Vapi Miscellany

"Miscellaneous" doesn't begin to describe this mix of items from Vapi this week!

First, what I dislike the most about India, Vapi in particular:

This stretch of the main vegetable market street is by far the worst in town for garbage. Every morning it more-or-less gets swept into the street and picked up by the garbage collectors. But overnight, the trash re-appears. Not too surprisingly, I've seen more rats in this stretch of sidewalk than anywhere else in town. I no longer even try to use the sidewalk here -- I just move out into the street. Disgusting.

This, I think, is the justification for the trash on the street. Early in the morning, the cows and buffalo browse for their favorite veggies. The cows turned up their noses at spinach greens, but seemed to relish potatoes. Of course, this adds a significant amount of cow dung to the mix.

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is pushing hard for improved sanitation and cleanliness, but he has a lot of cultural inertia to overcome. I must say, though, that Vapi's major streets have seen a lot of trash clean-up this week. Whether it's Modi's campaign or preparation for Diwali I don't know, but the difference is refreshing.

On to a different sort of domestic animal:

As we were walking through town this evening, I heard squawking that certainly sounded like a rooster. Looking up -- sure enough, a rooster and a hen on the upper floor of a small apartment block on the other side of the railroad tracks.

More random observations:

No matter how modest the abode, a satellite dish is a necessity.

Bananas anyone?

And finally, an entry in the "Weeds of Vapi" series:

This weedy plant in the mimosa family (look at those leaves!) came from Latin America with the Portuguese. It's called "touch-me-not" because the leaves are sensitive to being touched. I was first introduced to this plant in Costa Rica.

Watch the leaf at the lower left close up when I touch it.

The soundtrack is of one of the many men who come through the neighborhoods with hand carts selling vegetables, fruit, brooms, flowers, (among others) or picking up any recyclables that might have resale value.