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The wet look is hot right now

The monsoon has hit us early and it was just yesterday we were grumbling about the heat. M. RAGHURAM captures the spirit of the season

PHOTO: MURALI KUMAr K.

NO ESCAPE Rain is a great leveller — every Manglorean, no matter who he is, is bound to get a soaking some time or the other

Go to the window and look out. It's almost as if summer never happened. Where are the flies, heat and dust? This coastal city gets over 90 days of rain a year, turning it into a green paradise with rippling water bodies amongst sylvan settings.

The monsoon has hit the city a little early and the umbrellas and raincoats are out. Rain is a great leveller — every Manglorean, no matter who he is, is bound to get a soaking some time or the other. Certainly there's nothing better than the countryside to enjoy the bountiful effects of the monsoon. With the city rapidly expanding, its denizens also are getting upwardly mobile. So boggy roads and stuck tyres are big dampeners for this lot. However, there are those who love such misadventures, especially the foreign tourists so bored of perfect infrastructure they pine for some chaos in their lives.

These brave souls sportingly battle heartburn after eating a meal of hot kane ghasi with rice and piping hot fish fry at the local eatery, but those are all joys of monsoon for a foreign tourist who may not get in his country. But not before downing the local kali (toddy) that packs in a much bigger kick than the ubiquitous beer.

For the less adventurous, a drive through the countryside, particularly towards Moodbidri (NH 13) will be a fulfilling experience. The highway is in top-notch condition, offering unbeatable vistas of rustic life: little thatched houses, grand old houses of the landlords, Jain basadis, green fields that fill the expanse of land, little shops that sell anything from a ginger soda to wild berries and fruits. The distance between Mangalore and Moodbidri is just a little more than 35 km and is well worth the drive.

On the road to Dharmasthala, the stretch between B.C. Road and Ujire also captures true spirit of the monsoons. The road meanders through forests, occasionally affording glimpses of green mountains capped with white clouds and fresh water bodies of various dimensions.

Don't forget to stop for homemade thirst quenchers at small roadside shacks which are delectable and full of the goodness of spices. Try the local specialty — tender coconut with beaten rice and mashed bananas which is both nourishing and filling.

Fish freaks may not get fresh marine fish varieties in monsoons, but river fishes like kane, irpe, aeri, kemberi and mussels are available in plenty. But then, there's an unbeatable consolation prize: dried fish curry with either raw mango or hog plums that is aromatic and tangy. Also, the dried fish chutneys with shreds of roasted dried shark and dried prawns with a hot pot of ganji (rice porridge) should go down very well.

Chapatis and akki rotti with the halasina bele (jackfruit seeds) chutney is a monsoon staple of villagers. Thanks to some innovative eateries all along the district, these are now available to the urban palate. And the range of rotis has new additions such as jolada rotti and ragi rotti (millets) in Mangalore.

The monsoon season has its own favourite evening snacks also, primarily the aromatic halasina happala (jackfruit papad), much prized for its tantalising taste of the tangy and the sweet.

THE HAZARDS

Fog lamps are a must.

The car should be equipped with defogger in both rear and the front. Rear wiper is not a luxury but a necessity. If there is no defogger, the blower duct should be directed towards the windshield to clears the fog.

Don't be in a hurry. Roads are known to develop potholes overnight and some of them might be downright dangerous.

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