Dhuuwa—a fishing village off Yala

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Shades of pink and orange reined the skyline and a green basin of water surrounded by wattle & daub huts and colourful fishing boats like a necklace—this little fishing village had a befitting label—Dhuuwa—an isolated point like an Island. The basin, which is a natural harbour, is a rare site in Sri Lanka enjoyed by these villagers who dwell here to pursue a livelihood in deep sea fishing. Many generations have made this their home for at least six months of the year. When the waves caught up with the rock formation; on occasion was splashed with cosmic orientations painted in white froth, fine as in beer making a Mandala impression on the pastel blue sky. Coral red crabs bask in the Sun upon these rocks but they are not troubled by the waves. Inquisitively they would approach my feet and when I lay motionless they started clawing at my toes—a natural pedicure.

This is a land where humans and wild animals live in harmony. Through the generations this village had one law—never to harm these wild animals as Gods will punish the whole community by the denial of a plentiful catch. There are stories of the oppressors having been exiled never to return to this site as they had broken this law and succumbed to savour their avarice of game. A Samber Deer welcomes me courteously. Some Wild Boar loitered around the place looking for scraps to eat. I have never seen such animals live with humans with such understanding. When I visited other parts of Sri Lanka where these animals dwell a cautious schemer would approach me, ‘Would you like some game sir?’ to which I would reply, ‘No thanks, I am a vegetarian’. I cannot imagine these beautiful animals on a plate and so we shouldn’t encourage poaching. Thankfully the government of Sri Lanka has taken reasonable steps to prevent it. I was advised by the fisherman not to touch them as they are wild and protected species. These animals consider the fishermen as part of their habitat and do not feel threatened by them.

I am fortunate for I was an outsider who has been welcomed by these villagers to share this life for a week. To live amongst them and experience the wildlife, to go out to sea and help them catch fish in the early hours of morning; to walk in the middle of night under the bright Moon to witness some crocodiles sleeping on the cooling rocks and to set up a net to catch a shoal of brackish water fish was a hoot. I must introduce this place to people who would love experiencing nature to this magnitude.

Sri Lanka is full of beautiful rocks as Robert Knox explained in his book. These rocks absorb the heat at day time and release it at night. I lay on such a rock surrounded by water. The night fell upon me and the stars—billions in the Milky Way above me drifted my thoughts stealing a path through the cosmos into another dimension of my life. Occasionally I noticed the satellites amongst these billions of stars on its scheduled journey rushing in one direction. How fortunate I have been to be here when not so long ago I was engrossed in the corporate chase to maximise output. And here I am optimising my life with abundance. It was a quiet night and one could hear the fish jump around. The night was disturbed by the trumpeting sounds of wild elephants nearby who had visited the waters to freshen up. The crickets made their presence in the distance making the silence more profound and a frog joined in the conversation. The net which was setup by the two fisher boys across the brook was tugged by a crocodile at the bottom of the riverbed. They asked me to touch it from one end to feel the tugging. That night they caught some fish and fried them as an accompaniment. Sitting by a fire place the fishermen, Chintake and I enjoyed the calmness of the retiring village. They drank Arrack and had the fried fish. The Wild Boar and Samber were nearby watching us as we had dinner outside under the stars.

Early next morning we woke up at four to join the fishermen to go out to sea and there was a sombre mood amongst us as we prepared for the trip. They drank some hot tea which I avoided in preparation for the choppy journey ahead of me. The old man who was the boss of the clan lit a cigarette and beckoned us to follow him. He had all the equipment necessary upon his shoulder. The nets that were cast the previous day were to be collected today. All six of us helped to push the boat into the water. The sea was rough and enormous waves broke ferociously. At this point I was asked to get in with my camera and feeling like the kid that was given the handicap I obeyed without much consultation and then Chintake followed. The rest of the crew pushed the boat further into the water and hoisted themselves up without effort. Then the engine started and we headed out into the deeper ocean. The waves were high and exciting but soon I began to feel jelly like in my brain; breathing deeper I was adamant that I wouldn’t let myself down with the seafaring discomforts. This is a tough profession; there was little land to see and the waves at times mountainous. A crimson dawn welcomed us when we caught sight of the nets that were to be pulled up. The boat engine stopped, the boys pulled the net in while the old man arranged it in some order for the next day’s casting. They had a decent catch it seemed. A shoal of baby sharks about three to four feet in length appeared one after another in the nets. Occasionally a lobster or two appeared and the old fisherman mentioned that they could be prepared for lunch.

It was an experience I wouldn’t forget but perhaps never repeat. As a kid I used to go out to sea and fish with my Father who was at that time a keen angler. During our school holidays when we spent time in a place called The Sea Angler’s Club in Trincomalee sprung to mind. I remember that at the tender age of thirteen a friend and I set out to sea in his small boat. We weren’t alone as our Dads instructed us to follow them. I remember holding my rod out and my friend steering his boat. In and out of the various islands in the Trincomalee harbour we lost the bigger boat in which our parents were and also lost our sense of direction. I remember panicking and then looking out to the deep blue sea in every direction when we noticed a white palm tree like water sprouting upwards. Whales! I exclaimed and panicked further. Before long one Whale was next to our boat and the little boat seemed about a quarter of its size. I have never been frightened so! But this gentle giant surfaced as if to say ‘hello’ and with a huge thud went under. Hindsight I consider myself lucky to have experienced it. How often can one talk about such an experience at thirteen years of age?

These villagers were most welcoming and one afternoon the head of the clan, upon hearing that we had been to sea invited us to tea. The man is highly respected by all. During times of war he had negotiated between both parties, the Sri Lankan Army as well as the LTTE for the rights of the fishermen. Being in the middle of this war geographically they survived the thirty years of war unharmed claims the leader. I suggested that we should bring foreigners to show this beautiful village and he agreed. “Yes, of course” he said. “In a changing world we have remained the same,” he stated. There is much to see here that a tourist who comes to this country will miss. Spending one night in a hut and under the beautiful stars is worth far more than the trims of a five star hotel. It is an affordable experience never ever to be forgotten.

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Comments

[Indira]

nicely written.....while reading.....you start feeling the life out there.. its simplicity. ..and touched by the phrase ....."optimising life with abundance ...instead of corporate chase to maximise output..."