Marina Beach: Beach tips for someone who doesn’t love beaches
Rough waters knew I wasn’t a fan. It shared its feelings towards me by completely soaking my pants.
Marina Beach
Marina Beach is the world’s second longest beach and is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. My younger cousin, Shaun, would describe going to the beach after church on Sundays when my relatives lived in Chennai.
Now, if I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of the beach. I like water. I like seashells. I also enjoy admiring how the blue of the sky and sea would meet at the horizon. Put me on a blanket, give me a book or a watercolor set and I’d be content for sometime, but not long. There was something about the fanfare of going to the beach that turned me off. Anytime I heard the word beach, I couldn’t help the subtle sigh I would make subconsciously.
While planning our Chennai excursion a few days prior, we planned on taking a boat and go fishing. Fishing at the beach seemed better than the alternatives. What more was there to do at the beach other than sittinb on the sand, playing in the sand, and then washing off the crusty sand in the salty water? I’ve been to many beaches along the East Coast of US. Each beach as amusing as the last. One hour of peace followed by hours of complaining about the sand settling in places sand should not be.
Unfortunately the Bay of Bengal did not want to cooperate with our plans. The seas were too rough. Rough seas meant no sailing. No sailing meant no fishing excursion. Rough seas meant going on a typical beach trip...yay.
If I could impart any advice on someone going to Marina Beach it would be GO EARLY. The only thing that could make a typical beach day worse is a crowded beach. Especially so when that beach is a favorite spot for tourists and locals alike. I guess the benefit of being the second longest beach in the world is that there is room for everyone. But loud beaches are another thing I don’t like. Rolling out of bed at 6 AM to get to the beach at 8 might have been a slight annoyance, but it makes all the difference. At least a quiet beach meant there was some sense of peace.
The other piece of advice, which would seem silly all things considering, is 1) bring a swimsuit and 2) bring an extra pair of clothes. Boy did the Bay of Bengal get me good for underestimating it. I refused to bring both a swimsuit and an extra pair of clothes. I was determined to keep (reasonably) dry. I pictured myself only dipping my feet in the water and then retreating to the blankets we had packed.
I should have known from the moment the sea winds almost stole my hat that I wouldn’t have my way. By the time I got to the shore, my pants (rolled up to my the middle of my shins) had sand hiding in the folds. The sand was slightly more irritating that the dry sand I was walking on.
This brings me to my next two tips:
- Wear shorts- not worth the hassle of rolling up your pants. You will get sand everywhere. It’s guaranteed.
- Take quick light steps on the sand. The longer your foot sits in the sand, the more your foot sinks in. It makes the world of difference. There is nothing more irritable than having your feet keep sinking from under you.
Thankfully, I had a mission to distract myself from the weight of my feet sinking deep into the sand. I was on the hunt for seashells. No, they were not for souvenirs. I needed seashells for an art project I was doing with kids I teach at Sunday School. This was an alternative to buying overpriced shells at the craft store. The hunt for small perfect shell kept me busy until we got to the shore.
Next tip is in regards to setting up your station aka the beach blanket. Before you reach your desired destination grab something with weight (like rocks). It saves the struggle of using your foot as a weight and almost falling into a split to grab a rock just out of reach. Also try to keep your feet off the blanket, sand on the blanket is the first step to getting sand in every crevice and crease of your clothing.
Now what?
So here I am, at the blanket with a plastic baggy full of shells. What do I do now?
How can a person who doesn’t love the beach enjoy the beach?
Since Marina Beach is a popular spot, there were plenty of activities to do besides just sitting by shore, collecting seashells and playing in the sand and Bay of Bengal .
Fishing
If you make arrangements the day or two before you can organize a fishing trip. Of course, this is really dependent on the weather. If the waters are too rough like the day we went, this could be difficult to organize.
Moments before I almost fell of this horse.
Riding Horses
I haven’t been to many beaches in India, but there are always horses running around (with supervision of course) . In a spur of the moment decision, we decided to take horse rides along (part) of the beach. It sure beat staring at the sea for hours. Now, it might be good to note that, I have never ridden a horse before. So while the easy trot was fine, I did think I was going to die or break another bone when we began to gallop. Leave galloping to the professionals.
Enjoying beach snacks
There are always food stalls at the beach. You will (almost) always find coconuts, mangos, cucumbers and other beach appropriate fruits at the beach. They are especially refreshing when enjoyed by the sea.
Cocunut Tip
If you have decided to enjoy a coconut, congratulations you are in for a treat if you know what you are doing. Walk up to the stall and get a coconut. Usually the stall owner will pick one out for you, but if you are confident in your coconut picking skills you can usually point out the one you want. The next step is where most people mess up. Most tourists will see the stall owner cut open a hole for a straw, receive the coconut and walk away with their coconut. Doing that is only half of the experience. Finish your coconut water and then hand back your coconut the stall owner. HAND IT BACK! The person will make a few chops and baaaam, you will get to try the flesh of a young coconut with a spoon made with the shell. There is nothing that scream beach more than scooping out the flesh of a coconut near the sea.
Upgrade your Mango/Cucumber/Papaya
The other popular treat to try on the beach is chili fruits. Stalls will generally have your typical refreshing summertime fruit ready to enjoy. But if you see the locals leaving with something a little extra on their juicy mangos, I can guarantee that they added a sprinkle of chili powder.
Amusement Park Rides
Occasionally you will find the typical carousel, swing or the tea cup ride. I have never been on one at the beach, but I do recall seeing kids lined up and ready to go.