Saturday, December 28

After breakfast, Irma suggested that Naa and I should go to see Biju at EB Beauty for a massage. She, phoned, he was free, and off we went.

We are approaching the nursery at the bottom of the hill, and one of the local goats is tethered to a tree on a very long lead. It stands up and walks towards us when we approach. It has extremely long ears and a very odd face. Since the other goats look like this we assume that, like the cats’ long ears, this is a local trait.

Naa will have her neck and shoulders massaged and I will have the Indo-Swedish massage. It will feel great but, just like two years ago, my calf muscles will be extremely painful when they are massaged. I will talk to Hari about this in the evening and he will show me a stretching exercise to strengthen them.

In the afternoon Irma and I will take a rickshaw to Kovalam Junction to a herbalists. Walking back we will stop at the Junction Art Gallery Cafe, which will be like entering another Hemingwayesque world. Two old Italian men will be sitting drinking expresso and reading newspapers while the Indian artist who owns the place chats and wanders around.

After stopping for milk, eggs and more at Divine Supermarket we will get a tutktuk home with a driver we already know.

In the evening we will walk to Leo to eat. I will have egg masala and a cheese naan. We will meet Hari there, chatting with an English couple we remember from previous years. We will tell them about tomorrow’s laughing yoga session, which we found out about at the art gallery cafe, and they will all claim that they will see us there.