March 2012

A morning on Kerala’s Backwaters. Although in the general sense you know what to expect in terms of how the day will play out, you are guaranteed to see some strange and possibly surreal things between breakfast and lunch. More if you rise before the sun comes up. This is purely out of self-preservation – during the heat of the day, any significant physical activity ends up being exhausting, and the locals know best. That said, it’s worth being up early to catch a number of interesting photographs that you would have been unable to were you sleeping. To the left are two fishermen – one rowing slowly while the other (suitably attired for protection from the sun) checks nettings for a catch. This was my first time seeing fishermen wearing umbrella hats, but I see workers in the paddy fields with them often. Despite this fact, I haven’t photographed them due to poor lighting conditions and a significant distance between us every time.

Soon after, we encountered this oversized load crossing the channel we were on.  The two rowers are moving a great deal of coconut waste, which when processed will become significant industrial capital that will eventually become ‘coco coir’. This fibrous material has myriad uses, from rope, to rugs, to soilless growth medium and many more. Kerala is a hub for this ‘cottage’ industry.