Southern India - 12 February 2012 (2)

Chinese Fishing Nets, St Francis' Church & Shopping

Chinese Fishing Net - Lowered

Chinese Fishing Net - Raised

Once off the ferry, we walked to the Chinese Fishing Nets, which were busy as it was high tide.  We watched while they hauled up one net.  There was a reasonable catch which included a large eel, which they left in the net and allowed to swim away when the net was lowered back into the water.

Chinese Fishing Net - Raised

Chinese Fishing Net with Weights

The nets work using stone weights as a counterbalance.  When they are lowered, a fisherman walks along a pole over the water and the others lift the weights and move them nearer to the water.  To raise them, the fishermen pull on ropes and the stone weights are moved back.  We walked along until we found a net being demonstrated.  They asked members of our group to pull to raise the net and we all chanted to encourage them and provide a rhythm.  The first catch was just two small fish.  I don’t think there were any the second time.  I guess they normally leave the nets submerged for a lot longer between hauls.

Lifting Weight to Lower Net

Fishing Boats & Hopeful Crow

All along the river bank, crows were waiting in the hope of snatching a piece of fish.  In addition to the Chinese nets, fishermen were also going out in small canoe like boats.  The catches are sold either at auction or to passers-by.  I saw a cat looking intently at the fish on one stall, waiting for his big chance.

  

Fish for Sale - Or Cat's Dinner?

Cat Hoping for Dinner

Then we walked to St Francis’ Church.  I waited outside where you could see an area enclosed by brightly coloured fabrics.  This was the scene of an auction, selling off donations of fruit and vegetables made to the church.  I found a spot where the breeze was blowing round the corner to get some relief from the heat.  As usual, it was very hot and sticky.  When the others came out, they reported a disturbance inside.  The church officials had said they didn’t want tourists inside during services, but some guides were insisting that they should be able to bring people in at any time.  Lukose had tried to mediate.

St Francis' Church

After a serious morning's sightseeing, we were driven to a shop for 30 minutes shopping.  It was a small shop and not that cheap, so I went outside and sat on the bus.  As the engine was off, so was the air-conditioning.  Harish came to my rescue by switching on two overhead fans.  I stood between them with my arms out wide and felt so much better.  Then we were taken back to the hotel.  The others went out to shop some more and get something to eat.  I decided to stay in the hotel and rest.

Cat After Good Lunch

Jen came back around 1630, having been back to Jew Town where she had bought several more items.  We went for a walk to the harbour, where she got some provisions and, after looking at the sellers in a nearby park, I bought a wooden souvenir.  The sellers were mostly ladies, who had laid their stock out on blankets on the ground.  They were all selling much the same things: necklaces, bangles, trinket boxes and mirrors, stamps for henna “tattoos” and small letter cubes.