Le Grand Tour D'Asia: Day 19 of 58

Celebrating India's National Day

January 26th, 2010

Learning Moment: Kovalam Beach, Chennai

Today was National Day in India. We slept in a bit, ate a buffet lunch, and then went to Dakshinachitra to look at Indian architecture and crafts. We saw folk dance, shadow puppets, very cool buildings, and some great art.

I bought two Ganesha statues and then we headed back to the hotel.

There was still daylight, so I headed down to Kovalam beach to make new friends. I watched an informal game of cricket and then spotted this boat flying the Indian flag. It seemed like a good idea to get a photo of the flag on national day, so I introduced myself to these fishermen and got a picture of all of us around the flag.

Le Grand Tour D'Asia: Day 17 of 58

Children of Kovalam

Sunday, January 24th

Learning Moment: Fisherman's Cove, India

This afternoon, we walked down the beach to Kovalam, a small fishing village 25km south of Chennai. It was a beautiful day. The sun was warm, the wind was light, and the air was clear. We could see the skyline of Chennai - a first for us from Fisherman's Cove.

In the evening, the fishermen return with their catch, which immediately goes up for sale on the beach. The local kids come down to the water's edge to swim and play.

The children were quite thrilled to have their photos taken, so I shot about 100 pictures of them in groups, pairs, and solo.

I love the energy that is present during these interactions. They mug, hug, and tug each other around, begging for more.

I could shoot faces all day long, and Indian faces are among my favorite.