Dudhsagar Falls The drive is long and dusty to Dughsadar Falls. Through forest thick the truck hops along the rutted road, past leaf hidden shanties The tang of fermenting cashews Is strong enough to choke. We journey on, deeper into the unknown. Our driver points out the railway, numbers the dead. Halting, we are guided through the trees by a cousin. Warned to watch our step lest snakes lie basking in the tropical warmth. We …showed first 75 words of 191 total…

…showed last 75 words of 191 total…to its ruin in a glassy pool. We are not alone. Red and gold fish dart and weave through a seething horde of rowdy tourists bathing in sun dappled water. A whoop. The monkey man calls down his minions. 'Cashew, Cashew, 50 rupee'. Survival of the strongest, the ruthless, the most commercial. We bask until near dusk. Until the dust of four wheel drives settles and the light dims. The journey home is humdrum, lacking desire.