Rock Walk cont.

We drove a short distance from the house, parked the car and clambered up the first of many huge boulders.  At the top were a few houses, obviously no running water, or electricity but good brick built houses.  

As we walked down and around, we came to this old temple that has been built under one of the boulders, it was so well hidden and protected from the elements.  As we stood on top of the boulders if we looked one way we could see the ever expanding 'modern' Hyderabad, if we turned and to the other side of the boulder we caught a glimpse of what Hyderabad used to look like, rice paddy fields, men herding their goats and a sense of serenity.  Of course, these boulders will probably soon be blasted and developers will encroach even more upon the little greenery there is left.

I love this photo, and shows you how amazing they look, and how finely balanced they are.

At the top of the hill where the houses were, we witnessed the slaughter of two sheep (or maybe goats?).  It was the evening before Eid started and Muslims were in preparation for their main religious festival.  Pete was with us straining at the leash to get closer to what would have been heaven for him.  LOL

Hyderabad's Boulders

One of the unique features of Hyderabad is the huge boulders that dot the landscape.  I have never seen anything like it before.  You have huge boulders precariously balanced on top of other huge boulders.  Unfortunately, they are now becoming quite rare given the development of the area.  Whereas they were previously built around or on top of, they are now blasted to smithereens to make way for new buildings.  Apparently, I am told, they stem from the jurassic period!!  We joined some friends on Sunday for a 'rock walk'.  

A tight channel, have to be careful who is invited on this trail as the path through was rather tight.

Sports Day

It was school sports day last Friday.  The kids were very excited by it, more so William and Bethan.  Lawrence had a slightly different approach, odd given that he is the one who is the sportiest.  I think this is because he hates to lose, and whereas last year he swept up all the medals this year there was an added element of competition since a new boy has joined the school in Lawrence's year group.  For the first time Lawrence has some competition, and he doesn't like it!  Anyway, here they are in action...

William competing in a twist on the egg and spoon race

Egg sandwiches and a flask of coffee

Lawrence in the shot putt

Bethan trying so hard in the sack race

One man and his dog

Have not said much about Pete lately.  He is still with us (a dog is for life, blah blah blah!).  But, he is definitely John's dog.  Here he is having his first bath.  Growing well, but still only approx. half his expected adult weight.  He has a few friends on our estate, Eddie, a ridge back from Germany (language seems to be no barrier here).  Eddie is very tolerant of Pete, who is always the eager, over the top one.  And, there is Ashoka, a Heinz 57 Indian street dog.  Ashoka is slightly younger than Pete but has already taken over Pete in height.  Again, Pete is the eager 'beagle' and you can tell that Ashoka thinking "For god's sake Pete, calm down."

John tells me we are expecting too much too soon of Pete.  He is 5 months next week and as yet all furniture etc is intact.

The mornings are a lovely and cool 22 degrees at the moment and I walk Pete around the park for a few kms.  I then drop him off to John where Pete has been going to work with John for the past few weeks, only a couple of hours a few days a week.  He seems to be excepted though does run circuits like a lunatic around and under all the desks, and then collapses with exhaustion like a good boy when John is in a meeting.

He is off to the kennels again next week when we go on holidays, but Ashoka will be in the same kennels with him so hopefully he won't feel too home sick.