Rock climbing at Karwar

It was a relief that no one took the bait to spend a day at the rocky island seriously. I would have surely lost my money. By 4:00 pm in the evening, it was low tide. The water had receded all the way to the rocky island so that one could simply walk up to it and it ceased to be an island anymore! Quite unbelievable considering how it was hemmed by choppy waves just a few hours earlier.

Rocky "island" by high-tide

The plan for the evening was to scale the rocky peak. The wet sand leading to the rocks teemed with a variety of marine life- shells, conches, crabs, sea-weeds and even starfish. One particularly precocious boy in our group was forever chasing crabs, picking them by their tentacles, examining their intricate contours, leaving them in the water... till the crabs learnt to recognise him and would squirm and run for cover!

Kids got a mouthful for getting their clothes dirty and being a nuisance- their pockets bulged with stuffed shells and copious sand and they littered the room with all this trash with absolute unconcern! Grudgingly, they parted with some of the collected booty and wore a sullen face for the rest of the evening!

It took about an hour to the top of the peak and back. Some rocks were slippery, others jagged and loose. Shrubs were thorny in places and at times, infested with ants- the path had to be chosen with care. The guide from the resort navigated us well. Once at the top, we stood by the red flag and surveyed the territory like a monarch.... the ocean stretched to eternity on one side... and the resort itself appeared distant and toy-like.
A part of the mind was racked with anxiety to get back to the resort in time- before high tide set in....The last thing you want is to lose the plot and get marooned here with half a dozen kids.. the entire night! If there's a parallel, it's quite like the feeling when you loiter a few platforms away to get a water-bottle filled....and fear that the train will depart and leave you high and dry!

The sun took a bow...a visual spectacle as it always is.....the sky aglow and the water aflame as well. Dusk changes the complexion of the ocean instantly....the mood is sombre and it's time to head home.

A note about footwear- It's important to travel with beach slippers. I made the mistake of travelling with just a pair of sneakers... and a beach isn't a place for them. For one, the feet pick up a lot of wet sand which can never be dusted off the insides of the shoes. I borrowed a pair of sandals from my friend and was spared the discomfort. We joked that I had to take good care of his sandals...carry them on my head as Bharat did Lord Ram's!

Back from the beach and we needed a bath; the bathroom had no geyser.... Bucket by bucket, the hot water had to be fetched from a central location. The further you were in the queue, the more lukewarm the water got and consequently- less fulfilling the bath! You just had to beat your friends and be the first in line. Courtesy can very well wait!

The bath had to be measured and calibrated...right to the number of mugs!
Way too much effort for a vacation.... !