Wednesday, January 11

 

 

We got up and had breakfast without the cat disturbing us. It arrived at the very end, raced in, and ate the dog’s food, but by that point we had all finished eating and nobody minded.

Naa and I helped with some laundry and then left to walk to Kovalam Junction. I still owe the man from the gallery-café 110 rupees. The walk takes about thirty minutes in blazing sun and, on the way, we notice a gang of men digging up a long stretch of the road. They appear to have dug up the water pipes they laid last year in order to lay them again. Tjis means that the road will not get repaired for another year since they will eait again to see if they have managed to stop the pipes leaking before they remake the road surface.

We stop and have pineapple juices at the gallery in Kovalam Junction to keep out of the sun for a few minutes, and then set off again. On the way back I stop to photograph one of the many roadside statues. We also see a number of two or three person roadside graveyards, some quite recent and well-tended.

Irma will leave to get some worm medicine for Elvis and then I will do some ironing and help with the final packing. I have become convinced in recent days that Elvis is in fact male and Irma now agrees.

At 20:30 Irma and Naa will take Elvis to Uday’s house where they will find everyone waiting for him. They will return and we will sit on the balcony for a final beer. Naa will have a final advocaat.

Whether by coincidence or not, Polly will show no interest in joining us once the dog has gone.