A snap shot of six months in India

A young girl plays on a fishing boat in the setting sun on the west coast of  India

The first question I'm asked when I tell people in the west that I have been living in India is 'did you get ill?' It seems anyone who hasn't visited the sub continent is blighted with the same stereotypical views.  Noise, dirt, poverty and illness will be encountered around every corner.  Of course this is partly true if you visit the some of the ever expanding and sprawling cities but should you venture further afield a pleasant surprise will await. Lush jungles, deserted beaches, deserts and soaring mountains bathed with crisp fresh air are all out there.

Home for six months amongst the Malvani fishing community. Lying behind the coconut palms and colourful fishing boats are a mix of houses where fisherman pass their days fixing nets and preparing for early morning trips to target small silver fish such as mackeral and sardines, as well the larger kingfish (spanish mackeral). The women of the community prepare food, look after the always smiling children and make sure clothes are always sparkling clean. And when the boats return late morning or early evening a hive of activity will be found on the beach as everyone pulls together to empty the nets of fish.

When the sun begins to slip towards the Arabian ocean and the heat of the day starts to dissipate, the beach  fills with locals. Cricket games spring up every few hundred yards along the sand, while the older fishermen, crooked from many years of hauling nets gather around boats and discuss the latest gossip and anything related to fishing. Sometimes on the right tides cockles come close to the surface and with small sieves women and kids scoop them up for a delicious Malvani soup.  Dusk also spells the arrival of mosquitos and being on the beach provides a safe haven.

Smaller boats are kept above the high tide line. With the close knit community help is always on hand to haul the boat up the gently sloping beach with the aid of the rounded logs.

To the north of town lies an area used for drying the by-catch from prawn nets which will be used for fertilizer. Crabs, shell fish and all sorts of molluscs along with foul smelling black mud all add to the powerful odour emanating from the area which will make even the most hardened fisher's eyes water.  This indiscriminate way of fishing is incredibly harmful to sea bed ecology, but with high prices of prawns and lack of legislation it doesn't seem that things will change anytime soon.  At least the egrets and black and brahminy kites seem to make a good living from it.

Some years ago when shark fishing was still a viable commercial activity on the Konkan coast Baba found local fame after hooking into this monster sized saw fish. After what can only be described as an epic and dangerous battle, from a relatively small boat the fish was eventually subdued and due to its size had to be lashed to the outside of the vessel for the long and slow journey back home. 

Beautiful island beaches in Karnataka. Just a shame all the picnic spots were submerged with rubbish from day trippers!

Abbey surveys the fishing spots on St Marys Island in Karnataka

Traditional beach side house beneath the swaying coconut palms in a small Karnatakan village.

The sun sinks on a beautiful and promising river mouth in the state of Karnataka.  Unfortunately on this occasion nothing touched our lures on the incoming tides.  Who knows the reason but with some time undoubtedly some good barra and jacks could be intercepted from this fishy looking spot.

Not quite a catch for Abbey but a surprise. While casting lures at night Abbey shouted that a turtle arrived but the last thing I expected to see was a freshwater turtle dragging itself onto the sand from the swirling waters of the river mouth. It chose the right point to leave as next stop would have been the open sea plus it got a ride to the nearest rice paddy where conditions seemed to suit it better!

Bombay restaurant menu

In a small town on the Maharashtra coast another day ticks by. Pace of life is somewhat more relaxed compared to what I'm used to back in the UK.

The town of Malvan has a natural harbour that holds quite a large and colourful commercial fishing fleet.  It's a fascinating place to watch the days unfold and then again draw to a close.  Activity in this fishing town is at its peak in the early morning and late afternoons when temperatures are cooler. During the middle of the day when the mercury climbs shops close and the residents seek the cool of their airy houses.

Sunset over Malvan harbour. The boats pack on tourists for a short ride across the water to the 350 year old Sindhudurg fort built for the great leader Chattrapati Shivaji of the Marathas.

As evening arrives in a small village on the coast women arrive on the main street with freshly caught mackerel, pomfret, prawns, sardines and other catches ready for the evening meal of fish fry.

Serene waters of a Goan backwater

I met this local guy who was collecting small prawns to use as bait on his hand line for mangrove jacks. As I watched he reminded me of a heron stalking it's prey; occasionally after a very slow stalk a hand would shoot down and grab a prawn from the not-so clear water.  

The not so serene waters of Baga beach in Goa. Luckily we were just passing to fish a little along the coast, for this is my idea of a nightmare!

Early morning kayaking

Illegal sandminers of the Tiracol river- the border between Goa and Maharashtra

Street stall, Mumbai

A wandering knife sharpener in the Masjid area of Mumbai will sharpen your tools or sell you some new ones from the front of his multi-purpose bicycle. 

Pretty good value and refreshing drink on the streets of Mumbai.

Shiva keeping watch over street vendors on a busy Mumbai street.

The relatively new sealink in west Mumbai considerable cut down journey time across the congested city

The streets of Mumbai are always a colourful sight. From a flyover we admire the variety of vegetable for sale on the pavement below.

Another spot and more vegetables and greens of great variety guarantee some tasty curries!

Mumbai street market-Always a colourful treat

Definitely not the turning this guy wanted to take and quite a story to explain to the boss. 

On the way to Goa from Mumbai with Abbey and Markus in the new fishing wagon-we stop for a chat with a local guy

The Western Ghat ranges at Amboli above Sawantwadi

Macaques waiting for hand-outs from tourists on the way to Amboli hill station

Spices for sale to the tourists in Goa

Colourful temple in Goa

Loading the kayak

Beautiful sunrise on the way to Goa in southern Maharashtra

Markus looking like a tourist in a mangrove forest while on a kayak trip up a large river.

Traditional transport in Maharashtra

Jochen shows off a small snake skin found while walking through the thick jungle of the hills

North Goa has become a popular place for paragliding and most days during the dry season provide a window to fly.

Seeking some cool in the midday heat

Ship wrecked campers! On this unfortunate occasion we miscalculated the rising tide and when we returned to the boat moored in the river at around one in the morning 40 metres of water separated us and our sleeping equipment.  No one on the boat could be roused and the idea of swimming and somehow climbing over the high gunwales at such an hour of the night was less inviting than spending a night under the trees.  We hadn't eaten since lunch but luckily in our meagre possessions we had a recently caught flathead, a small knife and a lighter. to make things worse ten minutes earlier Sam had slipped up to his waist in the river and now looked the most unhappy of the group as the cold crept in. Spirits rose though as we build a fire and prepared the fish which was barbequed with the aid of some Casurina sticks. And very tasty it was too! A small drying rack made of sticks soon had Sam back in dry clothes which also lightened the mood. With no sleeping equipment, beds were prepared of soft Casurina needles as close to the fire as possible, before we tried to snatch some sleep below a cloudless and starry sky. Needless to say as the first rays of sun made an appearance over the eastern horizon we were all awake stoking the fire and trying to regain a little lost body heat!

A couple of hours after sun rise the Rapan net is nearly back on the beach with a huge catch of sardines.

A troop of langurs raids a crop of legumes.  Most days when we passed this area the crafty monkeys were somewhere in the area eyeing up the fields and waiting for there moment to launch an attack!

On the Kali river in the Karnatakan jungle I came across this impressive sea bean/heart creeper dangling from the lush margins of the river. The large and tough seeds can drift for many months down rivers and across oceans on the currents.

Visitor's Royal Enfields parked outside my house

A view I can never get tired of waking up to

Shopping with Abbey

Malvan high street

Various grades and types of rice for sale

Perhaps one of the best camping spots on the west coast! surrounded by casurinas, beautiful beach and clear river.

How to move a coconut palm!

Home made street car!

Portuguese influenced architecture in Goa

Typical Goan shop

Honey Bee brandy 'as warm as a great friendship'!

Old versus new in Goa

Shiva chicken centre in Goa

Lazy dogs sleeping off a night of barking and fight in Goa

Goan Juice Centre

Goan street scene

Goan barber shop

The magnificent Chatrapati Shivaji terminus at night

A lone throw netter fishes for mullet on Tarkali creek

Tarkali creek

For months I had tried to get close enough to a Malabar Pied Hornbill  for a decent photo and then by chance one day as we drove a rural road one appeared in a mango tree close to the track. We reversed slowly and were rewarded by this handsome bird seemingly oblivious to our presence as it foraged for morsels. It immediately swooped rather clumsily to the mat of dead leaves on the ground and succeeded in catching a small brown lizard.  Back in the tree the ill fated lizard was beaten to death with sharp blows against a branch before being flicked back into the huge beak. After half an hour of watching  the curious bird at such close quarters we took our leave very pleased with the chance encounter.

A young Maharashtran girl shows off her recently hennaed hand

Menu of Delicious delicacies in a Mumbai restaurant.

While waiting for a red signal  on the Konkan railway tasty and aromatic yellow guavas sold by village women help pass the time

Very happy Holi festival goers

Neighbourhood children enjoy the Holi feast.

Early morning in Arambol, Goa before the eclectic mix of tourists have managed to shake off the nights partying!

Everything is catered for the tourists of Arambol

The roads of beach side Goa

Alternative music in Goa

Arambol, Goa

Arambol beach and hotspot for alternative tourists

The Cashew nut, originally brought over by the Portuguese is a major crop along the west coast of India . The succulent flesh of the fruit is converted into Kaju feni (clear spirit) in the state of Goa. In Maharashtra the manufacture of this alcohol is illegal so truck loads of already fermenting fruit are transported south to Goan feni plants. 

An inviting curve of sand in North Goa still quiet in the early morning apart from the fishermen cleaning the mornings catch. Most of the tourists have yet to venture out to begin their daily routine of tanning and drinking.

Coconut palms are never far away on the west coast of India

Salt lakes of shiroda

Kids from the neighbourhood.

Scaling a coconut palm always looks so easy when done by a master. 

It's hard to think of a better neighbour! A fish could always be exchanged for some refreshing coconuts.

One of my neighbours kids who never stopped smiling

High tide on a Malvan beach

The beautiful end of another day in Malvan

Match boxes always catch my attention in India for they are always colourful and come with huge variety of interesting cover designs. 

The end of April marks the start of mango season on the west coast of India. Markets are flooded with the famous and flavoursome Alphonso as well as other mango varieties. Old wizened women sit by the road and sell small mounds of the king of fruits while in the mango plantations workers wield long bamboos with small nets attached to the end to safely pick the expensive fruit which are boxed and sent to the markets in Mumbai and other large cities.  

Ficus religiosa; The Pipal or Bodhi tree sacred to the Hindus, Buddists and Jains and to a myriad of wildlife living within its canopy.