The Shifting Sands

The kayak prepared and ready for a first light launch After the crystal clear waters of Sri Lanka and the clean water of Goa and Alibaug, I was back to a morning coffee run in the latte colored waters of Mumbai.   The photo is a trick,  the water was filthy A friend who had moved to the north of the City had told me that Marve beach was very clean and he had started fishing there of a morning.  A clean beach in Mumbai was like being told a bout a sighting of a white whale so I organised a Sunday paddling trip from the clean beach of Marve to Vasai to finish up at an old Portuguese Fort. Sunup on the water, where else would I want to be? I arrived before dawn to launch at the ferry landing at Marve on the romantically named Mud Island.  The beach was clean but the water in the river mouth was filth.  The tide was ebbing and the current was strong so I am sure that they contributed to the detritus floati...

After Christmas and the New Year, there was much internal debate about if the girls should go back to Australia or stay in Mumbai and do something locally.  Ewan and Nicola, friends from Mumbai, had built two "shacks" and were building a large house near Tangalle in southern Sri Lanka and there was a long standing invitation for us to visit.  After much consternation Kate and Ada and I decided that Sri Lanka was the best option. Lucy opted for the long drive to Goa and a holiday with her friends family. In doing my research on Sri Lanka, I was able to identify an adventure outfitter, Borderlands, who were willing to hire a composite sea kayak to me for a number of days at a reasonable rate.  This was amazing as it is often hard to hire this type of equipment.  With a kayak I was able to plan my usual schedule of early morning paddles. Shack 2 The differences between India and Sri Lanka first hit us at the customs desk at the international airport, ...