Twelve days since we heard from Dogster, is the old paw still playing up?

Hi tang: I'm around. Finally, after only two months doing EVERYTHING but attend to my paw, events are in train. I've been ultra-scanned and in a week [officially] find out the results. It's bunged up veins or arteries. I'd imagine I'll have to be stoic soon - but, as we all know, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I'll continue thru the specialists till there's dog blood on the surgeon's floor.

My only issue at the moment is whether all this can be accomplished by the time of Pandaw's Ganges cruise..

bniemand: I'm sorry, I missed your post. Can't think why. I'm very glad you weren't overly revolted. I've been worried about this post, imagining I'm leaving all the world gagging... but actually, the story just makes me laugh. So I'm delighted you see it in the right spirit.

When I was on the Azamara Quest, I was at my table for one as per normal. Some Australians I hadn't met looked over at me. They were friendly, but pretty drunk.

'Keith Richards...' the bottle-blonde wife slurred.

So there's your lead actor... lol lol lol

Dogster, remember, you still have promises to keep:

"Dogster's battle with the Lal Ghat Sub-branch of the Udaipur Mafia has not quite reached its conclusion. On the assumption I live till the morning - which will occur only if I stay indoors till it's time to leave for Delhi tomorrow - I will tell you everything."

You are ferocious Marija. Even tho' I've been jumping around a bit in here, I've returned to Gujarat in my mind to edit what you've already read and continue on into the next adventures in the north of the state. After that Udaipur, maybe - but I'm getting bored with low-life. It all depends on my state of mind. Leg and literature may not go together. Dunno.

And stop being impatient! lol. I've bashed out 30,000 words since I came home - all for your particular pleasure, my friend. Of course, you know that if anybody offers me the slightest encouragement I explode with words. Addicted.

I just wanted to make sure you weren't lacking for encouragement. Explode at the time and place of your choice!

Bless you Marija. Secretly I'm a bit scared about the other stuff, so I'm a bit diverted.

*ahem* Encouragement here, of the much more than slightest sort? I missed this installment of dogster genius when it first came out (I was in South Africa, trying to wrap my head around masses of mutual contradictions) but I certainly reveled in the word images this morning. (Not, mind you, in the experience of Bingo, which was simultaneously hilarious and revolting, but in the marvelous use of language to give us all the gift of vicarious experience.)

Will you be able to tell us about the Udaipur mafia before I go there in November?

Lol indiana - of course. Enough to keep you out of trouble, anyway. Somehow I think you're unlikely to meet the bad guys. The trouble with the Udaipur mafia is that the story is so labrynthine it's difficult to tell. That will be my challenge.

Amy, welcome back. Thank you. Such a lovely thing to say. South Africa is a buzz, eh? I worked on a project in Soweto for some months in a previous life. There are a few mutual contradictions there...

Keith Richards!!! Love it! (Especially when said slurred.) Your response was worth the wait. Soooo happy to now have this visual.

We'll be staying at Jagat Niwas. Is that a good choice?

I stayed there indiana. It's fine, great location, good restaurant where I ate every day. I had the lake-view suite, top floor.

There is one room, right up on the rooftop, that actually has the best view in the hotel. It's one of the cheaper rooms - if not the cheapest - but there's a sitting out area and a killer, killer view. You can sit outside your room and look across the courtyard, across the open air restaurant to the lake.

Mafia central. Directly outside Jagat Niwas the boys are waiting... heh. Take care... in fact, a massage at the little place directly opposite the passageway you'll enter thru puts you INSIDE the spiders web.

BTW indiana, if its you going to Rashmi in Varanasi [sorry, I've forgotten]: the room is 303, not 304. Top room, front, right hand side.

I think the room is #106 or something like that. A Trip Advisor post gave the room number, so that's the one we've booked. Unfortunately, the Lake Palace only allows resident guests to dine there, so we'll miss that experience.

We're not going to Varanasi this time (for a variety of reasons). Maybe next time . . .

Dear Dog - more encouragement from me - I can really do with a little good insanity in my day at the moment.

Hope the hind leg is soon mended without too much inconvenience.

I have finally just had the opportunity to catch up on dog tales. What will haunt this reader though is not the Bingo-Bongo contretemps but rather the sight -- because I saw it, the writing is that good -- of Little Sausage suspended in mid-air and too-late-horrified Hans. Sigh.

I'm delighted marya: I did a little writing trick there that I quite like so I'm glad somebody noticed. Everybody got diverted by Bingo and the slug of doom, but I quite like the street kaleidoscope, too.

Thanks Amy, MaryW, marija, - your encouragement is working. A story might divert all of us. I'm just in a brain snap till Thursday when the doctor and the Dog discuss destiny.

Keith..aah Dogster I mean, just gotta tell you, every time I see your title for this essay, I chuckle as I'm reminded of the little ditty - Midnight At The Oasis. ha-ha

Go luck with the docs. Think great thoughts. Happy endings are possible...aaah maybe I should rephrase that....quick and easy resolutions ? Oh lol you know what I mean. Bon chance.

Anybody heard from Dogster?

I see he has cancelled his Ganges Trip. I hope that old paw still isn't playing up.

Hi tang. Thanks for your concern. All is revealed here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...nd-the-doc.cfm

I'm recovering. I look and feel like I've been in a street brawl.

Sorry I missed that thread. Glad to know that you are well on the way to recovery.