Google GPS, on our friend Raghavan’s i-Pad, gave us the WORST possible route to Pulicat Lake….we were practically off-roading, through roads that were completely broken donw in areas, winding through lorry container terminals and piles of plastic trash….but it was a hilarious trip because of that….and the sunset was lovely:

We were running out of daylight by the time we reached the lake, and we also stopped at one point, where we watched two Pied Kingfishers playing with eacht other, and then fishing in the reeds.

We bargained with the first person who offered a boat ride. Though he didn’t, I think, know too much about the birds, he did give us a great ride, up to the sand bars close to the open sea. We waded on to the sandbars to watch some painted storks, some duck, some gulls and perhaps a couple of sandpipers (it was too dark by then, to be sure.)

We came back watching the light of the lighthouse reflected in the waters of the brackish lake.

After our return, Antony treated us to tea at the local tea-shop, and we wished him and his son Winston Jarvis, and the rest of the family, a very merry Christmas in advance.

The fishing is mainly carried on by three villages in the area, the residents of which take turns to go out fishing. Tiger prawns, says Antony, fetch about Rs.400 to 450, as do rare species of fish and eel.The ramilies are predominantly Christian, belonging to the Church of South India.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore a very interesting-looking, 500-year-old Dutch cemetery that we passed.

Here’s a quick video of the fish jumping through the air as our diesel-propelled boat passed: