Monday, December 25

 

 

Bruno got up when we did and I took him for a short walk, during which he marked his territory every five metres.
After breakfast I took him for a longer walk, or he took me. I opened the gate and he chose to trot up KS Road. I wandered after him. He continued marking territory, and dealt with several packs of dogs that we met. He did this by walking straight up to them until they backed away or crouched down whining.

He didn’t seem bothered at all about walking into the middle of eight barking dogs. In fact he didn’t bark even once, just growled at one dog that didn’t back away quickly enough.

After fifteen minutes walking up KS Road he did a big shit in the middle of the road and looked at me. I turned round and he ran up to me and happily scared the same dogs on the way home.

Later in the morning I read The New Indian Express:

Miscreants open fire at contractor’s house

Two miscreants who came on a motorcycle opened fire at the residence of a contractor,located near National Highway 66 at Mulki on Saturday night. The bullets damaged the main door of the house and the bonnet of Nagaraj’s car. Police suspect involvement of underworld elements demanding hafta (protection money). They may have done this to instil fear in Nagaraj.

In the afternoon we take our usual rickshaw to the beach. Everywhere has filled up with pilgrims and holiday tourists. As we approach the end of Beach Road we ask Tangarat to drop us at the end of Temple Road so we can walk down a quieter back road to get to the beach. I notice a sign that offers astral healing to cure unknown uncomfortables. This pleases me immensely.

We come out at Leo, bump into Anu, and tell him that we will meet him at the Malibar café, which separated from Santana last year when that turned into Beach Florra hotel.

We will have lassi, fruit juice and milkshakes there. Irma had wanted to come to photograph the annual fishermen’s party, when they beach their boats to stagger around inebriated. We will watch the beach and see no boats at all, although we will notice the tide has risen further up the beach than other years.

We will learn from a surfing instructor that the high water level results from the recent cyclone, and that nobody knows if and when the usual expanse of beach will reappear. The lack of beach has stopped the fishermen from landing their boats.

We will walk back and stop at Leo, where Anu will catch up with us and give us a cake, as a Christmas present.

In the evening we will eat some of the food Anib had brought for us. I had most of the meat dish, because the others found it too spicy. I loved it.