Middle-aged flash packers

Dogs are a significant part of the Sri Lankan traveller experience.
Ignored by Sri Lankans, the dogs run their own lives and have their own rules. They see “foreigners” as people to latch on to, sources of food and comfort.
The small beach we frequent is run by 2 dog gang mafias. There is a line of demarcation which is the run off channel between the boats. Neither gang will cross it as there are “patrols” in place. Should one dog get a bit too close to the line, the patrollers will stand up , ears up, tails up, on full alert. A small growl might be emitted, to which the other gang respond by backing off but not dropping eye contact.
We have been assigned 2 dogs, a male and a female. The female is blind in one eye and is my dog. ( whether I like it or not). After a bit of a tussle where she tried to sit on my towel with me and got pushed off (she stinks) , she sits at my feet and sleeps.
Steve’s dog liked Steve’s smell very much and was a bit more persistent in trying to gain access to the towel. He obviously hadn’t recognised another alpha male and after a bit of a stand off, he also slept nearby and not on the towel. (The dog that is, not Steve).
This acceptable hierarchical situation was in stark contrast to the dog gang from the other side of the channel. Two male dogs versus five young men. They had no chance. The boys were totally dominated by the DGM. The dogs were so cocky that one of them got the biggest bloke’s towel , tussled with it and then rolled all over it. That towel will forever smell of dog.
Lunchtime, and steve and I walked along the shore to a little beach bar. The DGM were in full swing when we got there, one dog being silly enough to cross the line. Much barking and yelping.
This was all soon forgotten with the arrival of a man with a drone. He was filming a couple doing some kind of weird dance on the beach. (No I don’t know why either). Boy oh boy did the dogs hate the drone. First of all, one dog pretended to bury something and flicked sand all over the drone owner. I’m imagining it was saying ” you are nothing but a piece of dirt”.
Then all of them, even the warring dogs, joined forces and went mental, jumping up trying to get the drone out of the sky.
The bloke was terrified. I heard him saying ” the dogs won’t let me land the drone!”
Eventually a waiter took pity on him and chased the dogs away but it was very entertaining.
Later, Steve and I went for a stroll on the deserted beach to the left of our accommodation, accompanied by my faithful one eyed mutt. It was quite a long walk with little shade, and annoyingly I started feeling responsible for her so I had to find a container in which to pour some water into for her to have a drink!
So, that’s Sri Lankan dogs for you. Haters of technology, lovers of towels and experts at sneakily worming their way into your affections.