The ayurvedic center where I stay is at the juncture of two canals, one wide (with governmentally organized stone walls along each side) and one narrow (with fringes of grass, logs, shrubs). I was sitting in front of my cottage (109 with air conditioning) when I saw a wide canoe come into view displaying a small canopy. Under the colorful canopy were four plastic seats that were covered with orange towels. I montioned to the paddler, asking if he would take me for a ride. So he crewed right over and said, " 150 for an hour". I said "o.k., but I only want half an hour, but i'll pay you." So he agreed after taking some time to think it over. I got in, sat on the plastic seat, we took off, then I looked back and grabbed the front oar and said "I am going to paddle." When we got to the middle of the juncture, heasked, "Big canal, small canal." And I said, "small canal" so we went through this small opening, a kind of creek. It was lined like the other canals with houses, some huts, but generally well built structures, men and women were bathing, women cleaning pots and pans, squatting on large flat stones placed just above the edge of the water. We went further and further and then he said something like "mooogar, moogar"and I looked back and he was pointing and I followed his finger and hanging just above my head on a series of trees leaning over the canal, mangos ripening.
