Woke up and through the carriage window watched villages come to life as dawn broke. Women working in the fields harvesting wheat as it began to get light.....and I thought to myself....I have it so easy, it was a sobering moment. Life revolves around lighting dung pat fires, cooking food, harvesting crops, getting water (twice daily) washing and cleaning. The children help out with the chores from the moment they are able to, no whining, no excuses, if we don't all muck in, we don't eat, end of....
It's not that I don't know this, but sometimes I need to be reminded of just how different life is for other women, to see it before me, walked out in all its daily ritual.
After a day and a night in the same clothes, chewing gum for toothpaste and dreaming about a mug of coffee, we arrived at the lodge travel weary but jovial, to be greeted by a smiling host, offered coffee and shown our rooms.....Oh my word, I actually jumped up and down, much to Nigel's amusement "Julie, I never seen you so excited!" A huge shower with steaming hot water that pummeled into aching shoulders.
A deep bath, 2 four foot wide beds and somewhere to charge up my netbook!
The grounds are beautiful with hammocks strung between trees, a huge variety of bird life, watching mongooses ( I think that's correct!) from the cane furniture on the cool veranders (as in temperature, although there are pretty cool too!)
Breakfast consists of fresh papaya and pineapple chunks, plus both Western and Indian choices, cold and hot....Fill up on breakfast then you don't want any lunch, that's the plan!
Apparently our luggage has been sent to "On the House" in error, so will be now arriving tomorrow afrernoon....so off to buy more clothes for Sue! I've bought a shirt, but have been generally okay as I had 2 changes in my hand luggage (smug) Not sure how we will cope with the choice of what to wear when the suitcases do eventually catch up with us! I can just see them arriving just after we we have left again to go back to "On the House" for our 2 days at asha later this week!
The first Tiger safari is booked for 2pm. They go mornings at 6am for 3 1/2 hours and the same from 2pm. A cantor picks up around the different hotels/ guest houses which takes about 1/2 hour, then off we go. As I have said previously, we are booked on five, so hopefully we should get a tiger sighting at some point.
Later......
Well, I have had every part of my body jiggled and jolted on this cantor which seats about 16 I guess. We had the bright idea of sitting up high on the back seats.....my entire body left the seat on a number of occasions, I gripped the back of the seat to keep from hurling myself into the lap of any unfortunate passenger! I think I have lost a few centimetres of intra vertebral space and will measure less than my 5'2" on return to the UK, but we have had a brilliant safari, no tiger sighting, but seen just about everything else in terms of bird life. My highlight was a kingfisher which was perched on a branch really close to us and then flew off in all its blue irridescent beauty!
We saw crocodiles in the lake, samber deer, spotted deer, bird song all around us! Amazing experience, didn't feel at all cheated to have not seen a tiger. Banyan trees are incredible with their aerial roots, we saw a spotted owlet (so cute!, Nigel has a brilliant shot as he has a zoom lens to die for!) Monkeys, being monkeys just at the entrance and tree pie birds eating out of your hand if you have crumbs...
Came back, quick shower, then dinner was served. All you can eat buffet type, I can cope with that! Actually discovered that Kingfisher Beer is really refreshing, although the boys had to help me out (not literally in terms of carrying, those of you who know what a lightweight I am, one glass and all that) but the bottle I insisted would be fine was asking too much....tomorrow, I stick with water!
Dick and Nigel played Pool 1:1 That aside, there is a Nerd contest going on, which Sue and I are awarding points. They are fairly equal at the moment, except in the area of trip preparation where Nigel has stunned me with his file of "interesting" information. Sue shrugs it all off with a resigned smile...although being asked to become a human tripod (as his is in the suitcase....which as you know.......) on more than one occasion, just about takes the biscuit!! May try and get a photo of this for you, I'm sure there will be other times!!
Excellent day which seems to have gone on forever!
It's not that I don't know this, but sometimes I need to be reminded of just how different life is for other women, to see it before me, walked out in all its daily ritual.
After a day and a night in the same clothes, chewing gum for toothpaste and dreaming about a mug of coffee, we arrived at the lodge travel weary but jovial, to be greeted by a smiling host, offered coffee and shown our rooms.....Oh my word, I actually jumped up and down, much to Nigel's amusement "Julie, I never seen you so excited!" A huge shower with steaming hot water that pummeled into aching shoulders.
A deep bath, 2 four foot wide beds and somewhere to charge up my netbook!
The grounds are beautiful with hammocks strung between trees, a huge variety of bird life, watching mongooses ( I think that's correct!) from the cane furniture on the cool veranders (as in temperature, although there are pretty cool too!)
Breakfast consists of fresh papaya and pineapple chunks, plus both Western and Indian choices, cold and hot....Fill up on breakfast then you don't want any lunch, that's the plan!
Apparently our luggage has been sent to "On the House" in error, so will be now arriving tomorrow afrernoon....so off to buy more clothes for Sue! I've bought a shirt, but have been generally okay as I had 2 changes in my hand luggage (smug) Not sure how we will cope with the choice of what to wear when the suitcases do eventually catch up with us! I can just see them arriving just after we we have left again to go back to "On the House" for our 2 days at asha later this week!
The first Tiger safari is booked for 2pm. They go mornings at 6am for 3 1/2 hours and the same from 2pm. A cantor picks up around the different hotels/ guest houses which takes about 1/2 hour, then off we go. As I have said previously, we are booked on five, so hopefully we should get a tiger sighting at some point.
Later......
Well, I have had every part of my body jiggled and jolted on this cantor which seats about 16 I guess. We had the bright idea of sitting up high on the back seats.....my entire body left the seat on a number of occasions, I gripped the back of the seat to keep from hurling myself into the lap of any unfortunate passenger! I think I have lost a few centimetres of intra vertebral space and will measure less than my 5'2" on return to the UK, but we have had a brilliant safari, no tiger sighting, but seen just about everything else in terms of bird life. My highlight was a kingfisher which was perched on a branch really close to us and then flew off in all its blue irridescent beauty!
We saw crocodiles in the lake, samber deer, spotted deer, bird song all around us! Amazing experience, didn't feel at all cheated to have not seen a tiger. Banyan trees are incredible with their aerial roots, we saw a spotted owlet (so cute!, Nigel has a brilliant shot as he has a zoom lens to die for!) Monkeys, being monkeys just at the entrance and tree pie birds eating out of your hand if you have crumbs...
Came back, quick shower, then dinner was served. All you can eat buffet type, I can cope with that! Actually discovered that Kingfisher Beer is really refreshing, although the boys had to help me out (not literally in terms of carrying, those of you who know what a lightweight I am, one glass and all that) but the bottle I insisted would be fine was asking too much....tomorrow, I stick with water!
Dick and Nigel played Pool 1:1 That aside, there is a Nerd contest going on, which Sue and I are awarding points. They are fairly equal at the moment, except in the area of trip preparation where Nigel has stunned me with his file of "interesting" information. Sue shrugs it all off with a resigned smile...although being asked to become a human tripod (as his is in the suitcase....which as you know.......) on more than one occasion, just about takes the biscuit!! May try and get a photo of this for you, I'm sure there will be other times!!
Excellent day which seems to have gone on forever!
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