Palolem

Palolem Beach and village in the south of the state was beautiful but almost deserted apart from the team of women trying to clean up the beach following the cyclone, but fighting a losing battle. The beach shacks had just been completed for the season before the cyclone had torn them down, leaving the beach strewn with timber and locals having to rebuild.
There were also a few women selling jewelry and trinkets who were fascinating to talk to. Looking far older than their years (due to hardship and sun?), they travelled from other states, leaving their families for the season, to earn enough money to keep them all through the leaner months. Most appeared to be subsistence farmers and each had several children to support. They told me thst some of their sons were starting to rebel against arranged marriages, but the girls had no choice in who they married. One woman lamented that she had 6 daughters between 22 and 5 to find dowries for and would have no one to look after her in her old age.Meer informatie