Camel Safari Part 3

So what MS1 wrote is pretty accurate, but still you haven't seen it through my eyes yet.

After lunch we left our little heaven haven and started towards our camp for the night.  I was beginning to get hopeful.  I saw that there was only one tent and three blankets, and I thought that must be their tent.  Life was going to be okay.

About an hour of riding our guide disappears into a farm house and I say to Twila, oh oh they are not going to let us pass, we are going to have to go around, and it is getting dark.  Do you think that we will ride in the dark?

Twila though is trying to keep her camel from running into the bushes so she doesn't answer.  About five minutes later the guide comes and tells us to get off the camels.  I am thinking oh - okay we are going to have to walk pass the farm because they don't want camel safaris going through their farms.

But when we got off they offered us tea, and a look around.  No no no, I do not want to stay at a farm house.  I do not want to at all.  I want to get on my camel and go to my luxury tent sleep in a nice cozy bed with a bathroom two steps away.  This farm has no bathroom, no big down quilts, nothing.  But I put on a happy face and go with them.

They take is to this immaculate house.  My house has never been as clean as this house was.  It was a shock and surprise to me, but when I saw the bedroom I started praying that this was not the place we were staying.  It was this little adobe building that you couldn't even stand up in, and small, really really small.  Coffineske small.  And on top of it there was only one bed.  One very small bed.  For a very small person.  Not for two people over five feet tall.  This just would not do.  Twila was giggling with delight.  This is were we are staying, oh this is just so cool.

Under my breath I am telling her I am not staying here, no way no how.  But she keeps saying oh you will love it.  It is perfect.

I can't argue with her there that would be rude, but also there is nothing she can do, so there is no arguing with her at all, so I keep my trap shut and pray.

So we all sit down in this immaculately clean house and they start drinking tea.  Twila is talking in Hindi, and no one speaks English so I am just sitting back relaxing until...Willard...

Huge - mean - nasty - ugly  - rat.  It comes running out of the drain pipe and over there eating utensils.  I sit frozen for a minute, then wait for people to start screaming.  No one seems to see this rat.  I don't want to be rude and say you know you have a huge rat in the middle of your living room, so I sit there quietly hoping that someone will finally see that damn rat and do something about it.

I realize that people actually are seeing the rat, but they are ignoring it.  Oh maybe they are embarrassed.  If anything I am always polite, so I keep my mouth shut until it looks right at me and then comes charging.

I guess I challenged it or something, because it started chasing me around the living room.  No longer am I trying to be polite, I am running for my life.  I have this huge rat baring it's teeth at me going skitter skitter skitter, and everyone is sitting there staring at me like I am the crazy one.

Finally the guide gets up and shoos the rat away, only to have it back five seconds later charging me again..  At that point I am out the door wondering how bad a rat bite would hurt, and if I will need to have a rabies shot.  My doctor didn't say anything about rats, only monkeys.

Finally he chases the rat away for good, but it ran and hid in the bedroom that Twila so wanted to sleep in, so I have made my decision, I am going to be assertive and say that we are not going to stay at this farm house!!! I will sleep under the stars before I will sleep there.

My wish was granted, and we did not stay at that farm house.  After tea he said it was time to go to our campsite and off I went with much relief.

End of Part 3
MS2

Safari - Part 3

As most of you know, MS2 and I have returned to the U.S., and by doing so, have removed all suspense regarding our survival of the Thar Desert Safari. Nonetheless, I feel a certain compulsion to finish the story and so I will.

You might recall that soon after the rat incident, we climbed back on our camels and headed north. (I know this because I had my trusty compass with me in case MS2 and I were abandoned in the desert and had to find our own way back to Jaisalmer.)

MS2 was so relieved to be leaving the rat behind that she temporarily forgot to worry about accommodations at our camp site. We sang as we ambled toward the setting sun.   I, myself, was still half expecting to come upon a city of white luxury tents before sundown. But just as the sun dropped below the horizon, Durga ordered our camels to their knees.

MS2 and I looked around, but the landscape had not changed.  We were in the middle of nowhere with nary a luxury tent nor a porta potty to be seen.  As Durga unloaded a tent, a sheet and a couple (ok three) blankets from the camels, I could see the steam rising from MS2's head. Never a talkative companion, she was now stone silent, and most telling of all, she was no longer trying to steal my chocolate toffees.  Uh Oh.

Durga worked diligently to set up our tent and our beds.  When he finished and ushered us through the flap, I saw that he had placed one thin sheet on the ground. On top of the sheet were two thin pillows and three thin (really really thin) blankets.  Finally MS2 spoke, "Why do I think this is going to be the longest night of my life?" she queried.

I'll not provide the blow by blow, but suffice it to say that we froze our butts off. To add insult to injury, we woke up with bruises on our hips from the hard ground.  And I won't even go into the "invasion of the stickers" which made our peeing adventures...um...challenging.

Worst of all, MS2 was so pissed at me she wouldn't even cuddle to keep warm!

But eventually the sun came up and the beauty of the desert made us forget the night. I mean, it made *me* forget the night. And before you could count ek do tin, we were back on the streets of Jaisalmer.

MS1

Camel Safari - Part two

So the first challenge I have is getting on this enormous beast.  As I have said over and over again, I am a middle aged woman and my flexibility is not what it used to be, so I looked beseechingly at the guide and ask does the camel get any lower.  He did not understand me *most Indians do not understand my english* and he smiled and said yes.  We all know what yes means now.  So I bravely put my leg in the stirrup and immediately get stuck.  I hear this little snicker behind me and the guide is just standing there looking at me with this huge grin on his face.  The minute he sees me looking at him he wipes the grin off his face and comes running over to help me.  Twila at this time is on her camel and giving me suggestions on how to crawl on.

Finally he picks my poor arthritic leg and throws it over the camel.  I give a little grunt of pain then I am fine.  As the camel  starts to rise I immediately start to list off the camel only to find Twila laughing her head off at me until her camel starts to get up then I hear her yelp and it is my turn to laugh.

Soon Raju and I become the best of friends, I am crooning about what a big and powerful beast he is and he in turn is giving me these looks that lets me know that we have bonded and we are of the same mind.  He loves me.  He is my ship of the desert and he takes me gently along.  Every now and then he turns his head to check and make sure I am okay, and when the flies get to much I shoo them away for him.  A truly symbiotic relationship.  I have found my Indian Taya.

Our guide gets us lost lots and lots of times, but I do not care, I am enjoying my ride and I am enjoying my time with Raju.  But lunch is way over due, and I worry about Raju, so when he finally tells us we must get off and walk I am okay with that, until I actually try and get off.  Getting on was hard, getting off - well that was even harder.  I won't bore anybody with the details, but I am sure it would make a great laurel and hardy movie.

Once off I walk up to Raju and ask the guide if I can pet him.  He says of course, so I pet Raju and I thank him for the ride.  The guide thinks that is the funniest thing.  He laughs and says you thank Raju?  Yes I say, he carried me, I thank him.  I think I am the only person he has ever met that thanked a camel for a ride.  A story for his children I am sure.

We had the most fabulous lunch in the most heavenly area in the world, and I thought this is one of the best days of my life.  I don't care if I have to go in the sand, I have a new friend.

End of part 2

Camel Safari

At the start of the planning of this wonderful adventure Twila and I sat down separately did research and then each came up separately with places we wanted to see.  As I was researching India I came across a picture that captured my heart and soul.  It was Jaisalmer.

The first thing I thought when I saw the picture of this magnificent city was I was going to Dune - meet Paul Atriedes and ride a worm.

Twila was not as enamoured with Jaisalmer as I was, it just this little city in the Thar desert why would I want to go there?  The next thing I know she is besides herself because she thinks I want to go there to go on a camel safari.  That did not enter my mind once.  I have never had any desire to ride a camel for ten minutes let alone two days.  My response was non committal, umm let me check it out.

Well I went on line and read about the safari.  They talked about camping in the desert, they showed pictures of tents and cots, but no bathrooms.  No bathroom, that is a problem.  I am a middle aged woman, I do not squat.  I called her and said umm I don't know, I don't think they have bathrooms, I think we will have to go in the sand.

Oh think of the adventure she crooned, so much fun.  When will you ever be able to go on such an adventure.  We will never be able to do it again.  Plus I am sure they will have bathrooms, this is a very popular activity for westerners, can you see a bunch of wealthy old people squatting around in the sand.  It will be fine, relax.

I thought she was wrong.  I thought no I am going to end up with a bladder infection.  But I relented, I actually compromised because I really really wanted to see Jaisalmer.

As our travels ensued we encountered more and more people who had gone to Jaisalmer and done the Camel Safari.  They complained that they were taken to permanent camps with bathroom and showers and how commercial it was.  Every time someone told us that Twila would turn to me and say see no worries.

But I was worried.  I had this sinking feeling that that was not the Camel Safari we were on.  I continued to dread the Camel Safari, and worried worried worried.

The night before the Safari we ran into a threesome from Boulder who had just done the Safari and they had said it was wonderful, blah blah blah, but they would have preferred something more authenticate.   I still did not believe this was the safari we were doing so Twila and I had a bet.  It is the first time in my life I was hoping and praying that I would lose this particular bet.

Finally the day came, we got up had breakfast and made our way to our host for the next two days.  I was actually beginning to feel a bit more hopeful about the accomodations, and decided that I was at least going to enjoy what I could.

As Twila had told you the camels were not where they were suppose to be and it was the first time that I saw the driver with his hands on his hips looking around.  That was the first inkling that I got that this was not going to be a luxury trip into the desert.

End of Part One
MS 2

Safari - Part 2

After lunch, we climbed gamely back onto our camels and headed out into the vast desert. We ambled along watching antelope lope by, counting different types of plants, but mostly trying to stay on our camels as they swerved time and again into shrubs and trees to knock the increasing number of flies  off their bodies. Tanya, you might recall, was one with Raju, so the swerving did not seem to bother her. Badel and I, on the other hand, had a few disagreements about how much swerving was acceptable.

Some time in the late afternoon, a house, or more accurately a compound, appeared out of nowhere and we veered toward it.  No explanation was offered, so we sort of assumed this would be our "hotel" for the night.  It was actually a village farm that belonged to one of Durga's distant relatives.  In India, everyone is a brother or an uncle or a cousin, or an auntie, so it is impossible to sort out true relationships.  No matter.  The place belonged to someone Durga knows.

We were given a tour of the complex: the orignal mud home built some time before the birth of Christ if I understood correctly; the cement home added some five years ago; the village water tank supplied and filled by the government; the goat pen etc etc.

In the midst of our tour, I heard an unholy shriek. It seemed to be coming from MS2. I looked at her and followed her eyes to a giant rat running around the courtyard.  I turned back to our guide, pretending that I had heard no shriek.  But then MS2 transported herself, Startrek fashion, to the otherside of the courtyard. A dance of sorts ensued. The rat ran toward MS2 and MS2 made a squeak and transported herself to another corner of the courtroom.  Meanwhile, Durga is observing this behavior with a perplexed expression on his face. I tried to engage him in a conversation about Indian politics, but he can't take his eyes off MS2 and her strange antics.  Oh, and every time MS2 passes by my ear, she hisses, "I am *NOT* staying here!"

Fortunately, the rat eventually ran out of the courtyard and even more fortunately, I guess, Durga ordered us back on our camels.

End of Part 2

MS1

Sarafi!

Here's the thing. We planned to go off into the Thar Desert, which I believe is the second largest in the world. What better way to do it than on a camel. I did a little digging and found out that every grandma and her mother goes on a camel safari into the Thar Desert.  I also learned that it was possible to arrange a safari for just MS2 and me, a couple of camels, a camel handler and a tracker.  More authentic, I thought, so I said, "That one!"

The long-awaited day arrived and our tracker, Durga, was right on time. We headed off to our rendezvous with the camel guy and spent the next 20 minutes driving up and down the back streets of Jaisalmer, looking for our camels.  At this point, a tiny bit of doubt crept into my mind. How can a camel safari guy lose his camels before we even get out into the desert?  But I pushed the thought out of my head and soon we spot them lumbering down the street --  Raju and Badel and their handler!

MS2 took a flying leap onto Raju and was one with him within the hour. Badel, a bit of a rebel, suited me just fine.  Deep in the desert around mid morning we spotted Durga up ahead, arms akimbo. He signaled for us to stop. He trotted up to a fenced building and came back post haste with the announcement that we would not be able to pass through this farmer's land.  Unfortunately the farmer owned the largest plot of land in the Thar Desert, or so it seemed. Poor Durga explained apologetically that he had just been out here last year and for sure the farm was nowhere to be seen at that time.

That's ok. Lunch at three was fine with us, although our butts might have wanted an earlier break.  MS2 and I lolled under a beautiful ____ tree, while Durga and the camel team prepared our lunch. Lovely and decadent!

End of Part 1

MS1

Yes

Train rides are very tiring, and by the time we reach our destination I am pretty much a zombie.  This last train ride we ended in Amritsar at 11 pm and by the time we found our driver had a little scuffle tried to communicate with said driver I was done for the day.

We reach our destination and the porter comes running out and says ...blah blah blah.  So I say yes.  Twila turns to me and says did you understand him.  I look at her a little chagrined and say no.  She then turns to the porter and said do not talk to her she does not understand you - only talk to me.

The poor guy looked horror struck, but he said yes.  Then Twila said what did you just tell her.  He smiled and said yes.

Poor Twila, she realized at that point that I had gone Native.

Suffering through indignities

No, I'm not talking about me. It is MS2 who has had to suffer multiple indignities on this trip. How has she fared? I will say that good humor has prevailed through each and every incident. In other words, MS2 suffered the indignity and everyone around her laughed -- with abundant good humor. Some examples: 

Indignity #1: With occasional exceptions, MS2 has had to answer over and over again the question, "Who is older, you or your sister?" She has had to respond without sinking her fangs into the neck of the inquirer.  No fangs have appeared so far, but the first couple of times, her response ran along the lines of "WHAT?" and "You're joking, right?" and "Seriously?"  Eventually it was, "SHE is older.  SHE is.  A LOT older!"

Indignity #2:  MS2 is the only young-looking middle aged american woman to have her ass nibbled by a camel at the Pushkar camel fair. The indignity did not go unremarked, primarily because MS2 screamed bloody murder. I turned around ready to swat a purse thief with my own hefty bag and came face to face with a camel instead.  Good laugh all around.

Indignity #3: MS2 does not like to be bothered by children hard-selling cheap bangles, pashimina scarves made of polyester, and...get this...camel rides on "friendly" camels.  She says "no" over and over again, which simply attracts bigger and bigger crowds of pitch-kids. She gives up and turns to me with pleading eyes.  I say "Nahin chaiye," and the children disappear.  (No it does not mean, "get out of here or I'll slit your throat.")

India would be waaaaayyyyyyyyy less fun without MS2 at my side.

MS1

Ajmer

So everyone keeps asking if I am shocked by the change in Ajmer.  I really do not remember Ajmer except for the small part that I lived in.  To me the city was big and loud and brash.  Now when I walked done the streets of Ajmer I find it big and loud and brash.  So I guess no I am not shocked by the change.

My most vivid memories of Ajmer was the wide open space - the hills that were mountains to me, and being on the edge of town, more part of the country side instead of Ajmer proper.  My memories of walking those hills that looked like mountains, wondering what I would do if I came upon a snake, or any other wild animal.  I wondered, but I never encountered.  It was all pretty tame.  Across the street the Hedges lived, and it was every morning I would get up and hope that they would finish their lessons early so we could play, but even if they weren't done I would still run across the street and wait patiently for them to come out to play.

I developed a feeling for the the land that I have never been able to recapture, a sense of wonder and a sense of belonging.  It was a mystical or magical feeling I am not sure which, but whatever it was it was a treasure that I have taken with me throughout my life.

So back in this land of beauty I look at those hills and remember what it was to be ten and filled with wonder.  Do I have the same feelings as I did at ten - no, but now I have something different, something to take with me to remember for the next forty years, a sense of peace, of belonging - of coming home.    

Tigers and bears and nothing oi

We arrived at Ranthambore at about 12 noon, and got settled into our tent *yes a very very luxurious tent* and immediately headed out for our afternoon safari.  The safari was a jeep into the Ranthambore    tiger preserve, and as we got into the jeep our safari partners started to argue with the driver about not wanting to come.  I looked at Twila and asked if I smelled that bad, but she hushed me as she eavesdropped in.

According to Twila they had just done this route that we were doing in the morning and they wanted another route because they did not see a single tiger, and they had already seen all the scenery on this route.  I mean come on once you have seen a jungle path once it is forever imprinted and it would just be so boring to see it again.  I mean it is static right?

But they acquiesced and got in the jeep and we drove out to the park. However, they informed us we were going the wrong way, so maybe we were going to pick up some more people.  I was feeling that we had two too many as it was, but oh well.  We drove for about ten minutes and they stopped and told the couple to get out.  I was like oh my god they are going to shoot them - I am never going to complain again.  But instead they tried to find a different route for them.  But nobody wanted them so they piled back into our jeep and off we went.

But we did make one additional stop at another hotel to pick up a lady.  So we crowded five people into a four seat jeep.  Thank goodness for Twila.

From the moment this woman from the other hotel got into the jeep until we dropped her off four hours later that woman did not shut up.  It is no wonder that we did not see a tiger, I mean the jungle was filled with Magpies I am sure the tigers weren't interested in one more.

So no tiger or bears, but lots of monkeys and deer, but we can see all the monkeys we want in Ajmer and deer, well we have lots of those in CA - but Magpies now that was something new.     

The train ride from H*** Part II and on

So much has happened since that train ride, so I will just give a synopsis and move on.

We get on the train dragging our two hundred pounds of suitcases and I go to the compartment I am suppose to be in and low and behold there are twelve people in this four person compartment.  So I throw my stuff on Twila's upper bunk, only to have the guy who has the bunk tell me it is his and to move it.  During all of this my suitcase is taking up the entire aisle and people are getting frustrated and start walking over my suitcase.  Meanwhile the conductor is trying to steal Twila's bedding and there is a tussle that ensues as he is trying to grab it out of her hands and she is saying no no mine.  Finally she wrenches the bedding out of his hands and sits on it.  He looks at her turns around and takes my bedding.  The next thing I know Twila is sitting on my bedding too.  Thank you sister.

So we finally face the family of twelve and tell them that we have the upper bunk and we need to put our suitcase under the seat.  They are most accommodating and help me place it under the seat then they tell me four of them will be leaving in the next couple of stops so not to worry.

Meanwhile the upper bunk mate of Twila goes and joins them, and the conductor comes and kicks him out of the seat.  All this time I am sitting with Twila watching a rat run from compartment to compartment.

Since I have taken his seat he says do you want the upper bunk?  I say yes and he crawls up into my bunk with the family of twelve.  So Twila and I get the upper and lower together.  Happiness.

Until the person in the compartment next to us drops his dinner on the floor and leaves it there.  At that point in time I think it is best to get as far away from the food as possible. I know where that rat will be while I sleep, yes I do.  With that I took four sleeping pills and prayed for morning.

MS2

Baksheesh

Our driver for the Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur legs of our trip (about 11 days) is one Daulat Singh. He is a soft-spoken, middle-aged man of limited English, but he has the heart of a mother tigress.  We have received many lectures about strangers to whom we should not speak, places to which we should and should not venture, and food we should and should not eat.  He routinely locks all the doors when we enter a "dangerous"  neighborhood.

   He is also very solicitous (or should I say generous?)  when it comes to bathroom breaks and tea breaks.  In fact, yesterday we hadn't been on the road for an hour before he suggested a tea break.  I said, "No thanks, we're good."  He tried a couple more times so I said, "Do you need tea, Daulat?"  He stretched his right arm above his head and said, "Yes, sometimes get very tired driving. Need tea."  Well of course I don't want him falling asleep at the wheel, so I said "Yes, yes, let's have tea." So we did.  But then on the way out, he spoke a couple of words to the proprietor who ducked under the counter and came back up with an eggbeater which he presented to Daulat.

   "Holiday gift!" he beamed. (We are still celebrating Dewali, I guess.)  And off we went.

   A couple of hours later he asked if we wanted to stop at a very nice textile factory on the way to Ajmer.  We demurred.  He pointed out, in very unpushy tones, that factory prices are very good.  We demurred again.  So what could he do?  He fessed up. He said that he receives a gift when he delivers a potential customer to the factory (or teahouse or restaurant or ....).  He said, "If you no like, no buy. Just look 10 minutes and then go."  So that's what we did. And when we came back to the car he showed us his new 32 piece dinnerware set.  

   He was absolutely "made up" (happy)! He jumped back in the car and said, "Now Ajmer. No stops."  And then we were made up too.

MS1

Animals in Asia

I admit I am not an animal lover.  That's not to say I don't find it interesting to observe them, but I have no need whatsoever to take them into my home, feed them, nurse them, save them.  

   While in Bhutan, I  was reminded of my minority status in this regard.  I observed aghast as MS2 and our beloved Black Foot gypsy guide attempted to feed all of the stray dogs in Paro.  I watched with pursed lips and furrowed brow as a pack of dogs swarming these two gentle women grew larger and larger. I feared the dogs might not realize these are good-hearted animal lovers and I worried that this charitable act might be MS2's last. 

She did get bit, but she survived. We don't have the rabies test results yet. (Ok ok, don't panic. It didn't break the skin.)

   Also in Bhutan, all of my compatriots were ooh-ing and ah-ing over each and every monkey.  Mind you, these were *wild* monkeys. With every monkey sighting 16 - 1 (the *1* being yours truly) people would take chase, camera in one hand, banana in another.  Good grief.   Little did they know that if they caught up to the creature, a battle might well ensue and I can assure you, the monkey would win.

   Today I was reminded that my feelings about monkeys are shared by 1 billion people.  All of the people of India.  I was taking a photo through an open window in Jaipur's Amber Palace when all of a sudden a monkey face appeared in my viewer.  The monkey had jumped up onto the window frame and was still coming full steam ahead!  I hollered and took off. What's more, everyone else in the room (all Indian) hollered and fled along with me.  

I have found my people.

MS1

The train ride from H***

So my first train ride was a bit of shock Oh my the bathroom stinks and the compartment is not clean, but I managed and we arrived in Darjeeling in one piece.  So when we went to board the train from Darjeeling to Varanasi things well things just kind of fell apart.

First thing was the "executive asst" told us that we had to be there three hours early.  That was a bit of a problem for me since I had developed ahem bathroom issues, so I wasn't prepared to leave the hotel (which was lovely I might add) at 10 in the morning like he wanted us too.  So we talked to the driver and left at noon instead.  Our train was to leave at five fifteen and it was suppose to be a two and a half our drive to the station, but we figured that it would be more like three and a half hours so yes plenty of time.

We did not arrive at the station until 4 pm and as we pulled up we asked where the "executive assistant" was going to meet us.  No, we were told nobody was going to meet us.  Nobody was going to make sure we got on the train, nobody was going to make sure we got on the right compartment.

I was a bit more panicked then Twila since Twila had been wait listed and I had a bunk.  What if I got on and she did not?  I told her I was not going to travel without her, so if she did not go I was not going to go, and she could not take my seat and leave me behind.  But Tiger Paw had got her a bunk so all was good, at least on that count.

Twila kept asking the driver where are we going, how many platforms where are we suppose to go, how do we know which train, how do we know which compartment.  He was very little help since he did not speak english, but he spoke enough to tell us he could not park there and he had to go.

So abandoned and alone Twila said we can figure it out, there are only three platforms.  Actually there were six platforms, and only one of them had a ramp.  So I am praying that the platform we want is the one with the ramp.

So Twila goes up to the first person who she thinks speaks english and asks what platform we should be on.  Well he did not speak that much english, but soon she had a crowd around her all trying to help her.  We finally figured out that we had to wait until they called the train to figure the platform.  So we sat at the top of the stairs getting our hopes up that it would be the one with the ramp.  Guess what, it wasn't.

The reason I wanted the ramp was because our suitcases combined weigh about 200 pounds (we are allowed 44 pounds a piece, but we have been collecting presents you lucky people you.)  So Twila said you go down first and go very slowly.  When I got to the bottom she informed me that I did not have to go that slow, but truth be told I was going as fast as I could.

So the compartments are displayed on the board, and we were A1.  The train is about a mile long, so I told Twila I would run to one end of the platform and see if A1 was down there while she protected the luggage.  Well it wasn't,  so I went running back to Twila and said I think we have to go the other way, but she already had that information.  As usual as I ran up to her she had a group of people around her saying I will help I  will show you were to go.

So he showed where A-1 was flashing, and the train pulls in and it is chaos, I push my way to A1 and Twila asks someone if that is A-1 and they say no no I will show you the right car.  Yikes I almost got on the wrong car.  And I never would have known.  Really I would not have known.

End of Part One

MS2

Blogs...

...are so much fun when they are followed by terrific, funny and interesting comments. Thanks guys, you are terrific blog commenters! We look forward every day to finding out what you have to say.  See, here is MS1 reading your comments. QED!

Oops. Couldn't get the photo onto the blog for some reason. Trust me, she had a big beautiful grin on her face.

Oh Calcutta Redux

In my limited experience, I have found that all of the western world is afraid of Calcutta. Afraid of the dirt. Afraid of the beggars. Afraid of the poverty. Afraid of lepers and people dying in the streets. Afraid of being fleeced by some slick Indian scam artist.

Phooey on all that.  I myself approach Calcutta without fear, and I hold all Indians with which I have dealings to a high standard. Here's an example: For some reason, I was absolutely determined to see the flower market along the Hooghly River.  And I stubbornly insisted that I wanted to see it in the morning light. So we made a date with our driver for the morning after our arrival.  Lo and behold, a surprise November storm dumped bucketloads of water on the streets of Calcutta at dawn. Fortunately, the rain had stopped by the time our driver showed up. However, the driver had brought his boss along to explain to us that we should not go to the flower market because it was "very dirty, very dirty indeed."

He didn't fool me one bit. I just knew he wanted to yank our pre-paid driver away from us to haul around some other tourists.  I call that double dipping and I was having none of it.

"I *really* want to go to the flower market," I told the boss man. "And I don't mind the dirt."  Meanwhile, MS2 is throwing frowns in my direction, followed by the sensible-sounding words, "Maybe we should take his word for it."

"Balderdash!" I said,  and off we went.

Before long the driver pulled over and said that the flower market was "just down this alley. I'll wait here."

Three determined steps later, I was ankle deep in mud.  I managed to take about six more steps before  I was clobbered by a flower cart, probably because I couldn't get my feet out of the mud fast enough to jump out of the way. The cart left muddy wheel tracks all over the back of my legs.  Because I'm not afraid of Calcutta, I'm claiming it was mud.  Not yak poop. Not people poop. Not rotten stinking garbage.  Just plain old mud.

When our driver saw me approach the car covered in mud, he nearly doubled over in laughter. I looked over at MS2 for some sympathy, but all I saw in her eyes was barely-contained mirth.

I'm still not afraid of Calcultta though.

The first train ride

So the last day in Kolkata was fun, we walked around, saw some mud did some shopping and sat at the hotel for a couple of hours.  I was tired, so I thought that the first train ride would be fairly easy.  But things did not go as planned...

First Twila got a lecture from our guide that she was suppose to tip the driver. Unbeknownst to him she had already given the driver a huge tip plus a gift.  Then I was suppose to give the guide a tip.  I had 500 rupees in my pocket to give him, but I also had two ten rupees.  I found out when I went to tip the people who brought up our luggage today that I had given him a ten and not the 500.  Oh well he was rude anyway.

But when I entered the train compartment I was like this can not be first class.  It just could not be.  I was ready to cry.  Twila went searching for the bathroom for me and came back to tell me that they only had Indian toilets no western toilets.  At that point I almost got off the train.  How was I going to go for 12 hours without using the damn bathroom.  I felt the tears welling up and I was feeling very sorry for myself.  Further, it was not a pleasant smell.  As Ted knows, I am very very sensitive about smell.  Me and JFK.

Then Twila said that she was going to the bathroom before she went to bed, and when she came back she told me that there was a western toilet.  You can not imagine my relief.  Suddenly everything was okay, and I was not feeling so bad anymore.  Even the smell started to disappear.  l knew that would happen since my dog has been skunked a couple of times.

I couldn't fall asleep in the beginning so I took some sleeping pills and listened to my book on tapes.  Every time I would start to doze off I would hear myself snore then I would wake up.  Twila said that I was snoring like a long shoreman, I guess I kept everyone up in the compartment.  She had told me that some of the people in the compartment might be a little portly and they might snore, but believe me snoring doesn't bother me.  After 22 years with Teddy bear I find snoring to be white noise.  But I guess I made some snide comment about snoring and she thought it was funny that I was the only one snoring.  Oh well it was par for the whole experience.

I woke up about 6 and  trepidly made my way to the bathroom.  It was seriously not what I would like to use on a regular basis, but I did not drink anything for the train ride so I didn't have much output.  I think I can put up with it once a day.  I just might get a little dehydrated on the train days, but that is okay.

Twila asked if I wanted to go home.  At that point on the train was the first time that I regretted the trip.  That I just wanted to throw in the towel and say forget it.  I could have gone my whole life without experiencing an Indian train ride, but now I know what it is and what to expect, I don't think I will have any more problems with the train.  I am adaptable.  I just lowered my expectation - all is good.

The Bhutanese Penis

Oooooh, I'll bet everyone is going to read *this* blog.

For those who don't know (and I imagine that would include all of you -- and me before I came to Bhutan), the biggest (figuratively speaking) good luck charm in Bhutan is the phallus.  You might think that such a charm might be carried in one's pocket, as the Japanese are/were wont to do. Or perhaps it would be tucked under a pillow, or hung on a door frame.

No indeed. In Bhutan, the phallus...hmmmm...the penis, actually, is displayed in all of its anatomically correct, erect, and immense glory on the facades of the houses.  Imagine a billboard-sized penis with semen spewing out the top.

As our group of 16 middle-aged hiker/cyclists pulled into Paro and came eye-to-eye with our first Bhutanese penis, a symphony of tittering erupted from the seats of our van. You'd think we were a bunch of high school kids, when in fact we were a bunch of staid professionals with penis envy.

MS1

Oh Calcutta

So I was so excited when we landed in Kolkata I couldn't contain myself.  As we drove to the hotel I was amazed at the traffic and the honking.  The honking it just never ceased.  And they don't seem to follow any traffic rules.

In Bhutan they didn't have any rules, and I was amazed at how they were able to drive on one lane roads.  Really there was only one lane, and sometimes that lane was taken up by the cows or the horses or the dogs.  And the cars would patiently wait for the cows, horses or dogs to move so they could drive by.  They also had people who walked in the middle of the road, but when the car would come by the would move over.  All very civilized and polite.

Now we come to India.  People don't wait their turn, they don't move over and they certainly are not polite and civilized.   There were a few times that I was sure that we were going to die.  *Wait wait you can not drive now the light is red.*   I am thinking that those lights are just for show, getting ready for Christmas.

But I was prepared for that, I was not prepared to be in a shake down.  I was in the car totally enjoying the flavor of the place when a policeman pulled over our driver.  I had heard about this before I had come so I knew what was happening.  I told Twila that it was a shake down because they saw as in the back seat, but she insisted that the driver had done something wrong.

Unfortunately I was right, it was a shake down, and as we were driving off they pulled another car over and started it all over again.  Okay I read about it, but I never in my life thought it would happen to me.  And what was worse then the shake down to me was the fact that they felt that they could go through his car.  They opened the glove compartments, looked under his dash, under the seat, in every nook and cranny you can think of.  It was horrible.   The injustice of it made me realize how lucky we are.

Then we went to the Temple of Kali and I had another shake down.    But that is another story.

MS2

Tigers Nest

Yesterday we traveled to the most beautiful place high in the foothills *10,000 feet* to Tigers Nest.  Twila has had a bit of Tanyaitis as she has worried about the climb for the past year.  Liz, our group leader, kept telling her that she thought that she could do it, but Twila was not so sure.  As we were hiking up, Twila kept saying that she would wait for me at the Tea House, and Liz kept saying no just come and try it.

Well I am happy to inform you that she did make it to the very tip top and she made it without a panic attack.  Me on the other hand...

I couldn't believe how many people - young and old - on the trail, and believe me it was not an easy walk.  Three miles up three miles down.  By the time I  hit the hay I was exhausted.

But before we went to bed the group had a closing ceremony so to speak and they showed all the pictures they took during the week.  I was horrified at the pictures of me.  I of course did not pay much attention to anyone else's photos, I know Twila thinks I am vain, but I really am not.  It just that I know what everyone else looks like, I just don't know what I look like *unlike my darling sisterS I do not preen in front of every mirror.*

Today was a low key day, we went to the market, I caught the interest of three girls all with horrible running noses (Twila was shopping I was having stomach issues) and all I could think of as I sat talking to them was when was I going to get sick.   But we did have a nice chat and I got a good picture of them that I will post when I figure out how to post from the camera to the IPad.

We went for a tiny hike, and are trying to get rested for the onslaught that will follow for the next 25 days.  I am only hoping that my stomach will last that long.

So comes the end of the luxury part of the trip.  Who knows when I will have a clean bed or bathroom.   I am going to look up on the Internet to see what type of accommodations AC2 will be on our overnight trips.  This maybe the last time anyone hears from me, so I bid you all farewell.

MS2

Buddhism, Monks and Monasteries

Yes, perhaps MS2 is trying to teach me to be more zen-like, but note the following: One of the tenents of good practice is to be positive. You will recall that a monk grabbed MS2's hand while she was walking down the streets of Thimphu.  She told our lovely French Blackfoot Buddhist guide, Nathalie, about the encounter and Nathalie said (without hesitation) that the monk saw a beautiful soul walking down the street and wanted to make a connection. MS2 also told another of our guides and you know what he said.  So which version did MS2 report to the world?  Hmmmmmm. I'm thinking she needs more mindful practice.

   Nonetheless, I have never doubted for a moment that MS2 is more spiritual than I.  Until today, that is.  Today we climbed to Tiger's Nest Monastery, the holiest place in Bhutan. While there we were invited to test our spirtuality.  The test involves closing your eyes, walking toward a rock with a small hole in the face and placing your thumb in the hole.  Our entire group lined up, each hoping to prove to the group that he or she was the most spiritual of all.

   Thumbs went everywhere, but not into the hole...until yours truly had her turn.  Eyes closed, two steps forward, thumb directly into the hole.  Everyone gasped and looked at me with freshly respectful eyes, except for MS2 who shouted, "She probably had her eyes open!"

MS1

Left behind again

Yesterday was a big riding day, and as usual I was a very nervous nellie.  We were cycling the Ha Valley, which only recently opened up to visitors so it was very special ride.  I did my usual moan and groan about the hill and the fear that I wouldn't be able to keep up, so I told Twila that she should just ride ahead of me and not worry about me and I would not worry about slowing her down.

She said that the only way that she would leave me is if she got in a rhythm and then she would meet me at the top of the hill.  Well needless to say she got into a rhythm and I did not see her until the end of the ride.

Now I know that she is trying to teach me to say what I really mean, and from there she will take everything I say at face value, but I am trying to teach her the Zen way and look for hidden meaning in all  - you  know I am making her a more enlightened being by making her search for the answers - right?  Anyway Karma got her with a flat tire.  See if she had stayed with me she most certainly would not have a flat tire.  Karma.

Left behind

So I woke with numb fingers and a very upset stomach.  MS1 says I should rename the blog adventures in bathrooms but I don't think that is quite fair.

Nevertheless I found that I just couldn't go on the current excursion and ended up in the bathroom just as they were starting to leave.  But within ten minutes I felt fine and went running down hoping to catch them but they were gone.

I went back up to the room and just cried feeling very sorry for myself.  Here I was in the most beautiful country inn the world and I was stuck in the damn hotel room.    I am very nervous person and Twila had locked the money and the ID in her suitcase and I didn't have her combo and   I just didn't have the guts to go out in foreign country by myself with no money and no ID.

But then I remembered that I had a copy of my passport in the suitcase.   I was filled with joy I could go out exploring and not worry about having a heart attack and no one knowing who I was.

So off I went thinking Thimphu is a one street town I can wander around for a while but stay close enough that if an emergency should arise I would be close to the hotel.  Well I managed to get horribly lost and a ten minute walk around the block ended up an hour.

I finally found the hotel, and decided that I would have an adventure anyway.  *I was a bit panicked when I couldn't find the stupid hotel, so the adventure in my eyes didn't start until after I knew how to get back home.*  I didn't need no stinkin tour company around to have a good time, so I decided I would walk until there were no more sidewalks, or until I got to India whichever came first.

In my travels a monk came up to me and grabbed my hand and just sat holding it.  I found it rather disconcerting and wondered if I was suppose to do something.  Later I asked our resident tour guide what it meant and he said that even some Monks were crazy.  Lucky me.

I did finally run out of sidewalk and it was a good thing too.  I did not take water with me, and I became very very parched.  I didn't make it to India - I think that is a good thing.

MS2

Bhutanese Hazards

Talk about pushing your limits...the very first day in this country we went on a hike that required me to face my acrophobia demons. My trusty companion, MS2, stayed by my side and blocked the most paralizing views. Yesterday I had to face my gephyropobia demons.  (Yep, strangely enough I have more than one annoying phobia.)  If you had seen the suspension bridge -- high across the river, swaying in the breeze -- you might well have been sympathetic.  Had I known about the bridge ahead of time I probably would have elected to forgo the hike altogether.  But there I was, deep into the hike with the mother of all footbridges in front of me. 
   MS2 did exactly as I asked. She got right in front of me and baby-stepped across the bridge.  We were about halfway across when one of our Bhutanese guides came running down the bridge to rescue MS2 (she was the one in front, after all) and also get us moving a little faster. Poor MS2 just couldn't take it. As the guide grabbed her bike and tried to take her hand she shouted, "NO! I'm not the one with the problem!"  I, of course, did not say a word. Heh heh heh.

MS1

Monklets

So this trip is rated a 2, but it sure did not feel like it yesterday.  We went on a fairly strenuous hike to visit the Monklets, and not only was it straight up, it was rocky and hot.  But before we got there we were stopping for tea and cookies and then onwards.

I did not use the bathroom while eating our tea and cookies because they said that there would be a bathroom 15 minutes into the hike and it was nice, and then there would be bathrooms at the Monklets place and that would be nice as well.

15 minutes into the hike they said okay girls go behind that bush and guys over there.  Huh????
Where the hell was the bathrooms?  I do not do squat and pee.  No no no.  So I decided that I could wait until I got to the Monklets place.

It is a good think that I held it because I got hot and sweaty and by the time I got to the top of the mountain it had all been reabsorbed.

The Monklets were these adorable orphan boys who ranged from I think they said 5 or 7 to 18.  Cute sweet outgoing.

But after having lunch and tea it was time to go to the bathroom.  I was okay with it until I walked into the bathroom.  I just could not do it.  I could not use it.  I could not even take my whole body in.    I held it all the way back to the hotel.   Yessiree I did.

Bagdogra & Yaks Revisited

Today was an amazing day! A little bit of deja vu and a lot of new and wonderful.  First the deja vu.

As MS2 mentioned, we had an unscheduled stop in Bagdogra, India on our way into Paro, Bhutan. The last time I was in Bagdogra I was with Durf and about 10 other adventurers along with our fearless leader, Pandey. We were being held hostage by machine gun wielding border (?) guards who wanted Pandey to cough up some baksheesh before they would let us leave. Pandey, to our dismay was standing on principal and refusing to pay. We kept saying, "Pandey ji, it is only 300 rupees. A pittance." And he kept say, "No, it's just not right." That was then, this is now. Plenty of machine guns still in view, but no baksheesh required.

As for yaks, the last time I saw one, it was an attack yak that was threatening our very lives. (Remember, Durf?)  Today I again saw a yak...in the form of bacon. And I ate it.  Pay back!

MS1

Bangkok to Paro all in a days journey

Well the trip for SF to Bangkok was long and well very very tiring.  We stayed at the Novetel and found to our dismay that we had no internet services, so we decided to go back to the airport and see if we could get wifi there.

Well let me back up a minute.  MS1 checked out our hotel and on line they said it was a five minute walk from the airport and easy to get to.  So when we came out we went up to a guard and asked how to get to get to the hotel.  He said go to door 4 and we could take a shuttle.  When we got to the front of the airport we asked a tour guide how we could walk to the hotel and he said no we couldn't walk we had to take the shuttle.  Okay two  people telling us we had to take the shuttle we just thought the internet was wrong.  So we get in the shuttle and it drives us across the street.  Yes we were driven across the street.

We did find an underground tunnel that wasn't even a five minute walk.  And we found these really cool magic escalators.  But we did not find wifi.  No wifi no bloggee.

So we were up early in the morning to catch a flight on the only airlines that flies into Bhutan.  I was a little nervous that I was flying with an airline that only had two planes, but to my relief I found out that they had just leased a third plane and were in negotiations for a fourth.  So they were in the big times.  It was suppose to be a nonstop flight to Paro, but as our leaders told us as they are the only game in town they can make whatever changes they want so we had a tiny stop in India,  so we got in late which kind of messed up our leaders schedule.

We were rushed through lunch so we could get our hike in before dinner and before it got dark.  They said that we were only going to do half of it because of the timing, I thought oh it won't be so hard, but it was and now I am tired and stinky, but I am not going to worry about it because I am in a land were deodorant has yet to be discovered.

MS2

Huh?

We're in Bangkok but we have no idea what time it is or what day it is. I'm just doing a quick blog so that I can see what I sound like when my body is screaming for melatonin.

The best part of being in Bangkok is watching MS2 have her first experience navigating foreign waters as an adult.  Today I got to watch her change money so that she could buy a soda.  It was so stressful for her that she tried to put the soda back on the shelf. I wouldn't let her and a tussle ensued. We were deported.

Just kidding.  But only that last part was false.

See I told you I need melatonin.

MS1

And so it begins...

ACK!  We haven't even left the country yet and TSA has already cut the lock off my suitcase!

MS1

First to blog

I am not competitive or anything, but I really wanted to do the first blog of the trip.  I never get to go first, so I am kind of sneaking it in. 

We are leaving in seven hours and I just finished packing.  Who knows what I forgot, but my suitcase now weighs 41 pounds.  We are only allowed 44 pounds, and I don't think it is going to get any lighter on the trip.  But I keep worrying that I am forgetting something and I won't be able to get it once we leave.  Toilet paper comes to mind.  I seem to remember our parents shipping cases of toilet paper to India.  Maybe TH can send me some and have it there waiting when I show up.

I am thinking that we should enact a general rule that all bathrooms have to be uniform and western.  Oh and clean.  If you can't keep the bathroom clean (like putting paper on the seat and sitting on the paper and not peeing on the seat) than you can't use the bathroom.

I am also thinking that maybe I will leave a trail of clothes behind.  Since I only have 44 pounds if I buy something on the trip I have to leave something behind.  Since we are only doing the biking for the first week of the trip and I probably have 20 pounds of biking  clothes I am thinking about leaving one piece in every place we stay and it will kind of be like leaving a little of me behind.  In a 1,000 years some archaeologists will unearth my bike shorts with all my sweaty DNA on it and say hey did you know that their were Haplogroup: K1in Bhutan.  Wow who would of thought.

Oops here comes the other MS so I better sign off before she sees me doing this.

MS2


 

Telluride: Day 4 Movies

Movie #11: The Hunt

An incredible, powerful, devastating film. It's about a man accused of sexual misconduct with a child.  Mads Mikkelsen is incredible.  This might be the best film of the festival.


Movie #12: The Attack

This story about an Israeli-Arab whose wife (unbeknownst to him) is a terrorist, was a film festival favorite.  It was a good film, but not among our favorites.

MS1

Telluride: Day 3 Movies

Movie #6: Ginger & Rosa

A Sally Potter film. I loved Orlando, so that was reason enough for me to see this latest film. Not much was given away in the program description, so Tanya and I overheard some angst among potential viewers that the film might be "girl on girl stuff."  And of course they didn't want to see anything like that.  The story centers on two best friends of high school age who (it becomes evident) have very different approaches to the world.  Eventually, they clash.  There is indeed some uncomfortable situations, but that's all I'm going to say.

It's well-acted but familiar territory. Not among our top films of the festival.


Movie #7: No

This film is about the 1988 campaign to remove Pinochet from power by defeating him at the polls.  Because I didn't know anything about this effort, the film was factually interesting to me, but I did not find it a compelling film in any other respect.



Movie #8: Wadjda

We both loved this film about a young Saudi girl who wants a bicycle, knowing full well that bicycles are for boys, not girls.  The girl is an astonishing actress.

Trivia tidbits:  This is the filmmakers first feature film.  It is the first film shot entirely on location in Saudi Arabia. And the first film by a Saudi female.


Movie #9: Rust & Bone

This film is not for everyone, in spite of the fact that it stars Marion Cotillard and yummy Matthias Schoenaerts.  I kept flashing on the movie Boxing Helena although the movies have little in common but a certain amount of weirdness.  This is a romance between an unlikely couple: a man who fights (as in Fight Club) for a living, and a woman who trains sharks.

I loved it.  Others did too.  But plenty did not like it at all.  Monitus es.


Movie #10: Hyde Park On Hudson

Although some people at the festival were dying to see Ben Affleck trot down the aisle, I went to Hyde Park to see Laura Linney at the podium. Bill Murray was the cherry on top.  The movie is about Roosevelt's romantic relationship with one of his cousins.  Neither of us liked this movie. Yuck.

MS1

Telluride: Day 2 Movies

 Movie #2: Tribute to Roger Corman

I never like the idea of starting a day of movies with a tribute. Tributes can be very boring.  Short clips that are meant to explicate a body of work. Yawn.

This tribute was a documentary rather than a series of clips and it turned out to be one of our favorite films of the entire festival. Never heard of Roger Corman? See it anyway! Or be decapitated by a giant shark and dunked in goopy blood!


Movie #3: The Sapphires

A film festival favorite, and for a while our favorite. This film will certainly have broad appeal. It is about an Aboriginal girl group (of singers) that entertained the troops in Vietnam. Based on a true story.


Movie #4: Amour

Although this movie was shown early in the festival, there was significant buzz, right from the get-go. The word was that it was a great but terribly sad film. It's about an elderly couple struggling after the wife has a stroke.  Tanya could not bear to watch it, stayed home, and doesn't regret it. I went, cried and don't regret it.  The film feels as though it was shot in real time. In other words it is a film that takes its time.  No car chases.  Beautiful film.

Movie #5: Argo

This was our sneak peek of the festival. A sneak peek is a film that has its world premiere here, but opens "officially" somewhere else (and later). My guess is that many people came to the film just to see Ben Affleck run down the aisle to introduce the film.  This is the story of the Iran hostage crisis.  It was a well done, exciting thriller, based on fact, of course. Great entertainment. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

MS1

Telluride at the movies Saturday

Saturday is our first full day at the movies and generally we see three or four movies.  Most of the time we are attached at the waist and we see everything together.  This time I decided to be social and visit with a friend while Twila went and got cultured.  It was okay with me because I really really didn't want to see the movie that was showing.

But I thoroughly enjoyed all three movies I saw, and I decided that when I was 86 I was going to be just like Roger Corman.  What an amazing man, and how alert and vibrant he was for being 86.  However, I have to say I do not want to see a single one of his movies - ever.  Okay okay I admit to seeing the Little Shop of Horrors, but truthfully I hated it, though my favorite phrase was "feed me".

Then we saw two "real life" stories Sapphires and Argo.  I found both entertaining and when we left Sapphires I thought that was the best of the festival so far, but then I had a surprise - Argo was absolutely on the edge of the seat wonderful.  So if I had to choose between the two I probably would go with Argo, but Sapphires is not far behind.

We got done and home by 8 pm and I headed straight to bed - Sunday is a big big day.

Telluride FF day one

I think I just quickly need to set the record straight.  We are on a gondola going down 2000 feet and Twila says oh wouldn't that be a fun hike, instead of taking the gondola lets hike up to Sophia Station.

Not now, not ever.  Panic kicked in, and I knew I had to find a hike that would appease her.  What is the easiest hike in Telluride?  It was the Bear Creek hike.  Yes it was all up hill on the way out, but it was not a 2000 foot climb.  It was a bit harder then I had expected.  We did ask a native Telluridian what a fairly easy hike was and this is the one he suggested.  I am guessing these Telluride peoples easy hike is not exactly the same as what I consider easy.  So on a scale of 1-10 it definitely closer to a 6 rather then a 1, but all is well that ends well.

The movie, well I just wanted to add a few thoughts.  This film was suppose to take place over a five year period and so they would show the scenery as to let us know the passage of time.  Problem was I couldn't really tell - we would see wheat and I guess that would be fall and then we would see wheat and a green tree and I would guess that would be spring and then we would see wheat and a tree with no leaves and I would guess that was winter and then we would see wheat and no tree and I guessed maybe that was a year?   Yes I found it interesting, but I did find myself wondering a few times has it been five years yet?

Telluride: Day 1 Movies

 Traditionally, our first movie is at 5 pm on Friday. That gives us time to relish Telluride itself. We eat a light breakfast in the plaza in Mtn Village, go down to the farmer's market and finally hang out a bit at the festival headquarters.  AND this year, learning that I had a broken toe, Tanya decided we needed to go for a five mile hike UP to a waterfall and back.  Having gotten herself in amazing shape, it is now payback time for all the years of exertion I've pressed upon her.  Ah, sisterly schadenfreude, alive and well.

Movie #1: Everyday
Moaning Myrtle of Harry Potter fame and John Simm of Life on Mars star in this film about a woman and her four children trying to keep their lives together while the husband does jail time for theft. The film is essentially shot in real time (over 5 years) and the behaviors of the kids are real, not acted. That's the hook.  We found it interesting, altho, I mean....have you hear Moaning Myrtle's voice? Now that takes some getting used to.

MS1 rating: 3.5
MS2 rating: 2.5

Telluride - on the road

The Rockies have come calling and I have answered.  I didn't get packed until 9:30 and I had to get up at 4, and I always worry that I won't wake up so I wake up every hour on the hour.  So by 4 am I was ready to go.  However, I did not get to the airport until 4:45 and then I had to rush to get to the plane.  They now have this rule that if you are checking baggage you have to get it checked in 45 minutes before departure.  If the lines are long that can pose a problem.  Lucky for me I made it in time.   But by the time I got to the gate they were in the final boarding (it took 45 minutes to get through security)

I slept most of the way to Denver, and though not a morning person by the time Twila picked me up I figured I could get my voice working - sort of.

I was excited to see the other middle sister, and was excited to tell her all my news, but as I was getting in the car I jokingly said I have some bad news - and she said about mom.   Huh?  Well I have learned my lesson never lead off with I have some bad news, that is just bad luck.  But all ended well.

So I spent the first two hours on the dreaded phone, first playing phone tag with the doctors office then calling everyone else to give them updates.  I know that Twila loves to push and she knows how much I hate the phone so it was call this person call that person call the doctor again and again.  

I finally said I am not going to call the doctor again.  I was hoping she would say okay I will do it for you, but no all I got was do it.    So I did make those calls, but really I wasn't happy about it.