Manga

Today was my bike (scooter) trip to the coast. Fun to just do whatever you feel like in traffic. Barren landscape. Got to Mundra Port which was very remote. Lots of trucks. No shade. Nothing else. Was burning up, so decided to head for Mandvi (beach). Got into a local village. Narrow roads flanked by bush and palm trees and date trees. Usual locals sitting by the side of the roads or on veranda walls.

Asked this burnt up fellow where Mandvi was. Like in Africa, directions always seem so hazy. People in the West use their fingers or their flat hands to point in the exact direction like a road sign. Here, its just vague - almost up to the sky. As the arm stretches out, the hand rises to kind of anywhere.

Anyway, how to get to Mandvi. He climbed onto the back, reeking of alcohol (Gujarat is an alcohol free state). I saw the burnt hand come from behind to point left or right or straight. The paths got narrower, and we had to duck for the palm trees. On and on we went. He stroked my hair. Tested my biceps. Checked for my stomach fat. On the map it's a straight road to Mandvi. We stop at a farmhouse. She points to across a newly planted field. Unsure, I drove across the field. We get to another farmhouse. Stop, and a farmer in ragged white cloth greets me. My drunk passenger thought I wanted to go to Manga, who was the farmer. We laughed about the confusion. He said it is lunch now, I must be his guest with his family. We sat in the shade on his beds that he took from inside the house, and discussed Hitler, Microsoft and London prices.

We then had lunch. His wife crouched in the shade and made it. And tea. He told me the drunk guy tried to commit suicide two years ago, by pouring kerosene over himself and setting himself alight. He copied a couple a year before who had an argument and poured kerosene over each other and combusted into flames and died.

Back in Bhuj. Fielding questions. Are you Christian (of course)? Are you married? Why not? Ok, I am married. You travel alone? What country you belong to? Who are you emailing? etc ...

Not too sure about my plans tomorrow. Might go to Dwarka (where Krishna ruled from) or stay another day and try to get to the beach in Mandvi (60 km scooter trip).

Started rereading Lolita. The book makes me feel limp and ravished.