The trip is simple enough. 40 souls gather at three different points in the city and make their way to a fisherman’s village in Kovalam. There they don life jackets, climb on curved fisherman’s boat, surge over the waves and make their way to mid-sea. Mid-sea, one-by-one they climb out of the boat into the sea.
Yes, the water is salty. Thankfully, temperature is perfect. Yes, there is a rope to hold onto. Mind is blank. Mind is blank. And the fishermen are watching over everyone. Hold, breathe! Thoughts enter—you are at this moment bobbing in the Bay of Bengal, some kilometres from the shore. “Can I leave the rope?” A young man encourages. I leave. There now-- afloat, watching myself slide over that wave, face-up, sky above, the slight sun, and miles and miles and miles of water beneath.
I close my eyes—how strange to feel utterly safe, peaceful and at ease....in the Bay of Bengal. T.S.Eliot’s words ring: “Teach us to care and not to care. Teach us to sit still.”
Spin around—so many bodies and heads and life jackets bobbing in the sea. Smiling, telling jokes, teasing, begging for photos—as if they were not in water but on the sea shore, playing in gentle shallow waves. Should I nudge and remind—ok, folks, we are in the sea! But I guess everyone knows.
We make our way back or rather the fishermen ensure we make our way back. We emerge, the 40 souls-- what coats our senses is a gentle knowing, a joyful visitation to our Father- the Sea.
And outside in the village, grandmother Shivsundari says: No, I don’t swim much anymore. The water had come to our huts.
Yes, we live in paradoxes on earth.
(Note: Tsunami had affected fishermen villages in the Bay of Bengal Coast in Tamil Nadu.
Also published with photos in http://trekkingclubs.blogspot.in/2012/01/chennai-trekking-club-day-we-went-mid.html)
Hi Bhavana
ReplyDeleteIs this the catamaran ride offered at Fisherman;s cove along ECR?
Btw basic doubt...dunno if stupid,...Can you do this even if you dont know swimming? :)
I do not know of the Catamaran rides but this is through Chennai Trekking Club (www.chennaitrekkers.org).
DeleteYou can do this without knowing swimming, as long as you don the life jackets, listen to the fishermen and stay with others:) It is absolute fun!!!
must be such a soul healing experience...
ReplyDeleteYes, Magiceye, it is/was very healing, very very soothing to feel so safe...
DeleteBraveheart!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to go deep sea diving...
Well, next time, I'll tag along :)
But you don't stay in Chennai anymore! Maybe you can bring your magic along for an anniversary of your first meeting and go dive in the Bay of Bengal:)
DeleteThat was nice!
ReplyDeleteThat quote of T. S. Eliot flummoxed me.
ReplyDelete"Quis hic locus, quae regio, quae mundi plaga?"
Do read Marina.
I just did:):) Have to read to five times over--such music, such meaning!
DeleteBhavana, you made me feel bay of bengal through this post. Amazing. You have scribbled your experince of nature so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteIt goes on my list of holiday planners. Thank you so much. Will visit the other link for more details of the place.
:):) Do, it is absolute fun and a total thrill!
DeleteRefreshing experience.
ReplyDeleterefreshing all right--all thoughts leave you, you are so empty when in sea!
Deleteit is great fun, we used to do it when we were at the University at Pondicherry, but there were no life jackets or anything like that :-( but it was still fun....
ReplyDeleteSantosh, you folks must have been fishes then...the fishermen don't wear life jackets..it is only we urbanites who do :)
DeleteYour description was so fresh & clear-i could almost feel the waves.
ReplyDelete:) it is very soothing, Induji..I could hardly believe how sweet and soothing it was...
DeleteFor a significant number of urban professionals, recreation and socialization has been reduced to pubbing, partying, television and the social media. It is essential that the connect with nature be reinforced and promoted through activities like these. Good news is that growing numbers of people are looking for such options. Thanks for sharing this experience and information.
ReplyDeleteYes, so true Subhorup!!! We need to be with nature more often and there is so much of thrill and drama and story out there, if only we would step out...so many of my trekker friends have become lovely writers and photographers...many of the bloggers are nature enthusiasts!!! We write our own TV series:):)
DeleteI am petrified of going into water but once I am there for 5 mins I will not come out. I was in Cape Cod last summer and it was fun. But the paradox you mentioned, that event was heart wrenching. So many lives were taken in that tragedy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know and in the same place to connect and feel safe in the Sea was so wierd!!!
DeleteI can see you have loads of fun..Nice post Bhavana..:-)
ReplyDelete:):) join in the fun!!!
DeleteThis is the way life can be lived. Trekking, floating at the sea, what not!!!Enjoy lady!
ReplyDelete