As is usually the case in India, there was lots to see and lots of people watching to do (we bears do find the antics of humans fascinating). It was great to see huge numbers of the locals out enjoying themselves and they were so much more colourful and attractive than the western tourists. We were a bit intrigued though that all the young ladies we saw were going into the water fully clothed. We think they thought they were only going for a bit of a paddle, but with surf as big as that of the Arabian Sea it is difficult not to get soaked. We mused on the possibility of a marketing opportunity for Bears Unlimited in supplying Victorian style bathing costumes and bathing machines so all modesty was preserved, but before we pursue this idea we would need to consult with Raj of the Midlands branch over local customs.
Also on the beach were a fascinating variety of fishing boats. Being boat loving bears we thought we would climb aboard (with permission of the owners of course) and cast a professsional eye over their build and seaworthiness.
The first boat we tried out had loads of character and we were impressed by the craftsmanship. It was basically a canoe made out of two coconut palm trunks lashed together. As our only canoeing experience is on calm waters we thought it might take a bit more experience than we'd got to take it out through the surf so we moved on to check out a rather bigger boat.
If we'd fitted the whole of this boat in the picture we'd only have been small dots, so we settled ourselves on the prow for our photoshoot. This splendid boat was also made of coconut palms but in plank form, and the planks were stitched together and the gaps sealed with coir. We know all this thanks to the friendly fisherman owner who was on hand to tell us all about his boat - he'd never had a bear audience before. In fact he was so taken with us, that he offered to take us out with him on the night's fishing trip. The prospect of fish for tea was so great we jumped at the opportunity and had a most enjoyable evening.
Love George & Yorkie xxx
2 comments:
Kia ora - the Ipswich branch is also back in town in body if not mind after 24 hours in the air and bear clocks that think it's 13 hours ahead. We just had 2 Saturday 25ths too courtesy of crossing the international date line. How confusing is that! New Zealand is definitely bear country which we will show once our Minders sort out their photos - we did jet boating in Lord of the Rings scenery and flew in a helicopter! Enjoying reading your adventures in the meantime! Haere mae!
Kia ora Fred's Mum,
Its good to know that Isaiah, Tiny, Dale and their Minders (including you) are safely back in the country. Fred, Panda and all the gang must be very pleased. How is Kiwi finding the UK? we hope its not to cold for him! George and Yorkie suffered for the first few days back from India until they acclimatized and were pleased that they had nice thick fur.
We must say that we thought Kia Ora was a type of orange squash or a special glow over a Korean car, but as you are back from New Zealand we guess it must be a Maori greeting. We are all looking forward to seeing you pictures and hearing about your exciting adventures.
Lots of Love
All at the Norfolk Branch.
xxx
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