Fishing Village Weekend

Last weekend I looked up beaches not too far from Pune and headed for one.  I ended up going to Shrivadhan.  Google told me it was less than 200km away and it would take 3.5 hours to drive.  I thought, no problem, it'll take 4-4.5 hours by bus and should be fun.  Well, I should have learned by now that Google is not the most reliable source when doing anything in rural areas.  It was an absolutely gorgeous drive, going by Mulshi lake and through the ghats with about 50 waterfalls that I could see from the bus, but it did not take 3.5 hours.  The roads were terrible and the bus was incapable of going above 5 mph on ground that had the slightest incline.

About 5.5 hours later I arrived at Shrivadhan.  When I first arrived I began walking to find accommodation.  I started to get nervous when I walked 10 for awhile on what appeared to be the main road only I didn't see anything that looked like a place to stay, there wasn't even a restaurant.  Finally someone noticed I was looking a little panicked and asked if they could help.  They pointed me toward the direction of the hotels, which were a little farther down and I eventually found one.  It was actually quite nice and about 5-10 minute walk to the beach.  I put down my things and ate lunch in a hotel (I was the only guest) and then headed to the beach.  When I got there, I was the only one, aside from 2 kids playing in the waves.  At the far end of the beach appeared to be a small fishing village, so I decided to head there.

By the time I made my way to the boats many of the fishermen were coming in for the day.  I waved to one fisherman who was looking in my direction and he motioned for me to come over and take pictures of them picking the net, so I did.  They were all very nice and spoke very little English (and I very little Marathi).  They brought me a chair so I could watch them work, as well as snacks of fruit and samosas.  They kept telling me to eat dinner with them when they were finished, but they were also very concerned about how I would get back to my hotel after eating dinner.  It was decided that I would take an auto and I waited for them to finish their work before we all headed to the home of the owner of the boat.  It turns out that everyone picking the net was related, the owner of the boat and his two brothers and their families all help.

In India I have heard the saying "a guest is like a god."  Essentially this means you should treat a guest like a god.  Hospitality here is the tops and the fishing family was no exception!  They were all very nice and I had a great time, even though our communication was very shallow due to the language barrier.  They had me wash my hands and feet and sit down to watch some TV and chat while we waited for the women to finish cooking fish for dinner.  They served me first and filled me so full of delicious food.  Everyone watched me eat and the cook was quick to add food on my plate as soon is it began to run low.  The chapati they made was from rice flour, not the usual wheat.  I had fried fish and a prawn curry and of course rice to finish off the meal.  After I was done, they rushed me to the auto that was waiting and we tried to figure out where I was staying.  I wasn't expecting to wander so far from my hotel and I never bothered learning the name, I knew how to get their from the beach, but not via the roads.  Eventually we found it and I went straight to bed, exhausted, full and happy. 

Note the two buses trying to pass each other on the narrow road.  It takes some pretty talented drivers to do that and not hit (it also takes about 15 minutes).

Pomfret fry and curry for lunch with some papad, chapati and rice on the side.

The walk from my hotel to the beach.

Roadside view.

Tourist attraction: ride in the carriage up and down the beach.

Shrivadhan beach.

Near the fishing village.

My wonderful hosts, getting ready to pick the net.

The bottom fish is what they fried up for me to eat.  A little mushy, but tasty.

Picking the net.

Lead line

Another boat going out to see.  Notice the logs in front of the boat, that are used to move the boat along the sand.

Catch!

Me with a fresh coconut (quite possibly the best drink ever).  Also the last picture of me with my old glasses.  I offered them up to the Arabian Sea when I took a dip and forgot to hold them.  Thank goodness I bought a new pair in Pune a couple weeks prior.

If you squint and rotate your head to the right you might be able to see the Great Hornbill hidden in the branches.

Bus ride home.

View from bus.

One of the many waterfalls seen from the bus.

Mulshi Lake and cows.