Apesar de ser mais difícil ler do que escrever, como diz PVG, este blog entra em férias pelo menos até inícios de 2012, enquanto eu me afundo cada vez mais nas águas turvas da tese.

Taste of India

"Gosawi is the mad man"
Ram confided to me
Up in the mountain
Stays a guruji

This is the taste of India
And these are some cutchilis
Ram stole a matchbox
and gave it to me.

Leaving Atish's flat on the 2nd January morning...

...after a light breakfast, I made my way into Vasco. At the train station, I was sold a Sleeper class ticket on waiting list no. 47 bound for Pune over the Ghats and was told not to worry.

I hurried back to Pangim and collected my savings from the Velho house and my laundry from the New Market. I rushed back on a pilot to Ribandar to pick up my luggage a directed the same pilot back to the train station in Vasco.

On the way we passed the village of Merces where I saw a stray dog sleeping on the pedestal of a votive cross. I took that as a sign of good omen for my coming odyssey through out the Northern Konkan.

In the overcrowded train, I was quite surprised to find my name on the ticket collector's list...especially since i was given an upper berth. In Londa, many people alighted and I managed to get some sleep after a simple pulao rice.

I arrived in Pune where my agent and friend Saurabh had informed me about the rikshaw strike...still, it wasn't difficult to hire one a bit further from the station who, for double the usual price, transported me happily to Salisbury Park.

Saurabh offered me water and an excellent bed to rest. I was going to need it before our journey together.