Five Star (or Six or Seven)

Trip planning has somewhat stalled. I've been busy. Ghada's been busy. Let's hope none of this limited time inadvertently turns into a "Workation". Ghada is dragging her laptop with her, and how can I complain either way, how else are we to post updates?

Not all has stalled. Here's what we've been up to:

• We got some shots. Not shots of Vodka. The medical shots. Tetanus. Diph-something-or-another. Polio because it comes with the same shot. And Typhoid. Typhoid. What the hell is Typhoid? A reminder that I'll be eating lots of S%$t, literally, in India?
• Ghada's taken her new "Sari" to some chappette operating out of house in Mississauga to stich. Ghada wants to go to the wedding in style.
• Streamlining the itinerary. Though nothing of course has been booked.

So we're cutting Khajuraho out of the trip. Which isn't sitting very well with me. But then again, neither did the prospect of this long drive.

We've decided also to extend our time in the mountains so that we're there 3 full days. There's some bonus to that. It is monsoon, which should be winding down, but you never know when that horrible day of rain will be. Also, with this extended time, should it rain, we can always go further up or further North, and beat those rain clouds at their own game. Yes, we can always go higher!

The other issue is the hotel business. Living in a city full of Indians (Toronto), typically means a few things:

1.  They are not India's paupers
2.  They are not India's paupers, and
3.  They are not India's paupers

... and so, no-one's pitched yet the idea that Ghada and I ought to rough it out in one of the Slum district. Which may not be such a bad idea. I didn't put up with a swollen arm for 2 days only to crawl into one of Ghada's test tubes.

 

Still there is a spectrum of choices. And this colleaugue of mine who coincidentally hails from Jaipur gave me a cheeky smile and said that perhaps, if I wanted to live it up while I am in Jaipur, I should stay at the Rambagh Palace.

 

Price 22000 Indian Rupees. 22000 Indian Rupees!

 

If this were Lebanese Liras, we'd be talking $22. I'd spend the entire vacation there.

 

But it's Rupees!

 

At that price, I expect my man servants to fetch Holy Water, on foot, from the heights of some Uttrakhand mountain peak, preferably one that feeds the Ganga, and long before the waters reach the Paesanos of Varanasi. With Aishwarya Rai bathing me, no less!

 

But nothing positively irks me more that those who say, "Well I would stay in the Rambagh, but for you, just don't settle for less than *fill in appropriate hotel*".

 

Is the Garbz not worthy of a night at the Rambagh? Even if it means he should fall into perpetual debt!

 

Perhaps we should start a money collection service on this blogsite. A paypal system where concerned friends contribute to our comfortable stay in the wilderness of India!