Friday’s Place was conceived originally to be a seaplane base, the first in India. Mark and Sujeewa, inveterate travellers by float plane and motorcycle, designed and constructed the first two buildings, ably crafted in teak and paduak, by carpenters Karthik and Manikan. In fact, this was their first ever building project. Before they had only made furniture. The first two looked so good and as the flying project was getting hung up in a maze of burocracy,we decided to build two more cottages so others could experience this watery haven.
The lie of the land, with fifty metres of river frontage, is striated with narrow canals which network an extended area for the sole purpose of harvesting coconuts. Accordingly each cottage is on its own little island with a natural garden of palm and acacia trees interplanted with jasmine and flowering shrubs.The cottages are thatched with palm leaf and raised above the ground on granite steddle stones. This ensures exceedingly good ventilation which keeps the cottages remarkably cool. Each cottage has fan, wash basin and bidet. The logistics of plumbing, with our canals, has dictated that we have a shared bathroom. Like the owners it's alternative! Four metres square with rain shower head and central four feet square copper shower tray, loo and bidet, honeymooners seem to get stuck in there.
All cottages have a spacious veranda from which you can glimpse life on the river. Relaxing in your hammock you'll see old stiched hull boats punted by carrying coconuts, firewood and provisions as they must have done in Solomon's time. At night fishermen lamp along the riverbank and in the early hours the sand miners retrieve golden sea sand from the sand bar whilst others dredge for river sand. It is mixed together and produces probably the world's worst building sand. Great for bridge construction and high rise building!
All our cottages are built with great care and a contemporary aesthetic. Well shaded and surrounded by water, temperatures are cooler here and as has been said, no mosquitoes!
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