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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
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The Godavari river drains out to the Bay of Bengal here.Rice from the entire east and west Godavari basin is brought here and exported by ship. the delta is criss-crossed by many creeks and canals drawing in the saline backwaters into the mainland.The backwaters are used for intense prawn culture. The black boats used here are very different from the stitched boats. They look like scooped out tree trunks and are called nawas. the strong smell of drying fish hangs heavy in the air. For the fishernman the sea is both the provider and the destroyer. The large number of circular cyclone shelters are nagging reminders of the fact that cyclones are common here. Weather warnings often arrive too late leaving the fisherman completely to the mercy of the waves.
Miles and miles of unexplored, virgin sandy beaches, the azure seas with gentle waves playing against the rocks, green Eastern Ghats running all along the shorecombined with ethnic fishing communities combine to make the Coromondel coast a destination to remember.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Travelling south along the Coromondel coast we headed for Kakinada.On the way we stopped over at Yanam, the Pondicherry of Andhra Pradesh. This erstwhile French colony was and still is under the administration of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The local church which dates back to 1769 recalls the French presence. The stained glass work and derelict stone slabs bearing French names of soldiers who died fighting of whispers stories of valour. The bright red French cap of the traffic policeman adds a touch of nostalgia to all this. .Kakinada is the district headquarter of East Godavari, famed for its rice.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
On the other extreme of Vizag, crossing to the other side of Dolphin’s Nose, there are two isolated and virgin beaches, Gangavaram and the Yarada beach. The privately owned Yarada beach draws many picnicers on Sundays but on all other days a real quiet place to lap up all the serenity of mother nature as the waves rise and fall moaning against the deserted shoreline. The Gangavaram village has an ancient Shiva temple that is partially sunk into the sand over the years. These places are untouched in every sense. The children unaccustomed to visitors, trail you wherever you go and stare unabashedly.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Walking through half-deserted streets in the neighbbouring town of Bhimunipatnam I saw interesting morsels of daily rituals along this part of the Coromondel coast. Life is pretty quaint and laid back here. My unhurried promenade brought me to the Dutch cemetery. Bhimunipatnam was a settlement of The Dutch East India Company on the Eastrn coast in the 17th century. The beach is beautiful. The water lashes against the few rocks jutting into the water to create good surf. There was a small band of intrepid sea-worshippers and stepping gingerly into thrilling the surf I joined them. To take a break from the sun-and-sand scene I entered a wayside stall.and ordered lunch. Wonderfully flaky fragrant rice arrived on glistening plaintain leaves. a hot chilli-red curry of shrimps was heaped in the center. Taken unawares I was soon smarting from the ‘hot” assault! But it was so very delicious that I devoured the entire meal down to the last grain of molakolakulu that Andhra Pradesh so proudly grows.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The next afternoon I took a walk along the coastline starting with the U-shaped Lawson’s Bay. An uninterrupted clean strip of sand hugs the surf lined shore of the Bay of Bengal. Because it is slightly inaccessible, I had to clamber down some 500 feet from the road , very few people frequent this beach. Isolated, I watched the horizon dappled with the white smudges of sails. Walking farther on I came to the fishing village of Mangamarpeta. The sail boats were closer now and some of them had already lowered their masts and were hauling their heavy “stitched boats” out of the water. It became instantly clearto me why I had seen so many women squatting on the beach. They briskly set about to sort out the day’s catch and within minutes made neat piles of fish, mainly mackerel. The fishing community here is still carrying out traditional fishing practices and trawler fishing has not taken them over completely I was happy to note.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I started my sight-seeing with a visit to the Kailashgiri Hills. This spot in the Eastern Ghats offers stunning views of the hinterland sprawled below. Here I claimed my piece of turf and sat back to enjoy the show, for it is a horribly popular locale here. Loads of noisy sight-seers disembarking from mammoth sized buses, flower bedecked Telugu belles clinging coyly to lover’s arms, there is always something interesting to see. The four beaches of Vizag, Ramakrishna beach, Palm beach, Lawson’s Bay and the Rushikonda beach stand out clearly from this vantage point. The contours of the Indian landmass show up prominently. The colour of the sea changed from turquoise to inky blue to a hazy grey as the sun went down behind the coconut fronds and the city lights come on one by one and the coast hugging road turned into a glittering garland of lights.
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krishnag
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Coast line of Andhra Pradesh
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Vizag looks like any other busy township. The entire place is geared to the business traveller. There are no loud signboards peddling surf and sand. There is no hint of sunshine in the matter of fact traffic. In fact it is the lack of tabloid tourism that sets this town apart. The sea simply exists in a parallel presence. Nonetheless the main economic activity is sea related. The Vizag port is a leading port of India with a natural harbour for round the clock navigation. Visakhapatnam derives its name from the god of valour, Visakha, and was once a small, obscure fishing village. It was transformed into a port town during British Raj, and the first ship, Jaladurga entered the Vizag Port on 7th October, 1933. It is also the site of India’s largest ship building yard. The familiar landmark at Vizag is the Dolphin’s Nose, a rocky ridge prominently projecting into the sea. A powerful beacon of a lighthouse set on it directs ships 65 km. away.
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