Beach Time in Namhae

Although I spotted a few brave souls in the water (actually, a few more who were thrown in by their friends), Namhae beach was a popular place to be. Making sandcastles or mounded snacks, spotting crabs, flying kites, or simply relaxing by the beach were ways people amused themselves on this extended weekend. At night, firecrackers, soju, beer, and s'mores were popular. I enjoyed seeing some non-Americans toast marshmallows and sandwich them between graham crackers for the first time.

Most Koreans tended to be shaded under an umbrella, while some foreigners chose the lobster method. I enjoyed seeing parents - especially otherwise busy dads - take time out to spend with their kids.

Here's even one of me with a friend.

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South India and South Korea Beaches

Although both of these beach photos contain similar colors, the contrasts couldn't be larger. Pricey, touristic well-developed beaches in South Korea, vs. the polluted fishing beaches of South India where its residents don't even have access to toilets.

Busan, South Korea

Chennai, south India

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Beaches of Busan

Flying kites at Haeundae Beach

One of Busan’s attractions is its beaches. Parts of the beaches are rocky, while others had rather large, clean swaths of sand. Much like the parks and mountains of Seoul, the beach areas were designed to encourage exercise. Well-maintained boardwalks, biking lanes, and areas with outdoor exercise equipment abounded. People of all ages took advantage of the facilities, jogging, walking their small clothed pooches, stretching, etc. With the waters still rather cold, no one was out swimming yet. Families enjoyed sitting on the sand, sharing picnic lunches or flying kites of varying sizes. Sun tanning wasn’t a common scene, particularly with the sun-conscious Koreans who favor light skin. On one beach, young people enjoyed a game of beach volleyball. A few tents were set up near the shore. Facilities with bathrooms, snacks, and coffee abounded. Palm trees lined the edge of the beach near the road. On the other side of the road, more coffee shops, restaurants & bars, shopping malls, and high rise buildings abounded. It was interesting seeing the photos of the Haeundae beach between the 50’s and 1970’s, totally absent of tall buildings and modern development. At night, the beach scene with its nearby pubs and bars became noisier. Colorful lights sparkled on the water, reflected from the bridges, cityscape, and firecrackers. 

Haeundae Beach

Biking path along Gwanganli Beach 

Boardwalk along Gwanganli Beach

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Busan for Buddha’s Birthday

This is the first of several blog posts on my recent trip to Busan, South Korea

Taking advantage of the long weekend due to national holidays of Children’s Day on Monday and Buddha’s Birthday on Tuesday, I joined an expat trip down to Busan. Located on the south-easternmost tip of Korea, the second largest city in the country is situated along the sea, rivers, narrow valleys, and even up its many mountains and hills. The larger metropolitan area has a population of around 4.6 million people. Busan is the largest port city in the country and the world’s fifth busiest seaport when measured by cargo tonnage. Ferries departing from Busan connect South Korea to its neighbor Japan in as little as 1 1/2 hours. Subways and buses efficiently transport its many residents and visitors to malls, marketplaces, coffee shops, and universities. In many ways, Busan looks much like Seoul, except that Busan has the pleasure of being by the sea.

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Tropical Drink on an Island

A boat took us through some choppy waters to a small island, where we enjoyed a tropical drink while looking out over the setting horizon. Back on the mainland, the sun had now dipped below the Bay of Bengal. The silhouetted boat contrasted sharply with the intensely warm hues of the sky and reflecting wet shoreline, showing off its glory. Alas, the moment quickly faded, ushering in our last night in this relatively unknown paradise. 

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Relaxing on Ngapoli Beach

A delayed flight and short ride later, we arrived at Ngapoli Beach. This beach area had been a favorite destination of a former colleague of ours, and now we were about to be captivated by its beauty. The sun was already setting, so I quickly brought out my camera and snapped a few photos, capturing the intensely warm colors through the palm fronds before the light faded. We had but one day to take in the quiet, clean beach and clear, warm waters. The pace here was decidedly slower and low-key. Seafood, tropical drinks, and coconut water was plentiful. Women balancing plates of fruit on their heads walked the shoreline, hoping to make a few sales from the limited number of beach-goers. Between some long beach walks, reading under the umbrella, tide-pool critter searching, and some swimming in the waves, time quickly went by. 

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A Dip in the Holy Water

After making my way through the crowds, I arrived at the beach of Velankanni. Although early in the morning, it already was rather crowded. With the mass of people now in the small town, whose lodgings are unable to accommodate all (or those who choose to sleep outside), the sea was the perfect place for a dip - or a bath. Since this is more conservative South India, women walked in the water with their saris or salwars. Out of respect for the bathers, I did not take such close-up shots. 

I did find this scene rather fascinating though. Everyone in the area was wearing orange - the color of penitent pilgrims. The way they interacted with the water made me wonder if some holy or healing status was being applied to the sea by Velankanni. Much like that of the Hindu's holy Ganges River. 

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Three Fishermen in a Row

The sun still rising, these three fishermen are relaxing after being out in the boats very early in the morning. Note the typical plaid dhotis they are wearing, which tends to be cooler than pants.

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Boats and Bundles

After the morning catch along Elliot's Beach in Chennai, the boats are pulled up on the sand and nets bundled up. Between the boats, bundles, and garbage, it can be a challenge to walk through the area.

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Beachgoers, Aleppy

Kerala has many beaches that are popular with both locals and tourists alike. The white sands of the Aleppy beach were a favorite for families taking in the pleasures of the sand and surf. The mood was very positive and lively, smiles and laughing abounding. 

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Beach Bovines

Summertime by the beach is a favorite pastime world-wide. Although you won't find any bikini-clad sun-worshippers at the Ideal Beach south of Chennai, you may happen upon some others sporting a rather tan complexion. 

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My Serbian Friends in India

One of the wonderful things about teaching internationally is meeting others who are not only talented, dedicated teachers and wonderful people, but also share a fascination with other cultures and places. Two dear friends of mine from Serbia came to visit me this past Christmas break, enabling us to engage on new adventures through South India. Come join Pat, Olja, and me as we travel through Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as presented through a series of blog posts.

In the photo above, Pat and Olja pose in the waters at Marina Beach in Chennai.

You can also find more photos on my Flickr site.

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National Toilet Day

You may be wondering why I have a picture of a beach to illustrate the reason for this post.  For fishermen and fishing villages along the shores of India, this is their toilet. Every morning, the men squat in a horizontal row parallel to the shoreline, carefully spaced apart as they do their "daily functions." Obviously with the strong waves, it doesn't take much for the solid waste to enter the ocean, polluting both it and the shoreline. Away from the beach, men take a leak anywhere they feel like it. Women have it harder, as it is culturally not acceptable for them to be seen doing their functions. The privacy of darkness is often used, with the women sometimes having to hold it throughout the day. Urinary tract infections are a common result.

Why are they doing this, you may ask? For more than 50% of India's homes, there are no toilets. In the overcrowded slum areas, there may be few or none. Worldwide, nearly 40% lack access to this basic right. Even some schools here lack toilets; others are so gross and unsanitary that children refuse to use them. Students in our elementary school's "Roots & Shoots" program created posters highlighting the problem and placed them on the doors of our many bathrooms at the school. Today at lunch, I walked past one and saw a worker reading it. "Does she have a toilet in her house?" I wondered. Then I thought about my apartment - 3 toilets, only one of which is used on any regular basis. And I felt a bit ashamed.

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Rushikonda Beach, Vizag

After lunch at a hotel overlooking the beach, we had about half an hour to spend at the Rushikonda Beach. It was quite a bit cleaner than the ones in Chennai and would have been a good spot to enjoy. Not having swim clothes, I just pulled up my pants legs and walked in a bit. Women walked in with their saris, enjoying the time with their children. Men and boys went in with their boxing shorts. The water was nearly the temperature of a bath. Standing in one place, at times I was on wet sand, then shallow water, and suddenly the water was close to my knees. I was surprised that there weren’t more tourists here, but perhaps it wasn’t the right season yet. I can imagine that the area would be good for water sports. After posing for several photographs with a group of people, I decided I had enough sun and went towards the fishing boats. Here, a man was busy repairing nets. Running a span of the beach were some stalls selling hideous sea shell crafts, many incorporating Hindu gods. Nothing even remotely appealed to me. Once again I was asked to pose with some young people, as they eagerly took a number of photos with their cell phones. Such a celebrity this red head is getting to be!

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Kailasagiri, Vizag

Located on one of the main hills overlooking Vizag is Kailasagiri. From here, one has a panoramic view of natural harbor of Vizag, the sprawling city, and bay. Well maintained with plenty of shade trees, grassy areas, flowers, and well-manicured shrubs, this would be a great spot for picnic. In our short amount of time, we took the rope car down for a pretty (but similar) view, walked around a bit of the area, and admired the 40 meter high white statues of Shiva and Parvathi. I would have liked to walk through the park a bit more but didn’t want to be late back at the vehicle. It turned out that I would have had plenty of time, as the others slowly wandered back over 20 minutes late – grrr.

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Who was that masked ..er..kid?

During the festival of Pongal, many rural people make the journey to the city. In Chennai, the zoo and the many beaches are particularly popular destinations. The festive atmosphere on Elliot's Beach in Besant Nagar (southern section of Chennai) was omnipresent. These cheap masks were a popular hit, transforming the kids into commercialist American cartoon characters. I wonder if they all knew who the characters were? Here in Chennai, The Cartoon Network and the Disney Channels are available, but I'm not sure what rural kids have on their TV - if they have TV and electricity...

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Kaanum Pongal

On the final day of Pongal, people travel to see family members and friends. Elder members of the family are paid homage, with the younger members providing gifts of money. It is also one of the few times that rural people take off and head to the cities, dressed in their finery. Beaches were a favorite destination, with over 400,000 at Marina beach - one of many beaches lining the Bay of Bengal from Chennai down to Mahabalipuram. Over 100,000 stood hours in line to get into the zoo, others to the Snake Park, Children’s Park, and other sites. Judging from the festive atmosphere at a beach the night before and another beautiful day, I can imagine that it was a happy day for all.

For more information on Pongal - its meaning, celebrations, customs, kolams, recipes and more, visit http://www.pongalfestival.org/

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Aleppy

Just a block away was our hotel, part of the backwaters tour package. Our rooms were at the top level, its interior walls created from woven palm fronds. Although pretty, those thin walls left little in the way of privacy.

On our way to the beach, we walked next to the city canal. Known as the “Venice of the East”, the waters in this Kerala town were teaming with canoes and small boats, escorting tourists and locals alike to other parts of the town. Once at the beach, we were treated to a joyful sight – kites flying, kids (of all ages) giggling as they splashed water on each other, beach vendors, and sand creations including a curvy woman sculpture. Family members held hands as they walked along the clean sands. Others enjoyed the relatively warm waters, with the women entering the waters in their saris. Was this air of delight a common one, or was it made extra special due to the Diwali holiday? After the sun finally disappeared beyond the pink-cast sea, we headed over to the nearby restaurant – another Indian Coffee House. Finishing our meal over fluorescent flashlight (power cut), we returned back to the hotel, tired after the long day.

Despite our fatigue, none of us slept well. Firecrackers pierced the night air in celebration of Diwali. Then the rain came as a downpour, its sound exaggerated by the tin roof. In the pre-dawn hours more firecrackers could be heard, along with the early call to prayer. Just as it became light, the crows began to do a tap dance on the tin roof, ending any chance to sleep. At least the day would be a relaxing one on the houseboat.

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Kollam

Shoving Match
Emerging from our air-conditioned train car, we now were in Kollam, a port town 71 km north of Trivandrum. Piling out of the 25-cent ride rickshaw, we were at the banks of the water, where backwaters tours could be arranged. After some negotiations in price and package, the designated taxi driver arrived to take us to the start of our canoe portion of the trip. Immediately the driver came up to the tour operator and pushed the then-stunned man. One of my colleagues came to the aid of the tour operator, breaking up the provocation through her gestures and forceful voice. After completing a written police statement, two auto rickshaws took us instead.

Canoe Ride in Ashtumudi Lake
The rather large canoe hewn out of thick dark wood then pushed off into the waters of the Ashtumudi Lake. Sharing the waters were some other canoes and the large Kerala houseboats known as kettuvallams. Soon we were in the more secluded canals and river waterways around Munroe Island. Coconut palm trees cast strong reflections on the still brown waters. Flowering bushes dotted the river edge, shored up with a protective stone barrier. Along the meandering paths walked young women clad in brightly colored saris and salwars, chatting merrily as they gestured with one hand and carried an umbrella in the other. Young children emerged out of their small homes, waving to us with unrestrained cheeriness. The soothing sound of Kerala music wafted through the air. Goats munched on the abundant green grass. Chickens clucked as they ran across the yard. Cormorants dried their spread wings, sitting on a branch. Occasionally we spotted a Kingfisher bird, perching in a tree or on electrical wire. Kite birds circled above.

Village Walk
A few times we got out of the canoe to meet some of the villagers. Here we observed a demonstration in which the fibers of the coconut were transformed into strands of rope, doubled and then twisted. Most of this rope would be exported to the US. At another residence we saw an assortment of herbs and plants used for medicine and food. Scattered about the yard were plants such as peppermint, tumeric, little hot peppers, ginger, black pepper, a special plant for the diabetic wife, beetle nut tree, jack fruit, pineapple, and tapioca plants. Watching the elder man of the house deftly hack open a coconut for us to drink, one teacher asked if people sometimes cut off a finger. In a convincing tone of voice, our boatsman replied “Well of course. Even this man has a finger missing!” Looking carefully, we realized that our boatman was once again exercising his sense of wit and humor.

Inquiring about the population of Munroe Island, our young boater told us that about 30% work in the Middle East. This probably helped supplement the sustenance farming, dominated by rice. Considering the 99% literacy rate of Kerala, I hope that those workers are able to utilize their education. Scattered throughout the island were Hindu temples, many of which employed the distinctive Kerala architecture including the red tiled steep sloping roof, triangular windows and entryway mantles. According to our guide, 98% of the islanders are Hindu, with only one large family being Christian.

Through the Canals
Going deeper into the canals we came across a pond-like area full of lily pads. Our guide scooped up one waterlily and deftly transformed it into a necklace with alternating color “beads.” In some areas we had to duck way down to avoid hitting the narrow bridges. Boating past a net-covered fish farm we noticed a dog peering out of a crude open-air doghouse.

Back onto the main waters we spotted the destructive contributions of man. Plastic bottles floated in the water. A floating pool of gas trailed a houseboat.

Contrasting this was the emerging sunset, casting a pink hue over sky and water. Still hearing the radio of the female singer, the scene was idyllic as our boatman poled his way along the final stretch.

Kollam Town and Beach
By the time we arrived in Kollam, it was dark. Dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we walked into the section of own near our hotel. Enjoying a very tasty meal of spicy chicken, we also sampled pastry at a very clean bakery prominently displaying its Christian faith.

Having some time before catching the ferry the following morning, we went to the beach just across the road from the hotel. All along the beach men could be seen squatting, using the sand as a litter box. We knew we would have to watch our step as we proceeded to the water.

Scattered throughout the beach were single flip-flops and sandals, reminding me of the lone socks that emerge from the washing machine/dryer. The strong riptide and waves kept crashing in, preventing us from getting to the calmer area beyond. Considering the dubious cleanliness of the sea, perhaps it was just as well.

See photos of the backwaters around Kollam

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Elliot’s Beach, Besant Nagar

Blessed with a long coastline, one of Chennai’s beaches is known as Elliot’s Beach, located in the neighborhood of Besant Nagar. Since I was already in Besant Nagar for the Velankanni church festival, I went to the beach there, meeting up with a colleague who lived nearby. Approaching the beach through a narrow path, it appeared as though the ground-covering of green plants with pink flowers went right up to the sea.
Looking in the distance, only one fishing boat could be spotted. To the distant right was a fishing village, its boats lined up on the beach. To our left, some boys, dressed only in their underwear, played in the strong currents, cooled down from the heat of the day. We also enjoyed the refreshing feel of the water running over our feet, with a surge quickly getting the bottoms of our capris wet. Further up the sandy shore people ventured into the water, the women in their saris.
Further up the beach, some boys and young men played cricket, the ubiquitous sport of India. Vendor stalls were quite on the Sunday morning. Right across the street from a line of shops and cafés were some simple homes woven from palm fronds. As with other parts of Chennai, the contrast between the classes in the same neighborhood was quite distinct.
Had this beach been in other parts of the world (and with cleaner water), I can only imagine how developed and commercialized it would be. For now, Elliot’s Beach remains a more simple recreational spot.

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