- new friends
- leaving Jaipur - Take One
- a fine, consolation dinner
over a mouth-bursting pineapple pancake, we breakfasted on the roof of the hotel at one of the two tables not pulverised by the sun. our sleep had been deep and refreshing and our morning considerably enriched by our meeting with Chris and his wife Abigail at the breakfast table. four months into a year-long trip around the world, the British couple were laid back, engaging, open and most of all fun. we swapped stories and chatted for ages and it was only the advancing morning and our list of things to do that made us break off such a meeting of the minds. although we all had plans, we hoped that we would manage to see them again before we left Jaipur. as it transpired, we were to see quite a lot more of Chris and Abby before we were to finally quit the Pink City.
a required visit once more to the GPO to lighten our packs of their new and awkward to fit souvenirs (camels are hell to pack) resulted in another two hours of patience, endurance and extraordinarily accurate cotton tearing and sewing by the highly skilled and supremely dextrous yet rather unhurried parcel packing supremo. having changed the lines from our last visit, we thought that we had another hour at least of queuing, but the man at the enquiries desk cheerfully told us to push in at the very front of the queue ahead of around 40 Indians. favouring feminine wiles over masculine size, Philippa did so and was served immediately, and to no apparent recriminations! sometimes it's difficult to work this country out.
sheltering from the midday sun as much as we could in the streets, we went back to the Sunder Palace, hoping that we might encounter Chris and Abby one last time before leaving Jaipur for Bikaner. we did manage to hook up again for some rooftop thirst quenchers. having already toured around Southern Africa and Nepal, they were now spending some time in India before Cambodia and Laos. relaxed and with the confident, flexible air of those who have been on the road for some time, we hoped that we too would have such an unhurried and good natured attitude after months of our own travels! sometimes it can still feel like we are trying to see all of India at once, but the heat of the day and the sheer size of the country is slowly doing its work and, in the case of Edd, not unpleasantly beating the stressed Londoner in him into relaxed submission.
it was great to chat with them and pick up tips and suggestions, although we may have got more out of it in that respect than they! once more our schedule forced us to part, as we had to catch the 3:50pm train to Bikaner, a 7 hour journey West then North to what would be the furthest North into the country that we would be travelling.
we arrive at the station in very good time and found the correct platform, but there was another, later train already on it. there then followed some protracted running around as we tried and failed to get any consistent information or answers as to where our train might be found, or when it would arrive. it is not part of Indian culture to say 'No,' so people will usually give you an answer rather than say that they do not know, even if that answer is a guess or completely incorrect.
the time for our train came and then went, but there was still no sign of it that we and a Dutch tourist also seeking it could find. with minimal announcements, few in English and unhelpful digital readouts - which makes Jaipur quite an advanced Indian rail head - we frantically tried to find our carriage to Bikaner. unfortunately, by the time that we discovered that our train was at the end of the very long, same platform but positioned after one or two other trains that were also at that platform, our despairing luggage laden run only offered amusement to those still waiting on the platform. the Dutch guy had apparently had more luck, but we had missed our train, even though we had been less than 500 metres from it for an hour and more.
a period of venting born of physical exhaustion and discomfort married with deep frustration and anger at our own stupidity then commenced, until common sense, practical concerns and a recognition of the futility of such actions took over, no doubt to the disappointment of the avid audience we had managed to attract. Indians do love a good argument and will encircle any they find hoping for some action. we found at STD phone and booked ourselves back into the Sunder Palace before trudging with impotent fury to the booking hall to try again to get the next train. the hall was mercifully quieter than before, we used one of our duplicate train forms kept for just such an eventuality and managed to get seats on the next day's afternoon passage, quite an achievement considering that the marriage season and forthcoming summer holidays means that a great many people are currently travelling by train. all that was left to do was to hail a rickshaw and head back again to the hotel, feeling a sheepish and sorry for ourselves.
we staggered into reception to the considerable surprise and bemusement of the hotel's helpful and friendly staff, and also of Chris and Abby, who were also there. but, as Chris pointed out, it did mean that an opportunity for dinner had arisen! India - and life, too, if it's not stretching the analogy too far - is a land of doors that open when others close and abundant silver linings around its undoubted occasional clouds.
Chris, Abby and Phil (Edd is taking the photo,
having forgotten he has a self-timer facility on his camera).
a cleansing shower and time to reflect and cool down were squeezed in before Chris called us for dinner. we considered eating at the Sunder, but the Pearl Palace was cheaper, so we headed around the corner. standing outside was the snake oil receptionist, who on seeing us immediately launched into some story about holding a room open for us and wondering where we were, even though it was his slippery voice with which we had spoken on the phone. while our originally scheduled Bikaner train approached its destination, we had some good food and fine companionship with new friends, with even a few beers thrown in. a celebration of Chris' birthday in Gujarat in two weeks' time seemed a marvellous idea but a bit of a stretch on our current timetable, but we were sure we would make the effort to see them again, even if we would have to wait until we were all back in England.
home to the Sunder for bed, sleep and rest - we do seem to need an awful lot of it in India - before our second attempt at what would be a long journey tomorrow. fingers crossed!
love
edd & philippa
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