Friday, January 28, 2011
Kerala India
It is a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
(WIKI altered...)
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
Poverty In India
The poverty that fills the alleys, streets, waterways and sidewalks of India is at the top of my Culture Shock list.
Begging…At any stoplight you will often have the sudden appearance of a very young, bedraggled child or a woman carrying a baby. Often the baby is quite silent, peering through the glass, piercing into your eyes and heart as only the very innocent can. No requests from them…they are just a mirror for you.
The most painful experience I have had in India has been to deny this direct request for help.
Now, most of us have seen “Slum Dog Millionaire”…or seen enough of it to understand that the money given to beggars doesn’t always work in a way that you would ever want to support. I can’t know that that is always the case…I don’t think there is any one “case” or “answer”. I can only say that I have decided to give money when a beggar approaches my car.
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