By this place’s standards, it’s high season here. The huts all fill up and at least a couple dozen newcomers a night sleep out on the beach or in unoccupied hammocks at one of the shacks.
I was fully expecting a full moon party thing, but it’s remained mellow here. The beach people stay up after midnight and make music, smoke or whatnot. It’s like a resort here, without the ammenities. One can see the changes coming one day, though. It’ll probably be alright. Om and the other beaches will go through a period of side by side shacks before the industry matures.
I went to bed reserving the right to change my mind about anything. I woke up early as usual. The shack guys here were comatose, so I went up the beach. Ganesh was open. Nirvana was open, and I looked in to see if Kathryn was up and around. She wasn’t, so I went to Ganesh, sat with a chai, and decided to leave for Mangalore.
The most common way to smoke hash or “chalas” here and everywhere I think is to break it up into little pieces, kind of roast it with a match, and roll into a tobacco cigarette. A piece of a hardback pack of cigs is made into a roll and used as a crutch. When I got back to my shack, Surya was sitting at the table my group often sits at. He smokes all day, way too much really, but I sat with him and had a last doob for I presume a long time.
After breakfast, I published that last blog. Jeez, I had to bail on downloading the pictures last night, the connection was so slow. At least today it eventually happened and I could send it off. Basically, I’m killing time till I take a rickshaw to the train station. The train leaves sometime after 4, so I’m here till maybe 2:30. Then it’s “so long” to my vacation from travelling.
It’s been good for me to hang out. I was getting spent. And for what? I haven’t quite gotten used to retirement maybe. I’m sure the rest of my trip this time will be at a slower pace. That said, going to the Western Ghats and relaxing quietly in the forest and tea plantations was an idea. I now think I won’t. I’m pretty relaxed and more feel like going to Mysore. There’s lots to see there. I can be busy. Woohoo. Besides, after that I’ll probably go to Kerala and lounge around on a backwater cruise. That will be a lot more upscale than the one in Kashmir.
That’s about it for now. I’m packed and paid up, and it’s time for an early lunch before leaving. Take care, you all.