Back to Delhi…

Here we go again back to Delhi to complete the circle one last time.

Just before leaving my room for check-out and breakfast I get a phone call. Surprising as I already answered the wake-up call some 10 minutes earlier. How they think they can do wake-up calls 30 minutes before departures is beyond my comprehension… I need at least an hour to shower, put all the last minute items (used for shower) in my case etc, but somehow all over the globe there is a tendency for hotels to ‘offer’ a wake-up call 30 minutes before the confirmed departure time – do they teach them that at some global hotel-conference or something?

Nope – It’s my favourite waiter calling me to tell me that he’s making my tea in the restaurant – Black tea with milk & masala omlette will be waiting for you – ok? I have to laugh and feel like a queen. I don’t know if it is the weirdness of a single woman traveling to hotels normally associated with groups or just me talking to everyone, but I felt really looked after during this trip. It is as if without the ‘safety’ of a group you are free to connect with the locals on a different level.

Yesterday after the wallet incident I got questioning looks from the staff when I went to the lobby for the safari – all I had to do was laugh and point at my backpack – It’s in there! Sometimes words are not required to share a joke.

Breakfast was great, my waiter friend telling me about his family and his sightings of various animals in the park at night during his 15 minute bicycle ride home. He sees the elusive Sloth bear regularly – besides the tiger the one other animal I would have loved to see. I asked him about being afraid of the tigers alone on the bicycle. He laughs, noooooo I have torch! You see tiger you wave torch and jump (he demonstrates) and it goes away. Man.. that would be a sight in the dark, guess I would leave that too.. looks like indigestion waiting to happen – smart tiger.

Then with a wave to the staff we’re off on the jeep. If Varanasi is the city of cows, then this small town just outside Ranthambore is the city of pigs. Everywhere there are pigs, great and small in the road, next to the road, in alleyways. We have to stop for three in the middle of the road, they give the driver a dirty look before moving to the side. I had to stifle a giggle as he just shrugged and drove round them, just in case they change their mind about the direction.

On the station there was a dog that broke my heart. He had some serious skin disease that made him look a lot worse than he probably felt as he was otherwise well fed. A course of anti-biotics, a bath and some anti-flea treatment would do him wonders, no chance of that here.

I boarded the train with a group of French tourists – adding insult to the injury of my favorite sandal breaking just minutes earlier. Somehow all along I had the feeling those sandals were not going to see South Africa again. I’m still in two minds of taking them home and seeing what the local shoe magician can do for them or giving up on them and cutting my losses.

The train journey was without incident. To drown out the french I listened to music while staring out the window. So lost in my reverie that the smell of curry close by made me wonder who the crazy person was eating curry in the morning, only to realize I’m still in India and this was quite normal at 10am.

I arrived at the station and was collected by Mansingh and Vijay (company rep). While maneuvering the Delhi-afternoon traffic we confirmed the arrangements for tomorrow’s pick-up at 16:00 to avoid the after-work rush hour. I declined the offer for more site-seeing – I do not think my brain will take any more on board with this trip.

I checked into the hotel – this time getting a different room on the 2nd floor. After a cup of tea I did some reading before falling asleep. Colin (my husband) and I chatted on Skype IM until he left his office and I ordered chicken schnitzel for dinner – room service.

Watched a Nat Geo documentary on two tigers from Ranthambore being placed out to a different reserve to re-populate the area. I always have a very good feeling when I recognize a scene on TV. It is as if I am standing in the picture and my mind fills in the rest of the 360 degree scene from memory. That is why watching a documentary “after the fact” is one of my favourite experiences – it adds a level of richness I find hard to explain. As Colin said yesterday – I’m not crazy, just severely disturbed 😛

Fell asleep reading and with no Colin to put away the IPad, it was still open next to me this morning when I woke up. The lights were on the entire night. Ah well, best get the sleep while I can, this time tomorrow a bed will be a luxury craved by everyone in “cattle class” in the plane. C’est la vie!