Our river

Our house is on a river bank.  A small river flows along one long side of our property, about 20 feet below.  We can't see the river from inside our house or as we move about on the grounds.  It is too far down, and obscured by thick vegetation.

To see the river we have to stand at the edge of our property and peer straight down.  Because we rarely did this, we only recently realized that local villagers are regularly washing clothes, bathing, and socializing in the river at the base of our house, but invisible to us as we go about our normal routine.

Steps lead down to the river for the local villagers to use, and concrete slabs have been built alongside the river to use for washing and bathing.  On the other end of our property there is a shrine built into the river bank, directly below the low wall that borders our property.

Washing clothes in the river

Same view with no one present

Looking down at the river and the shrine.  Hard to see any part of the shrine.

Our normal view of the same spot - no river or shrine visible

It is strange to be in such close physical proximity to people who are carrying on their daily tasks unknown and unseen by us.  We are physically close, but worlds apart, and will probably never exchange a word or greeting with them.