had a chance to get up close and personal with the fishermen and their nets. The only sad bit was they didn't catch much with our help. We also walked and found a nearby ATM. The world is odd. Everyone has a cell phone and ATMs are found on dusty streets in back alleys of small towns on all sides of the world. We ate breakfast in the cafe at the hotel.
Around 10 our driver took us out to a cultural village. On the drive we passed by several booths with people sitting at tables in them. It turns out to be election day and the booths were set up in order for people to vote. Each slate of candidates for the different parties had their own booth. It was raining, but worth the slog to get my photos.
I really hadn't been looking forward to the cultural village. It seemed like it would be Main Street Disneyland, but actually it was fascinating. The subtitle for the village should have been "how many different things can you make out of coconuts?" There was a woman making brooms from the spine of the coconut fronds. Another woman was scraping out the meat from the coconut squeezing it and making coconut milk. That turned out to be not only the juice in the middle, but a mash of scraped coconut as well. Another demonstration was that of women making coconut rope. The hull of the coconuts were thrown into water for a time, then beaten with a stick when they dried out a bit. A fibrous material eventually is formed from the shell, and it's that fibrous material that turns into the rope. Another demonstration was a man who wove coconut frond spine bits into baskets.
There were several demonstrations that were actually not about coconuts. A woman had a huge mountain of small clam shells. She steamed the shells, and sold the meat at a local market. The shells themselves she sold to cement manufacturers. They had a potter - my favourite exhibition. They also had a fisherman who tossed a net, and held up a few fish he had caught, as well as a particularly pretty coloured crab.
Across the street, after the demonstrations, we were given huge coconuts with a straw to drink the juice inside and watched a man climb a coconut tree. It was raining, and he wasn't all that enthused about scooting up slippery coconut trees. However, he did manage to find the driest of the lot. It was raining harder and our next tour segment was to take a boat ride around the island. Hmmm. Boating with an umbrella. I wouldn't recommend it as fun.
On the way back the driver asked if we'd like to go boating again. He drove around and about near a bridge. I've been wondering how any of these drivers can find anything around here. Between the traffic, narrow streets and convoluted layout, I'd be hopelessly lost. We paid extra for a one hour ride through the mangroves and the weird water plants, but it was a wonderful hour. We saw all kinds of great birds, and the water plants in the narrow inlets we went into really were floating gardens.
Back to the hotel for a brief snack and a rest.
Around 5:30 the driver picked us up. We first stopped by the local fishing area. In the evening the fishermen brought their catch back to the shore to sell. Enormous squids, and something that looked like a herring.
We then were driven to the home of Mrs. Nimmy Paul. She is a chef who taught cooking in Kerola, but also travels to Napa to attend a culinary institute. The idea was she'd show us how to cook, and we'd get to eat the results. I've tried cooking Indian food before, but I honestly never saw anyone really do it properly. I learned a lot. Her dishes were wonderful, and for my family who reads this, get ready, I'll make some of the dishes for you. She and her husband were delightful. All in all, we had a wonderful evening.
Back to the hotel.
Chinese nets first thing in the morning
Charlie helps
More helping
A little puffer was the most interesting fish we caught
Our walk to the ATM. The man in the white coloured Kerala sarong
Photos through a rain streaked window don't work well
Men at a table helping voters
The communist party booth
I really hadn't been looking forward to the cultural village. It seemed like it would be Main Street Disneyland, but actually it was fascinating. The subtitle for the village should have been "how many different things can you make out of coconuts?" There was a woman making brooms from the spine of the coconut fronds. Another woman was scraping out the meat from the coconut squeezing it and making coconut milk. That turned out to be not only the juice in the middle, but a mash of scraped coconut as well. Another demonstration was that of women making coconut rope. The hull of the coconuts were thrown into water for a time, then beaten with a stick when they dried out a bit. A fibrous material eventually is formed from the shell, and it's that fibrous material that turns into the rope. Another demonstration was a man who wove coconut frond spine bits into baskets.
There were several demonstrations that were actually not about coconuts. A woman had a huge mountain of small clam shells. She steamed the shells, and sold the meat at a local market. The shells themselves she sold to cement manufacturers. They had a potter - my favourite exhibition. They also had a fisherman who tossed a net, and held up a few fish he had caught, as well as a particularly pretty coloured crab.
A lady trimming coconut fronds backs to make brooms
A basket full of steamed clams
A stick turned wheel for pottery
He had to throw quickly since the wheel would slow up quickly. Back breaking pottery
The lady in the photo is scraping coconut meat
Coconut scrapings and water forming coconut milk
This lady is bashing a coconut shell that had been soaked
The fiber that forms once the shell was beaten
The photo is the fiber being spun into rope
Coconut fronds forming baskets
Leaves that are rolled around tobacco to make homemade cigarettes
Fisherman and his big green crab
Throwing a net
Coconut frond leaves woven into roof covers
Across the street, after the demonstrations, we were given huge coconuts with a straw to drink the juice inside and watched a man climb a coconut tree. It was raining, and he wasn't all that enthused about scooting up slippery coconut trees. However, he did manage to find the driest of the lot. It was raining harder and our next tour segment was to take a boat ride around the island. Hmmm. Boating with an umbrella. I wouldn't recommend it as fun.
The driest tree of the lot and the coconut climber in it
On the way back the driver asked if we'd like to go boating again. He drove around and about near a bridge. I've been wondering how any of these drivers can find anything around here. Between the traffic, narrow streets and convoluted layout, I'd be hopelessly lost. We paid extra for a one hour ride through the mangroves and the weird water plants, but it was a wonderful hour. We saw all kinds of great birds, and the water plants in the narrow inlets we went into really were floating gardens.
The Kerala sarongs from the front
A cormorant seen from the boat
Bright fisherman on the bank
Lovely gardens formed by floating sea weeds
The boatman called this bird the "Australian" Bird. Some variety of crane
Better view of the crane
Close up of the sea weeds
We found a small flock of these great birds
He wouldn't sit still for a photo - the best I could do
This is an Indian kingfisher. VERY difficult to take their photos. At the sound of our boat, they dove into the weeds
Sea Eagle
Back to the hotel for a brief snack and a rest.
Around 5:30 the driver picked us up. We first stopped by the local fishing area. In the evening the fishermen brought their catch back to the shore to sell. Enormous squids, and something that looked like a herring.
Back to the hotel.
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