Kollam
INDIA | Sunday, 6 July 2008 | Views [272]
Its now Monday evening (I think) and I’m back on the road tomorrow,
well actually, it’s back on the tracks as I’m travelling by train (by
general class for the 3rd straight time…the magic can’t last forever).
Kollom
isn’t anything special but it is at the bottom of the backwaters, which
spread south from Kochi, hit Alleppey in the middle and end at kollam.
With the town not worth seeing I splashed the cash and went on a 3 hour
punt in the backwaters.
To get to the starting point took a very
fast and nervous 45 minute rickshaw ride, with a lecherous and
immensely vain man who spent most of his time looking sideways or
backwards depending on the quality of the young women we passed and if
nothing caught his eye, then his face did in the mirror!
Once on
the canoe, it all slowed down. Taking a winding course down canals
mostly only 10-20ft wide underneath bananas and palms. Pass tiger prawn
and fish ponds, all of which were netted to stop the herons and fish
eagles from having an easy breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the half way
point we entered a large shallow lake and watched as two fishermen
dragged their nets in a large and lazy circle. The fish they caught
would make a good whitebait lunch. Back in the narrow canal system the
canoe turned a corner and there right in front of me perched on a
drooping palm frond 6ft above the water was a fish eagle. We passed
slowly towards and then underneath it. It only flew away when the guy
doing the punting got too close. So, 4ft from a wild fish eagle…bloody
marvellous!
Down at the beach for the afternoon (yes I know I
have a hard life) watching the pounding surf crash onto the steeply
sloping sand. At this beach last year 18 people died whilst swimming. I
really don’t think that most Indians can swim well if at all!
Tonight I am having an early one as I have got cable tv.
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