February 24, 2003
Backwater 'Snow'
Riding through the backwaters of Kerala, we approached a settlement that looked like it was covered in localized snow. It turned out to be a primitive factory for converting the shells of tiny mussels dredged from the canal into a simple calcium-based fertilizer used in farming around the region.
The process is simple but interesting, and I'll run a series of photos on it later. This factory was probably the crudest we encountered -- the dust venting freely. The liason we travelled with gave a vague, sad remark about the deleterious health effects of breathing it regularly.
Unfortunately there are few alternatives to the basic backwater jobs of fishing, subsistence agriculture, rope making, and fertilizer baking.
(taken with 400ASA Kodak "Max" print film)