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
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
Yep, that sounds about right. LOL.
ReplyDeleteOur beds in Grass Valley & SF are looking pretty darn good aren't they?
ReplyDeleteThe rats at GV at least stay outside (well, almost always) except when they're in the traps.
I'm glad Twila speaks Hindi - I wonder if "get rid of the f***$$g rate is part of her vocabulary?
Tolar probably would have wanted to play with the rat.
I don't know....seems like the farmhouse might have been the better option than the paper thin blankets under the stars? But being cold is worse than rats in my book!
ReplyDeleteI remember thinking that I wanted to travel with Twila to India after I retired. After reading your blog, I am so, so glad that Twila was not available, so I toured India with Overseas Adventure Travel.... not near the adventure that you both had. Welcome Home.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for Part 4!
ReplyDelete