MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024
KSS Pillai
We are fortunate to have a vast coastline along the three sides of the country. I have been spending most holiday evenings, like the last Sunday, on beaches for years, enjoying the bounty of nature. Though the scenes on the beaches are repetitive, they never lose their novelty.
While enjoying the gentle breeze and the weak sun rays on the beach, I see a tiny-looking ship on its way to some faraway destination. Several fishing boats move into the deep sea to spend hours among the waves to catch different types of fish in their nets before turning towards the shore where the usual crowd wait.
Some adventurous people move fast in speed boats away from the shallow waters. A few bolder ones enjoy parasailing over the sea. They glide through the air wearing an open parachute while being towed by a fast motorboat. It is also an enjoyable sight for those on the beach.
There are camels and horses on the beach, offering drives. An inebriated rider often falls off his mount onto the loose sand of the beach, providing a hearty laugh to the onlookers. The animal, perhaps no stranger to such incidents, waits patiently for the rider to get up. Sometimes, the father sits behind a child on the animal while the owner runs with the animal.
People usually shed their inhibition after having a drink or two. Even parents do not mind their toddlers having a taste of wine. The entire family is seated in a shanty, the women and children leisurely having their glasses of sweet wine while the men consume strong liquor in the company of hot 'chats' from the vendors roaming the area. Shanty owners have no objection to their customers patronizing the vendors selling those items, mixing different ingredients like a magician performing with his hands dancing in all directions.
Some visitors prefer to spend long hours bathing in the shallow waters near the beach. Children enjoy these baths, moving with the gentle waves under the supervision of their parents. A few people bring balls with them and spend their time playing.
Beaches are becoming crowded, and the local people have been quick to take advantage of the situation. The once-sleepy villages near the beaches have devised ways to benefit financially from the added footfalls of the holidaymakers. Several shops have come up, catering to the visitors' taste buds. Restaurants and shanties keep a stock of different kinds of alcoholic drinks.
The visitors are also provided fresh non-vegetarian dishes cooked by the womenfolk. Shops selling fresh sugarcane juice and other non-alcoholic drinks have come up near the parking areas.
The sun is about to go down into the sea. It has suddenly become chilly, but the people on the beach seem not to mind. They want to see the mighty sun going under the choppy sea and the emergence of an infant moon.
Female foreign tourists in scanty dresses do not seem to mind men of all ages gawking at them. They are often amused by the disapproving looks of the women accompanying them.
As the twilight approaches, tourists start moving away with their possessions.
