Keith is from Castle Rock. For those who dont know Castle Rock, Castle Rock is a place on top of the Sahyadris, just crossing the Goa border. When you go by train from Londa to Goa, Castle Rock is the place where the slopes of the Sahyadris begin. It is the last big station in Karnataka.
Coming from Goa, during the old meter guage times, at Kulem (the British called it Colamb), the train used to attach a second coal engine to it to climb the Sahyadris. At Castle Rock, it used to get removed.
I have such great memories of Castle Rock. In the rains, heavens wouldnt compare to this area.
Also, life centered around trains in this place. And Keith took to the same profession -- he became an engine driver just like his father. Keith is 62 now retired from the Indian railways.
His father was a mechanic of the coal engines, and Keith worked as a mechanic of the diesel engine.
Keith is still well built at 62. He is a bachelor and one look at hiim, one can see he is a man from the mountains. Keith tells us stories of wild boars, and snakes, and how life or at least used to be at Castle Rock. Also of river fish, and sorpotel and other exotic dishes.
With high-speed air travel, we have forgotten those romantic times of train travel. I keep telling Keith we should go for a weekend and visit Castle Rock.
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