{"id":3799,"date":"2021-02-06T13:50:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T13:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=3799"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:15:40","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T11:15:40","slug":"the-fishermen-of-chowara-beach-in-kerala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/the-fishermen-of-chowara-beach-in-kerala\/","title":{"rendered":"The fishermen of Chowara, Kerala"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the pleasures of a stay by the sea is an early morning walk on the beach. The waves lapping the shore, the sound of sea birds, a gentle breeze \u2026 a tranquil spot in which to recharge the batteries.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what most of us regard as a welcome break from our day to day lives is for others a place of work, and hard work at that. The man in my photo above is a fisherman in Chowara, in Kerala. Here he is again, below right, working with his fellow fishermen to haul a boat up the beach as it returns with its catch. This is a community, everyone helping everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Men
Pulling a boat up on to the sand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We were staying at the Travancore Heritage Hotel in Kovalam, directly above this beach. I have read some reviews of this hotel in which visitors complained that the beach was a working one, with all the detritus that accompanies fishing activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lots
On Chowara Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Clearly some holiday-makers prefer to be sheltered from the daily life of the region they are visiting. But that isn’t our style; and as a keen photographer the acceptance of me and my camera by the local fishermen was a real bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by ThatTravelLadyInHerShoes and her post of \u2018Just One Person From Around the World\u2019<\/a>, I want to share something of the life ‘my’ fisherman leads, based on what I learned from the Rough Guide to Kerala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The life of a fisherman in Kerala<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The life of a fisherman in Kerala is not an easy one. They are among the poorest of the state’s residents; they have lower than average income levels, literacy and life expectancy in a region which generally rates relatively well in these measures compared with the rest of India. Their living conditions are poor, with home typically a one-room shack with no running water. Child mortality rates are high, while alcoholism and domestic violence are common problems. <\/p>\n\n\n