Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Vizhinjam is a fishing village in the town of Kovalam in Kerala, Southern India. This photograph is taken at dusk, immediately preceding the return of boats from afternoon catch. Two fisherman unload a boat and patiently await the rest of the fleet. The bay at Vizhinjam divides Christian and Muslim fishing communities; this inlet is the halfway point between those communities and one of the few parts of the bay to park a boat on shore for storage or repair. Indian fisherman are a proud people and take good care of community and fleet. Whist the communities are divided on shore, the men fish together and the beach is common ground -- a neutral place. As I took this photograph, my companion and myself were surrounded by children from the local village tugging on my shirt to see the result on the camera's LCD display.